The 'Bamboo Diplomacy' School: A Guide for People's Diplomacy

(Dan Tri) - President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son shared how the people's diplomacy strategy firmly adheres to the "Bamboo Diplomacy" school.

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son (Photo: Duc Hoang).

"I remember the concept of "Bamboo diplomacy" was first mentioned by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2016. Most recently, we have a book that talks in detail about the Ho Chi Minh school of foreign affairs and diplomacy, which is imbued with Vietnamese national identity, expressing the soul, character, and spirit of the nation and the Vietnamese people with three very important phrases, which can be said to be three keywords: solid roots, strong trunk, and flexible branches," Mr. Phan Anh Son shared at a media meeting before the Lunar New Year. According to the VUFO President, the "solid roots" in people-to-people diplomacy are the goals of Vietnam's foreign policy: consistently implementing an independent, self-reliant foreign policy for peace, cooperation, and friendship. "The firm root here is the national interest, that is the unchangeable thing. The firm root here is the leadership and direction of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The firm root here can also be the spirit, will, and character of the Vietnamese people and nation, that is self-reliance, self-strengthening, independence, and self-control," he emphasized. "Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic ideology has three major highlights, as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said. The first is national independence associated with socialism; the second is independence, self-reliance and international solidarity; the third is peaceful diplomacy, openness, making more friends and fewer enemies," he emphasized. Therefore, the concept of "firm root" represents the will to be self-reliance, self-strengthening, the will to be independent and self-control; represents the leadership and direction of the Communist Party of Vietnam; is the goal of foreign policy; is the national interest. According to Mr. Phan Anh Son, "solid body" is the coordination between the three pillars of diplomacy, which are Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy. At the conference summarizing foreign affairs work in 2023 held on January 8, 2024, Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai emphasized: the important task of the three pillars of foreign affairs is coordination work. If the coordination work is good, it will create a combined strength for Vietnam's foreign diplomacy. "Flexible branch" is also suitable and corresponds to the motto of people's diplomacy, which is proactive, flexible, creative and effective. Proactive, flexible, creative and effective and the flexibility of people's diplomacy shows the nature of people's diplomacy. The essence of people's diplomacy is international mass mobilization work, persuading and mobilizing friends, people, movements, and politicians of other countries to support our national interests and what we want. "The flexibility of people's diplomacy is public diplomacy, influencing people's hearts, transforming situations, and mobilizing friends to support our national interests," he emphasized. Highlights of people's diplomacy in 2023 With the clear and specific orientations mentioned above, Mr. Phan Anh Son shared about the achievements that people's diplomacy has achieved in 2023. According to Mr. Phan Anh Son, in 2023, the world situation has many fluctuations, posing many challenges and difficulties for Vietnam. But under the wise leadership and direction of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in 2023, foreign affairs and diplomacy have achieved many important and historic results and achievements, becoming an impressive highlight in the overall results and achievements of the country, in which high-level diplomacy stands out. Vietnam has made nearly 50 working trips by high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to other countries and also welcomed about 50 delegations of leaders of other countries to Vietnam. In the overall successful year of Vietnamese diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy in particular and the system of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) as a pillar and core in Vietnamese people-to-people diplomacy have also made certain contributions. Firstly , regarding activities on peace, solidarity, cooperation, friendship and relations with countries around the world: In 2023, maintaining relations with VUFO's existing partners will be further consolidated. VUFO expanded its network of partners in the system to adapt to changes in the world situation. Second , in 2023, VUFO carried out many people-to-people diplomacy activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and other countries and the anniversary of the Paris Agreement signed on January 27, 1973. VUFO carried out a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in new forms, new content, new approaches and with new participation from foreign partners. Third , for high-level activities of Party and State leaders, VUFO and people's organizations and unions have successfully implemented them according to the direction when assigned the responsibility of carrying