The draft Political Report was meticulously prepared, with several notable innovations: greater conciseness, clearer synthesis, tighter structure and comprehensive reflection of the country’s major issues.

Professor, Dr Tạ Ngọc Tấn, former member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Vice, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, and Standing Deputy Head of the Editorial Board for the Congress documents, said the merger of three key documents: the Political Report, the Socio-economic Report and the Report on Party building and implementation of the Party Statute, into a single Political Report represents a significant breakthrough. This approach ensures deeper coherence in viewpoints, strategic directions and policy orientations, reflecting renewed thinking, strategic vision and decisive leadership.

He added that an important new element is the concrete institutionalisation of the Party’s guidelines both prior to and during the Congress. Before the Congress convened, the Politburo issued a series of major resolutions, including Resolutions 57, 58, 66, 68, 70 and 71, translating the Party’s directions into actionable strategic policies. This creates favourable conditions to proactively address bottlenecks, overcome shortcomings and closely align with development objectives and priority tasks for immediate implementation after the Congress.

Associate Professor, Dr Nguyễn Viết Thảo, former Deputy Director of the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, recalled that after the first decade of Đổi mới (1986–1996), Việt Nam overcame severe difficulties to advance firmly along the path of national independence and socialism, even as many countries remained trapped in crisis. By 2008, Việt Nam’s GDP per capita had surpassed US$1,000.

“We have moved beyond the ranks of underdeveloped countries and joined the group of developing nations with middle-income status. This is a historically significant achievement that opened a new chapter for Việt Nam,” he said.

Forty years of Đổi mới have brought profound transformation. Việt Nam has escaped underdevelopment, gradually built a socialist-oriented market economy and grown from an agrarian nation into one of the region’s major economies. By 2025, GDP exceeded US$500 billion, ranking fourth in ASEAN and 32nd globally, while trade turnover surpassed US$900 billion, placing Việt Nam among the world’s top 20 trading economies. The country has remained a bright spot in economic recovery despite global uncertainties.

One of the most closely watched issues at this Congress is its theme, considered the intellectual and ideological anchor of the entire event.

Major General Nguyễn Văn Sáu, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and History of the Việt Nam People’s Army, emphasised that the Congress theme represents the distilled essence of the Party’s theoretical thought, strategic vision and national development aspiration. He described the theme as tightly constructed, comprehensive and rich in ideological content, expressing the highest level of clarity in direction, overarching goals and the value system guiding Việt Nam’s development to 2030 and beyond.

In an article, he said the phrase “Under the glorious flag of the Party” strongly reaffirms the Party’s leadership role and symbolises Marxism-Leninism, Hồ Chí Minh Thought and the country’s proud revolutionary tradition. It also underscores the continuous need to strengthen the Party’s leadership capacity, governing ability and combat strength to meet the demands of the new era.

He added that the call for “joining hands and uniting wills” encapsulates the philosophy of great national unity, the essential source of Việt Nam’s revolutionary victories. In the context of deep international integration, this unity is crucial to ensuring social consensus, harmonising interests and building a firm political and social foundation for sustainable development.

On the objective of “successfully realising the country’s development goals to 2030”, he noted that this milestone coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, demonstrating long-term strategic vision and ensuring coherence between long-term goals and medium-term plans. These objectives span economic development, political stability, cultural advancement, social progress, national defence and security, foreign affairs and the building of a strong political system, reflecting a holistic and balanced approach to national development.

He also highlighted that “self-reliance” and “confidence” are defining concepts of the new development stage. Self-reliance demands strengthening internal capacity and building an independent, autonomous economy, while confidence reflects the nation’s growing strength rooted in nearly four decades of transformative progress. He further elaborated on the phrase “era of national rise”, included in the Congress theme for the first time, calling it not merely a symbolic expression but a strategic concept signalling the need for innovation-driven growth, rapid digital transformation, breakthroughs in science and technology and an elevated international standing.

The value system at the end of the theme, including peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, civilisation and happiness, reflects the Party’s human-centred philosophy, positioning human well-being as both the goal and driver of development. Together, these elements reaffirm Việt Nam’s steadfast commitment to socialism, combining strategic consistency with practical innovation.