Beijing (VNA) ꦬ- The simple, modest and friendly manner of President Ho Chi Minh left a deep impression on everyone and became a role model for all Communists to follow,” said Ling Dequan, former Head of the Xinhua News Agency bureau in Hanoi.

On the occasion of the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s birth, Ling, who is also a researcher on Vietnam, spoke with Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in Beijing, sharing profound memories of the Vietnamese leader who he had the opportunity to meet several times during his time as an international student in Vietnam in the 1960s. Discussing the role of the spirit of solidarity in Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, Ling cited one of the President’s famous teachings: “Unity, unity, great unity. Success, success, great success.” He emphasised that this principle was a constant and decisive factor in every victory of the Vietnamese revolution. According to him, Ho Chi Minh’s concept of solidarity spans the three levels of intra-Party unity, national unity, and international solidarity. In his Testament, President Ho Chi Minh wrote: “Unity is an extremely precious tradition of our Party and people. Comrades from the Party Central Committee to local Party cells must preserve the unity and unanimity of the Party as they would preserve the pupils of their eye.” Ling stressed that maintaining and enhancing solidarity is a fundamental part of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology and has been a “magic weapon” enabling Vietnam’s revolutionary and national development achievements. He commended the leadership of the Communist Party and Government of Vietnam for continuing to uphold this spirit in the current development era, particularly as the country commemorates the 50th anniversary of national reunification. Citing the article “Vietnam is One, the Vietnamese People are One” by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam, Ling highlighted the Vietnamese leadership’s strategic vision regarding national reconciliation. “National reconciliation does not mean forgetting the history or erasing differences, but accepting different perspectives in tolerance and respect, to work towards a greater goal of building a peaceful, unified, powerful, civilised, and prosperous Vietnam, so future generations will never have to witness war, separation, hatred, and loss as our ancestors did.” He noted that amid today’s turbulent international context, reinforcing the great national unity bloc remains a prerequisite for Vietnam to successfully achieve its “two centenary goals” of Party building and national development. Ling also praised Vietnam’s consistent policy of “combining national strength with the strength of the times” as rooted in Ho Chi Minh’s ideology. Whether during the resistance war against the US or over the past 40 years of Doi moi (Renewal), this policy has proven effective and continues to thrive in the new era./.