out foreign affairs activities on the people's channel. In 2023, VUFO carried out many foreign affairs activities within the high-level framework. During the organization process, VUFO has tried to do well in order to both maintain and strengthen the foundation of friendship and cooperation on the people's channel between Vietnam and countries around the world. Also within this framework, VUFO once again affirmed to the leaders and people of the world: "Vietnam remains the same. Whatever Vietnam was like in the past, we are still loyal, affectionate and grateful for your contributions and support". Fourthly , the work of mobilizing foreign non-governmental organizations also achieved impressive numbers. The value of aid disbursement in 2023 reached 223.3 million USD. In 2023, the world situation has many fluctuations, the impact of epidemics, wars, and conflicts. Many countries have adjusted their foreign policies, including adjusting aid policies for developing countries, including Vietnam. In such a context, VUFO has innovated the form and approach to mobilizing foreign non-governmental aid. In particular, in 2023, continuing the policy of smoothly combining aid mobilization with foreign political mobilization, overseas trips in the form of the Working Committee on Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations and VUFO have closely followed the policy of smoothly combining aid mobilization with foreign political mobilization. This combination has created very positive results. Fifth , research, advisory and foreign information and propaganda work has bright spots. In 2023, VUFO has a policy of improving the quality of research and advisory work with the goal of researching, monitoring, grasping and assessing the situation in countries, regions and around the world. In the field of foreign information and propaganda, VUFO has done a good job of innovating foreign information and propaganda work, with a special emphasis on conveying information about the country, people, policies, culture, friendly relations and cooperation between Vietnam and international friends. This is the most important task of foreign information work so that Vietnam's partners and friends in the continents are not "starved" for information about Vietnam, helping them receive the most timely and accurate information through an official channel about Vietnam on issues in all fields. Orientation of people's diplomacy in 2024 In the context of the world and regional situation, as well as Vietnam's new position in the international arena, in 2024, VUFO identifies a number of key contents as follows: First, in terms of peace, solidarity and friendship: VUFO continues to innovate thinking, forms, methods and approaches in implementing foreign affairs activities on the people's channel. People's diplomacy activities when implemented are not formal and ceremonial in nature but are effective and profound, contributing together with the foreign affairs pillars of the Party's diplomacy and State diplomacy to deepen the foreign policy, foreign policy and implement Vietnam's foreign affairs goals. Second , focus on training specialized cadres to do people's diplomacy work with new requirements, methods and contents. In recent years, VUFO has had a comprehensive program to train cadres. The task is that VUFO must conduct training and fostering of specialized staff to do people's foreign affairs work in the entire union system at both central and provincial and municipal levels. Third , VUFO will continue to expand its partnerships on the people's channel across all continents with which the Union has had and is having relations. Fourth, in the context of many changes in policies of countries, foreign non-governmental work requires a new approach. The new approach here is to diversify foreign non-governmental aid sources for Vietnam to realize the socio-economic development goals set by the 13th Congress. Especially by 2030, foreign non-governmental work will not simply be mobilized from sources with which VUFO has had relations, experience, and familiarity with mobilization, but must definitely be expanded. This year and the following years, VUFO will focus more on agencies, ministries, branches, and national assemblies of countries... These agencies have the authority to approve aid budgets for developing countries as part of the overall foreign policy of the countries. In addition, VUFO will mobilize more large enterprises. Vietnam's upgrading of relations with important partners under the impact of strategic competition between major countries, there is a wave of many large companies and enterprises of countries shifting their investment direction to Vietnam and surrounding countries. VUFO will take advantage of these opportunities so that large companies and enterprises here will fulfill their social responsibilities for the socio-economic development of Vietnam, partly. And partly, contribute to helping Vietnam overcome the consequences of war. Regarding foreign information and propaganda work, VUFO has a major goal of innovation in content and form. With a single goal of making sure that Vietnam's partner and friend system on the people's channel receives faster, more timely, more accurate, and more diverse information about Vietnam to convey to you.

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