Nguyen Thi Binh - "the beauty dancing among wolves" that stunned the world

According to former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, our nation has had many heroes in each struggle to protect the country and Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh deserves to be a hero on the diplomatic front.

The resistance war against the US to save the country achieved a resounding victory 50 years ago thanks to turning points on the battlefield and diplomatic front. The Paris Agreement signed on January 27, 1973 forced the US to negotiate on our terms, accepting the withdrawal of troops, paving the way for the collapse of the Saigon government.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter , former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien said that at that time, he was in charge of the South Asia Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From within the country, he always closely followed this historic negotiation.

The beauty "dancing among wolves"

Mr. Nien said that the contributions to the diplomatic miracle called the Paris Agreement were big names such as Le Duc Tho, Xuan Thuy, Nguyen Duy Trinh, Nguyen Co Thach..., in addition, we cannot fail to mention former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh.

"Ms. Binh has perfectly assumed the role of Foreign Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. She exudes the aura of a beautiful, intelligent, and courageous woman.

Therefore, not only is she trusted and admired by the Vietnamese people, she also impresses the international community, especially after participating in the longest negotiation in the history of world diplomacy," said former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in an interview with foreign media (Photo: En.baoquocte).

During the years of negotiations, Ms. Binh was present in Paris (France) and many countries such as England, Sweden, Italy, Cuba, India, the Soviet Union, China... to seek international support for our people's struggle.

Many people were surprised when the image of Vietnam fighting fiercely was not represented by a fierce warrior but by a petite, humble yet knowledgeable, friendly yet elegant woman.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, our nation has had many heroes in each struggle to protect the country and Ms. Binh deserves to be a hero on the diplomatic front.

Mr. Nien was particularly impressed when he reviewed the world media footage of the 1971 press conference that took place during the Paris Agreement negotiations. This was an event that was broadcast live in both Paris and Washington, gathering 20 journalists, most of whom supported the US, and some of whom were neutral French.

"They requested to interview Ms. Binh only to find out if this woman has real courage, can work independently or is just someone who "yes, yes" according to Hanoi's instructions. However, Ms. Binh's performance really left many people "speechless".

People at that time compared Mrs. Binh to "the woman dancing among wolves" because of her intelligence and ability to debate fluently in French.

In addition to the situations prepared in advance with the Vietnamese delegation, she also flexibly changed, presented strong arguments to clearly point out the absurdity of the US and promote the peace-loving spirit of the Vietnamese people," said former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien shares about the Paris Agreement and his impressions of the role of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh (Photo: Nguyen Ngoan).

As for Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, when invited to participate in the live televised press conference, she was somewhat hesitant because she was alone among so many unfamiliar journalists, and had to debate in French.

However, the members of the delegation encouraged her that this was a good opportunity to introduce to the world our righteous stance and expose America's plots and crimes, so she had to take full advantage of it.

For nearly two tense hours under the bright lights of the studio, Ms. Binh calmly responded, properly, strongly but gently, clearly stating her goodwill to find a political solution, end the suffering of the people and be determined to the end for the freedom, independence and sacred unity of the country.

"After the press conference, I breathed a sigh of relief because I had completed a complicated task. Comrade Xuan Thuycalled to praise me: "You are very brave". Many French friends, especially female friends, called to congratulate me, considering this an important success. Many days later, the press continued to talk about this event," Ms. Binh shared in her memoir.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, diplomatic struggle is a war, not a banquet. Every sentence and every word spoken must be extremely careful because a misspoken word can cost you blood on the battlefield.

"Ms. Binh did very well. Many people were surprised and admired her courage and intelligence," said Mr. Nien.

Delegations of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (including Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh) met at the Four-Party Conference on Vietnam in Paris, France (Photo: Vietnam National Museum of History).

"I am a patriot!"

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh's real name is Nguyen Thi Chau Sa, granddaughter of Mr. Phan Chau Trinh, whose father was the Chief of the Southern Engineering Department. Mrs. Binh's birth name is associated with the (old) Sa Dec province where her father, a surveying official, used to work.

Her hometown is Quang Nam - the fiercest battlefield in the country, a brave and resilient homeland, which for many years stood at the forefront of the war against invaders.

Mrs. Binh admits that she has inherited some characteristics of the people of Quang. People of Quang are upright, courageous, not easily subdued, have a habit of "arguing", Quang people are also often involved in public affairs, responsible for the country and community, ready to take on responsibilities and devote themselves. People of Quang are also very affectionate, open-minded, and sensitive to new things.

Since childhood, Mrs. Binh was trained by her father to love learning, love work, and see people through their work attitudes. When her father went to Cambodia for work, the wholefamily followed. She studied at the largest high school in Cambodia, a school with many children of French civil servants or those with French nationality.

When she was 16 years old, her mother unfortunately passed away due to illness. She and her father took care of the family and took care of her siblings instead of her mother.

When she was still in school, she wished to become a doctor to treat her mother and the poor, but when she heard the heroic music, the song calling on the youth to "stand up and answer the call of the mountains and rivers" by Luu Huu Phuoc, she felt her heart burning.

Therefore, as soon as the activities of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese Patriots appeared in Phnom Penh, Mrs. Binh's family enthusiastically participated. After the Japanese coup in Indochina in 1945, like many Vietnamese, Mrs. Binh put aside her high school graduation exam and returned home with her family to directly participate in the great national struggle.

