Soft power is endogenous capacity and national development identity.

Sức mạnh mềm là năng lực nội sinh và căn cước phát triển quốc gia

Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation, emphasized that soft power plays an important role in national development. (Photo: Le Giang)

Vietnam is not just the name of a war

On November 13, the Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation organized the Vietnam Moment 2025 Forum with the theme "Vietnam's soft power: Advantages - Challenges - Prospects" at Military Hospital 175 (Ho Chi Minh City).

This event opened a multi-dimensional dialogue space, bringing together scholars, experts, businessmen, artists and the young generation, to jointly define the meaning, identify, analyze and propose directions for building soft power - a key factor in the brand and position of Vietnam in the international arena.

The forum is considered timely, well-timed and of practical significance in the context of the world undergoing epochal changes.

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation, said: Soft power plays an important role in national development. It is culture, values, people and stories that have the power to spread. Soft power is becoming increasingly urgent in the context of the world going through complex changes.

“This forum aims to seek practical proposals that can contribute to national development policy planning, spreading the image of a humane, creative and sustainably developing Vietnam,” Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh emphasized.

Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh affirmed: "Vietnam is not only the name of a war, but the name of a country, an independent and free nation, aspiring to rise up and develop, for development and happiness."

In that context, Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh called for: "This must be a comprehensive, comprehensive policy, consistent with the State's focus, responded to by society and gathering different components and activities to proactively participate in effective implementation."

At the Forum, sharing from a foreign affairs perspective, Ms. Le Thi Hong Van - Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assessed that the world is undergoing epochal changes and posing urgent requirements for national position in a new multipolar world order that is taking shape.

Ms. Hong Van affirmed that promoting soft power to contribute to the nation's overall strength is of particular importance.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Van, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke at the Forum. (Photo: Le Giang)

"This is a timely forum, very important, strategic, urgent and very relevant to current concerns. How can we have sharing and common contributions from everyone, from businesses, artists, intellectuals, media, from all Vietnamese people... to truly mobilize the cultural, spiritual and intellectual strength of the Vietnamese people in a very important task in the new era", Ms. Hong Van shared.

According to Ms. Hong Van, an invaluable asset of soft power that few nations possess is the tradition of patriotism, solidarity, humane strength, peace and the inner vitality of a thousand-year-old culture. She also emphasized that soft power is the foundation of national development and an endogenous capacity.

Culture - The Foundation of Identity and Difference

At the Forum, the organizing committee announced a list of 30 additional faces who shine and inspire in many fields such as: Martial artist Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, singer Ha Anh Tuan, People's Artist Bui Cong Duy, chess player Lai Ly Huynh... These are typical faces who have contributed to bringing the image of Vietnam to the world, as well as establishing many outstanding achievements.

Experts at the forum said that a country's soft power is its ability to create influence through cultural appeal, values and beliefs.

Speakers had an open discussion on the topic: Vietnam's soft power. (Photo: Le Giang)

Mr. Kunio Takahashi, Vice President of the Institute of International Strategy, Japan Institute of Research, said that "soft power" is the ability to persuade rather than coerce.

He cited an example: “Anime (Japanese animation) and manga (Japanese comics) are clear symbols of Japan’s soft power. Many foreigners learn about and love Japanese culture through anime and comics, and from there learn Japanese and travel to ‘manga holy lands’.”

According to Kunio Takahashi, even the Japanese government initially failed to appreciate the influence of manga – an industry that now generates $19.8 billion in global revenue (2023, according to Parrot Analytics and the Association of Japanese Animations).

From a European perspective, Mr. Adam Koulaksezian, Director of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV), said: “If asked: What is soft power for you, a French person?” I would answer: Soft power is the ability to inspire rather than impose. He believes that France’s influence comes from culture, education, diplomacy and creativity – not just based on power or scale.

At the Forum, many experts from international cases said that the process of building soft power requires long-term strategy, perseverance and the ability to connect policy, cultural creativity, communication and content industry. Vietnam can refer to these models when entering a new phase in building a national brand.

For Vietnam, soft power is cultivated from the tradition of patriotism, loyalty, national harmony, diligence, creativity, cultural identity...

Many experts believe that culture - the foundation of identity and differentiation - is the core factor to enhance Vietnam's soft power. Along with that, creative economy, high-quality human resources and technological innovation are factors that help transform cultural values into real attraction.

According to experts, investing in soft power is not only a cultural story, but also a long-term economic development strategy. Vietnam needs a policy mechanism to encourage creative industries, education and cultural diplomacy to raise the country's status.

The Vietnam Moments Forum is a non-profit initiative to connect Vietnamese people at home and abroad, encourage two-way exchanges and share success stories – especially from the younger generation. The Vietnam Moments Forum 2025 hopes to contribute to identifying Vietnamese identity in the context of globalization, spreading the image of a modern, humane, creative and sustainably developing Vietnam.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/suc-manh-mem-la-nang-luc-noi-sinh-va-can-cuoc-phat-trien-quoc-gia-334354.html