Youth with Ambition and Action, a Strong and Prosperous Vietnam

Vietnam’s young people must turn patriotism into concrete action, General Secretary and President Tô Lâm told the 13th National Youth Union Congress.

“The country now needs a new spirit from its young people: think more broadly, learn faster, work better, live better, take more responsibility and contribute more. The Party, the State and the people place deep trust in Vietnam’s younger generation. That trust must be expressed through concrete action,” Tô Lâm said.

The message comes as Vietnam enters what the article calls an era of national advancement, with ambitious development goals and major opportunities for a breakthrough. It also faces challenges from strategic competition, digital and green transitions, and rapid global advances in science and technology.

The article links that pressure to a new definition of national service. In wartime, generations of young Vietnamese defended independence and freedom through combat and sacrifice. In peacetime, patriotism appears through civic responsibility, study, creative labor and a willingness to serve the country.

It points to young engineers developing core technologies, doctors caring for patients, entrepreneurs creating Vietnamese-branded products, soldiers protecting the country’s borders and seas, youth union members supporting digital transformation at the grassroots level, volunteers helping communities affected by natural disasters, and students preparing to become a highly skilled workforce.

These contributions, the article argues, expand the meaning of patriotism in a new era. Love of country cannot remain only an emotion. It must become the capacity to act and make practical contributions to national development. The Communist Party has identified science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as primary drivers of rapid and sustainable growth, while Politburo Resolution 57-NQ/TW affirmed that direction.

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The country now needs a new spirit from its young people: think more broadly, learn faster, work better, live better, take more responsibility and contribute more. The Party, the State and the people place deep trust in Vietnam’s younger generation. That trust must be expressed through concrete action.