2024 was a 'bumper year' for Vietnamese cultural diplomacy.

Speaking with a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reporter in Beijing, Ling Dequan, a Chinese researcher on Vietnamese affairs, affirmed that 2024 will be "a fruitful year" for Vietnamese cultural diplomacy . According to him, cultural diplomacy is a regular, continuous, and comprehensive endeavor that will yield many positive results over time.

Mr. Lang Duc Quyen, a Chinese researcher on Vietnamese affairs, answers questions from a VNA reporter in China. Photo: Quang Hung/VNA reporter in China.

According to Mr. Lang Duc Quyen, culture is the "blood, flesh, and soul" of a nation; it is the "nourishment" that nurtures a nation and permeates the people's blood. Culture is closely related to the behavior of individuals and the behavior of a nation, because culture determines perceptions, and perceptions determine the behavior and thinking of a nation. The world has now entered the era of "cultural diplomacy," referring to the exchange of views, information, as well as various art forms and cultural fields between nations and peoples. In Vietnam, the Party and State are increasingly concerned with building a culture rich in national identity and cultural diplomacy. Vietnam's overall diplomacy includes four components: political diplomacy, economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, and public diplomacy. Of these, political diplomacy is the driving force, economic diplomacy is the breakthrough, and cultural diplomacy is the spiritual foundation. Exchanges in literature and art, cultural tourism, sports, academics, exhibitions, and other cultural activities are the main manifestations of cultural diplomacy. Vietnam's cultural diplomacy develops alongside political diplomacy, economic diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, and is elevated with the development of Vietnam's comprehensive national strength and soft power. Mr. Lang Duc Quyen believes that by 2025, Vietnam's cultural diplomacy, like other fields, will achieve even greater successes.

Assessing the achievements in promoting Vietnamese culture in China and the role of culture in diplomatic relations between the two countries, researcher Lang Duc Quyen believes that the promotion of Vietnamese culture in China has been remarkably effective, and cultural factors are increasingly playing an important role in diplomatic relations between the two countries. Furthermore, cultural diplomacy between Vietnam and China has enormous potential for development. This applies not only to Vietnam but also to China. According to Mr. Lang Duc Quyen, the cultures of China and Vietnam are very similar but also have their own unique characteristics, with exchanges, interactions, and long histories. He noted that President Ho Chi Minh once aptly summarized the Sino-Vietnamese relationship in six words: "Same culture, same race, same comrades." The cultures of the two countries belong to the East Asian cultural region, with no conflicting elements but rather complementing and learning from each other. Mr. Lang Duc Quyen further stated that Chinese people understand Vietnamese culture primarily through three channels: tourism , goods, and the Internet. The role of diplomacy is mainly to pave the way, act as a bridge, and better facilitate the exchange of cultural characteristics between ministries, localities, sectors, and channels of the two countries. Therefore, it can be seen that cultural diplomacy has a very broad scope, enormous potential, and great significance.

Cong Tuyen - Quang Hung (VNA)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/2024-la-nam-boi-thu-cua-ngoai-giao-van-hoa-viet-nam-20241220142304931.htm