Identifying plots and sabotage tricks

Recently, after the book "Building and developing a comprehensive, modern Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy imbued with the "Vietnamese bamboo" identity" by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was introduced to readers, a number of reactionary organizations and individuals exiled abroad, and overseas media agencies with prejudice against Vietnam have released articles, images, and videos on social media platforms with incorrect content.

They put forward false arguments that “the book is unnecessary”, “the bamboo diplomacy school is slanted, insubstantial, has no stance, is unclear”, “goes with the flow”… The purpose of hostile forces is to distort the “bamboo diplomacy” school, as shown through the following issues:

The 32nd Diplomatic Conference determined to build a comprehensive, modern, and strong diplomacy...

Firstly, distorting to deny the leadership and ruling role of our Party as well as the social management role of the State, demanding changes to the political regime in Vietnam; praising Western foreign policy styles to create a "reverse wave" to steer our country towards capitalism, claiming that only then will we have the right foreign policy.

Second, spreading and inciting extreme nationalist ideology, creating a "fuse" to incite opposition and resistance, causing division and discrimination in diplomacy, especially causing misunderstanding among the people about the Party and State's foreign policies and guidelines, causing social instability, negatively affecting national security, promoting "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" internally.

Third, lowering our country's position and prestige in the international arena, trying to make Vietnam's partners lack confidence and be hesitant in promoting economic, political, cultural and social cooperation; causing misunderstandings about the country and people of Vietnam; trying to isolate Vietnam from the world.

It can be seen that the plots of hostile forces are very dangerous, with sophisticated and cunning tricks. If one is not alert to identify and have an objective, correct and complete view of the value of the "bamboo diplomacy" school, it is easy to fall into the trap set by bad people, and even easily become a "pawn" or "card" in the sabotage activities of reactionary groups and political opportunists.

Need to understand correctly the "bamboo diplomacy" school

“Bamboo diplomacy” is a concept that has been mentioned a lot in recent years. This is a diplomatic school that summarizes and symbolizes the foreign policy that the Communist Party of Vietnam has been implementing, in which this diplomatic school is built on the motto of “using the unchanging to respond to all changes”.

So when did the phrase "bamboo diplomacy" come about?

In August 2016, at the 29th Diplomatic Conference, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed a unique diplomatic school, imbued with the identity of Vietnamese bamboo. In December 2021, at the National Foreign Affairs Conference to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the General Secretary continued to emphasize: “Over the past 90 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy have inherited and promoted the identity, cultural roots and national traditions, selectively absorbed the quintessence of the world and progressive ideas of the times, developed on the theoretical foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, forming a very special and unique school of foreign affairs and diplomacy, imbued with the identity of the Vietnamese bamboo tree. That is, being both steadfast in principles and flexible in tactics; gentle and clever but also very resilient and determined; flexible and creative but very brave and courageous in the face of all difficulties and challenges, for national independence, for the freedom and happiness of the people; united, humane but determined and persistent in protecting national interests”.

Through that, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong analyzed and deepened the foundation and characteristics of the very special and unique foreign policy and diplomacy school of the Ho Chi Minh era, imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo".

As the head of the Party, with profound foreign affairs thinking of high strategic significance and rich and vivid practical experience in diplomatic activities, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has published the book "Building and developing comprehensive and modern Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy, imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo". Comrade Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Permanent member of the Secretariat, Head of the Central Organization Commission affirmed that the General Secretary's book is a guideline for the Party's guidelines and policies on foreign affairs; making a great contribution to perfecting the theoretical system and practical basis for building socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Comrade Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Party Central Committee's External Relations Commission, assessed that the book is of great value because it is the first systematic work, collecting the General Secretary's statements and articles on foreign affairs and diplomacy. The articles specifically, deeply and vividly demonstrate the great and important contributions of the General Secretary in many different positions in the past and in his current position as the highest leader of our Party in building and developing Vietnam's foreign policy; at the same time, affirming the close, comprehensive and consistent attention, leadership and direction of the Party, headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, to foreign affairs work on all three pillars: Party foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy.

Discussing the foreign affairs achievements and contributions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Comrade Thongsavanh Phomvihane, member of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee affirmed: "Vietnam's achievements in general, and achievements in foreign affairs in particular, are also achievements and valuable lessons for Laos... In particular, the Lao Party and State highly appreciate the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in emphasizing 6 groups of issues as goals and tasks that are great, heavy but glorious in implementing Vietnam's foreign policy."

In the article “The contemporary value of the diplomatic school with the identity of “Vietnamese bamboo” by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong”, Comrade Han Phuong Minh, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, President of the CHARHAR Diplomacy and International Relations Association, shared his feelings: ““Vietnamese bamboo” diplomacy is to both uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and actively expand in the field of diplomacy, protect and develop Vietnam’s national interests, skillfully combine flexibility and principles, and strive to adapt to the ever-changing world; on the other hand, along with developing existing diplomatic relations, establish new cooperative relations. This is the diplomatic foundation for Vietnam to continue to develop stably and healthily despite facing an extremely complicated world situation”.

Many politicians, scholars and researchers around the world highly appreciate the foreign policy and diplomacy of our Party and State, and acknowledge the great contributions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in the process of developing the country, bringing a prosperous and happy life to the people.

What value does the "Vietnamese bamboo" school of diplomacy bring?

Foreign affairs activities following the “Vietnamese bamboo” diplomatic school have contributed to firmly consolidating independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity; effectively serving socio-economic development, improving people’s quality of life, strengthening national strength, and contributing to building a peaceful and cooperative world. Through this diplomatic school, since the beginning of the 13th Party Congress, Vietnam has continued to expand and deepen relations with partners, focusing on neighboring countries, important partners, and traditional friends.

In 2023 alone, we successfully organized 22 visits by key leaders to neighboring countries, important partners, and traditional friends, and 28 visits by senior leaders of other countries to Vietnam, along with hundreds of high-level meetings at multilateral forums and conferences; including visits of historical significance such as the visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden...

The success of these visits and foreign affairs activities has created a new qualitative step in our country's foreign affairs and international integration. To date, our country has established diplomatic relations with 193 countries, including 6 comprehensive strategic partners, 12 strategic partners and 12 comprehensive partners. In terms of economics, through "Vietnamese bamboo" diplomacy, in 2023, it has made an important contribution to promoting economic growth, with import and export reaching over 680 billion USD, attracting FDI reaching 36.6 billion USD, an increase of 32.8%, many of the world's leading technology corporations have committed to long-term investment in Vietnam...

Affirming the achievements brought about by “bamboo diplomacy”, at the 32nd Diplomatic Conference on December 19, 2023, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed that foreign affairs work has “achieved many important and historic results and achievements, becoming an impressive highlight among the overall results and achievements of the country”.

In a world full of divisions and conflicts, Vietnam is gradually affirming its position and prestige with international friends, as a symbol of peace, independence, self-reliance, friendliness, hospitality, where partners place their trust in good relationships. The contributions of the "Vietnamese bamboo" school of diplomacy have been proven and affirmed in practice. This is a vivid proof that contributes to refuting the false arguments of hostile and reactionary forces about Vietnam's foreign policies and guidelines.