The following is described as the core of the Ho Chi Minh Thought ideological system, as codified by the Communist Party of Vietnam: • National liberation, class liberation, human liberation • National independence • National unity • People's ownership; building the true state of the people, by the people, for the people • National defense of all people, the building of the people's armed forces • Economic and cultural development, constantly improving the material and spiritual life of the people • Revolutionary ethics, diligence, thriftiness, integrity, righteousness, and impartiality • Take care of fostering revolutionary generations for the next life • Building a clean, strong party, cadres and party members who are both leaders and loyal servants of the people Central to Ho Chi Minh Thought is the importance of the Communist Party as the center of a
national liberation movement. Ho Chi Minh Thought cites the following concerning the construction and characteristics of a
socialist society and economy: • Implementation of workers ownership of the means of production and implementing the principle of labour distribution. • A
dictatorship of the proletariat based on the unity of industrial, agricultural, and intellectual workers under the leadership of the Communist Party. • A socialist society has a system of social relations that is healthy, fair, and equal, with no opposition between intellectual and manual labour, nor between urban and rural areas. Ho Chi Minh Thought emphasizes a gradual transition to socialism. Although Ho Chí Minh believed that Vietnam had entered the stage of transition to socialism in 1954, he also thought that Vietnam was still "a democratic regime in which people are the masters" and not a socialist state. According to him, to reach the socialist stage of development, the development of the state sector was of utmost importance, as its absence would lead to failure. According to
Nguyễn Phú Trọng, who became the party's General Secretary in 2011, socialist factors of development compete with non-socialist factors, which includes the features of capitalism, during the transition to socialism. Trọng said: "Along with positive aspects, there will always be negative aspects and challenges that need to be considered wisely and dealt with timely and effectively. It is a difficult struggle that requires spirit, fresh vision, and creativity. The path to socialism is a process of constantly consolidating and strengthening socialist factors to make them more dominant and irreversible. Success will depend on correct policies, political spirit, leadership capacity, and the fighting strength of the Party". == Morality ==