Every nation, on its path of development, reaches moments when it must ask itself a difficult question: continue along the old trajectory or courageously step into a new orbit? Vietnam today stands at such a moment.

The world is changing faster than ever. Technological competition, supply chain realignments, green standards, artificial intelligence and geopolitical tensions are reshaping the hierarchy of nations. To rise, a country must rely on more sustainable resources - sound thinking, strong intellect, credible institutions and deep integration.

The major resolutions recently issued by the Politburo - Resolution 57 on science, technology and innovation; Resolution 59 on comprehensive international integration; Resolution 66 on reforming lawmaking and law enforcement; and Resolution 68 on private sector development - do not merely address immediate bottlenecks. Together, they form a coherent intellectual framework that defines Vietnam’s new development model in a new generation of globalization.

If Doi moi (Renewal) in 1986 opened the door for Vietnam to escape the subsidy mechanism and enter the market economy, today’s resolutions open a new chapter: Doi moi 2.0, in which the nation not only reforms to adapt but proactively designs its own breakthrough.

At a deeper philosophical level, these resolutions are shaped by four overarching ideas: intelligence as the engine of growth; the world as the space of development; institutions as the foundation of national operating capacity; and the private economy, with enterprises and entrepreneurs at its core, as a vital driver of national prosperity.

These four ideas intersect to create a consistent development blueprint - Vietnam’s answer to the increasingly demanding challenges of a new era.

Intelligence as the engine of development

For many years, Vietnam’s economy grew largely on easily exploited resources and foreign capital inflows. That model is reaching its limits. Successful nations in the 21st century demonstrate that the greatest value of an economy lies not beneath the soil, but within the human mind.

Resolution 57 marks a decisive shift from “expansion-based growth” to “upgrade-based growth.” It signals a move from development grounded in finite factors - natural resources, land and low-cost labor - to development driven by infinite resources: knowledge, technology and innovation.

At a philosophical level, this resolution affirms a simple truth: a nation cannot develop faster than its own creative capacity.

When intelligence becomes the engine, a country can generate higher value added, move up supply chains and proactively create new industries.

Resolution 57 affirms that Vietnam’s future must be built by Vietnamese intellect.

The world as the nation’s development space

A powerful engine requires a sufficiently wide space in which to operate.

Resolution 59 articulates a clear idea: integration is not only about opening doors but about expanding the nation’s space for existence and action. By participating more deeply in international networks, Vietnam not only attracts capital and technology but also enhances its standing, expands its influence and contributes to shaping the rules.

Its core message can be summarized in one proposition: a country small in territory can still be large in stature if it expands its capacity to act within the international order.

Through deep integration, Vietnam can enter arenas of the digital economy, green economy, high technology and high-quality trade and investment flows. This is also the path to elevating the country’s international position to a new height.

Institutions as the foundation of national capacity

No matter how strong the intellect or how wide the space, a nation cannot break through if its “operating system” remains burdened by bottlenecks. Resolution 66 focuses on fundamentally renewing the thinking behind lawmaking and law enforcement.

At a philosophical level, it affirms that institutions are the foundation of national operating capacity. A country that aspires to develop must have laws that are transparent, predictable and aligned with emerging global trends.

Resolution 66 aims to standardize, digitize and modernize the entire legal system. When institutions become a driving force rather than an obstacle, enterprises will be bolder, citizens more creative and investors more confident. That is the basis for smooth national operation in a volatile world.

The private economy as the driver and creator of prosperity

Finally, even the most profound development ideas require concrete actors to realize them.

Resolution 68 clearly establishes the private sector as an important driver of Vietnam’s economy.

At a deeper level, it affirms a simple yet powerful truth: no developed nation has ever emerged without strong enterprises and entrepreneurs willing to take risks.

Entrepreneurs see opportunity where others see risk. They transform knowledge into products, integration into markets and institutions into tangible social value. Without them, even the most well-designed institutional architecture cannot come to life.

Resolution 68 therefore aims to liberate the private sector’s capacity, safeguard freedom of business, reduce legal risks, cut compliance costs and establish fair competition. When private enterprises grow, the nation grows. When Vietnamese entrepreneurs step onto the global stage, Vietnam’s stature rises with them.

This is not merely economic policy. It is a strategic choice: placing trust in the Vietnamese people, in the creative strength of Vietnamese entrepreneurs and in the breakthrough potential of the Vietnamese private sector.

Opening an entirely new development trajectory

When these four resolutions are viewed as a whole, they reveal themselves as the structural components of a coherent and interconnected development ideology for Vietnam in a new era.

Intelligence provides the engine of renewal and breakthrough. Integration expands the nation’s development space. Institutions create a transparent, efficient and trustworthy operating foundation. The private economy, with enterprises and entrepreneurs at the center, transforms development ideas into action and tangible outcomes.

More broadly, these resolutions are Vietnam’s answer to the challenges of the 21st century: sustainable development must rest on intelligence, smart integration, modern institutions and a private sector driven by aspiration.

They not only remove present bottlenecks but open an entirely new development trajectory for the decades ahead: from capital- and labor-based growth to knowledge-, technology- and innovation-based growth; from “participating in markets” to co-creating global rules and standards; from administration-heavy management to modern governance based on data, transparency and accountability; from thinking small and safe to thinking big - building private enterprises capable of competing internationally.

If Doi moi in 1986 was a revolution of “liberation” that allowed the country to enter the market economy, today’s resolutions represent a revolution of “creation” - creating new institutions, a new growth model, a new integration space and a generation of Vietnamese entrepreneurs aspiring to reach regional and global heights.

It is this synchronized transformation that provides the foundation for Vietnam to confidently pursue its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045 - a country strong in intellect, open in integration, modern in institutions and prosperous through the strength of its private economy.

We have reason to believe that the nation is entering a completely new phase of development - one defined by big thinking, great aspiration and decisions grounded in long-term vision.

Nguyen Si Dung (Former Vice Chairman of the Office of the National Assembly)