Following the call of the country, Mrs. Binh participated in many activities and carried out many important tasks in the resistance war against the French. In 1951, the steadfast woman was captured by the enemy and suffered many brutal tortures, but she still quietly organized cultural and political study activities in prison.

After being released from prison for a while, Ms. Binh was transferred to the Central Women's Union and then "fell in love" with diplomacy in 1961. From here, she changed her name from Chau Sa to Nguyen Thi Binh, meaning "peace".

In 1968, Ms. Binh represented the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in negotiations to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam.

"I left with many emotions in my heart, but I had to do my best to complete the task, worthy of the trust of the leaders. The documents I brought with me were the Platform of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, some documents on the struggle plans and the valuable advice of President Ho Chi Minh conveyed by the comrades of the Unification Committee: In the struggle, we must always maintain the principled stance: "Respond to all changes with the unchanging".

And I think the two Vietnamese negotiating delegations (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam) followed that instruction exactly," Ms. Binh wrote in her memoir about the day she left for the splendid capital of Paris.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, negotiating delegation of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam before entering the Paris Conference, 1969 (Photo: Document in memoir).

During nearly 5 years of the longest negotiation in world history, the Western press was very impressed with the image of "Madam Binh" (as Western journalists called her at that time) - the woman who often appeared in elegant ao dai.

She attended press conferences, events with up to 400 journalists, gave interviews, attended international conferences as Minister of Foreign Affairs, traveled across continents to promote, mobilize, and gain support from the international community for the struggle of the Vietnamese people.

She always made clear the Front's just stance and goodwill to find a peaceful solution.

Among the four negotiating delegations, only the delegation of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam had female members (in addition to Ms. Binh, there were several other female members). Ms. Binh and her colleagues skillfully prepared information to launch sharp diplomatic attacks, and together with members of the two delegations of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, established a "two but one, one but two" position.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh answered questions from journalists after attending the first meeting discussing the procedures of the Four-Group Conference in Paris on January 18, 1969 (Photo: Document in the memoir).

Many people who come into contact with her are impressed by a confident, gentle, and soft-spoken woman, but also extremely determined and civilized.

Standing before the international media and experienced diplomats, Ms. Binh showed intelligence that surprised many people. Many international journalists at that time were intentionally curious about Foreign Minister Nguyen Thi Binh.

A reporter asked: "Are you a communist party member?", she just smiled: "I am a patriot, my party is a patriotic party, determined to fight for the independence and freedom of the country".

A journalist commented: "Your name is peace but you only talk about war?", she shared: "What else can you say but condemn the American war of aggression and clearly state the meaning of our people's fight for peace, independence and freedom"; "Our people do not want war, it was the French colonialists and American imperialists who forced the people to stand up to defend themselves".

Once, a journalist asked her about the presence of the Northern army in the South, and she replied: "The Vietnamese people are one, and the Vietnamese people in the North as well as in the South have the duty to fight against invaders."

A historic moment filled with emotion and gratitude

According to former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, in parallel with the tense situation on the battlefield, at many times, the arguments at the conference table were also extremely fierce. The last months of 1971 and the beginning of 1972 were the "most boring" time for her and the members of the two negotiating delegations. Diplomatic activities still took place but were "conversations between deaf people". At times like that, Ms. Binh missed home even more.

She said she read and re-read her daughter's scribbled words "When will you come back to us, Mom?" However, she suppressed her longing for her husband and children, and always had strong faith in victory because she believed that "what must come, will come."

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Nguyen Thi Binh signed the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam on January 27, 1973, at the International Conference Center in Paris (France) (Photo: Van Luong - VNA)

After much effort, on January 27, 1973, the Paris Agreement was signed. Remembering the historic day of the nation, which was also an unforgettable day in her life, Mrs. Binh was moved: "I represented the people and revolutionary soldiers of South Vietnam in the fight on the front line and in prison to plant the brilliant flag of victory. That honor was so great for me.

I do not have enough words to express my endless gratitude to our compatriots and soldiers from the North to the South who accepted all sacrifices and fought bravely to achieve today's great victory, to Uncle Ho and to the leaders of the Party, the Front and the Provisional Revolutionary Government who trusted me with this difficult but glorious task...".

Ms. Binh was assigned to participate in diplomatic activities for the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in 1961 and her initial mission was only expected to last about 6 months. However, that journey lasted until 1976 when the South was completely liberated.

Talking about Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh, former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien confided that he considered Mrs. Binh as a respected elder sister. In daily life, Mrs. Binh is a simple, humble woman, devoted to her family. This year, she is 98 years old and has just received the 80-year Party membership badge.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and congratulated former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh on International Women's Day, March 8 (Photo: Duong Giang - VNA).

"No matter what position she holds, Ms. Binh always demonstrates courage, intelligence and integrity. She is a typical example of patriotism, perseverance in completing her tasks, all for the Fatherland and the people.

She is also a strong source of inspiration for generations of Vietnamese women of all ages, intelligent, flexible, and brave," former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien emphasized.

(The article uses materials from Nguyen Thi Binh's Memoirs, Family, Friends and Country)

Content: Pham Hong Hanh, Tran Thanh Cong

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/nguyen-thi-binh-bong-hong-khieu-vu-giua-bay-soi-khien-the-gioi-sung-sot-20250420174847174.htm