Since coming to power in 1945, the Communist Party of Vietnam has been against France, the US and China. Not counting the French colonial period, 21 Americans set foot in South Vietnam but America had no intention of taking Vietnam’s land.
However, with the 1979 Border War against China, which only took place for 30 days in 6 northernmost provinces, and the prolonged conflicts that followed, the risk of losing land to China was very high.
The war against China in 1979 should also have been a proud historical milestone for the Communist Party. However, the Party wants to remove it from textbooks and not organize a day of victory over the Chinese enemy. It is humiliating for the Party that all day preaches the slogan “long live glory.”
When China attacked Vietnam in 1979, Hanoi was completely surprised. This shows that the intelligence work of the Communist government at that time was very weak. This is a bloody lesson.
After that, the Communist government increased intelligence work in the northern border provinces bordering China. Intelligence tasks in these provinces are responsible for the Ministry of Home Affairs (ie the Ministry of Public Security today). Provincial intelligence departments are regularly assigned people to collect information here by the General Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Public Security (ie General Department 5).
However, in 2018, it is unknown what kind of agreement General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but he abolished General Department 5 of the Ministry of Public Security. He conducted a strong purge of people in this agency. Those who are not dangerous are retired, those who are considered dangerous are trapped and sent to prison. It is known that Intelligence Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Anh Vu (also known as Vu Nhom) used to be a member of General Department 5. The abolition of the General Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Public Security is an act of breaking down barriers, allowing Chinese intelligence to enter Vietnam.
In 2016, a clip was distributed online in which Major General Truong Giang Long – Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the People’s Police, and Director of the People’s Police Political Academy, said: “We I told my comrades: The bad guys set them up, they hooked them, they manipulated them. In the past, only a few people were dangerous and already dead. Now, I inform you comrades that it has a number up to hundreds, and hundreds is not just a number that stops at hundreds, but this hundred can be added to the other hundred as well. But if we don’t detect them and don’t severely punish them, then let me tell you, comrades…”
The bad guys that Mr. Long talked about are Chinese spies. After this clip was distributed, Mr. Truong Giang Long was “retired” early by Minister To Lam.
Currently, no one dares to speak frankly like Gen. Truong Giang Long anymore, because the forces that have the policy of opening the door for Chinese intelligence to flood in are now too strong, and will not let anyone dare to speak out.
Previously, Vietnam had 2 intelligence agencies, which were General Department 5 of the Ministry of Public Security and General Department 2 of the Defense Ministry. Now the Communist government only has General Department 2. However, information from insiders tells us that the current General Department 2 is just a shell, in fact the overseas intelligence work is very weak, completely inferior to China’s one.
Even when General Department 2 cannot protect its own people when they retire, it can be said that this General Department is almost blind to the situation inside the “friendly country.” General Department 2 is currently mainly concerned with dealing with fighting factions within the Party.
It is no coincidence that Xi Jinping awarded Nguyen Phu Trong the “Friendship Medal.” Because Trong’s contribution in guiding the way for Chinese intelligence to flood in is not small. And To Lam – Minister of Public Security of Vietnam – is the powerful arm of the General Secretary, and also has great contributions in eliminating General Department 5. Therefore, recently, To Lam was awarded the “Great Wall Medal” of China.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
