The 'bamboo diplomacy' style of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

On July 31, the Youth Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a bloc-level seminar with the theme "Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy: Important foreign affairs achievements in recent times contributing to the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress". Attending the program were Mr. Nguyen Van The, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Agencies Bloc; Mr. Nguyen Minh Vu, alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, experts and more than 300 cadres, union members and youth in the Central Agencies Bloc.

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Most clearly shown in our behavior with major countries.

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Minh Vu said that during the past Party Congresses, the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong focused on building and developing a foreign policy and diplomatic school/style imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo". Mr. Vu recalled the speech of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 6-month review conference of the Central Public Security Party Committee in 2024 (July 4, 2024), stating that this was an important factor leading to unprecedented, landmark foreign policy achievements in history. In just 9 months, Vietnam has welcomed the highest-ranking leaders of the three superpowers: the United States, China and Russia, and upgraded relations with many countries to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

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"It can be said that the identity of "bamboo diplomacy" is most clearly demonstrated in our behavior with major countries. And up to now, the "bamboo diplomacy" school has been effective in the international context in recent times, when there have been and are huge and unpredictable changes. Many major issues have had a strong impact on our country such as geo-strategic competition between major countries, crises, conflicts, territorial and resource disputes... creating both challenges and opportunities, risks and opportunities, but our country has had and is having appropriate, flexible and agile policies based on national interests to continue to ensure security goals, development and enhance the country's position", Mr. Vu shared. Mr. Vu believes that the "bamboo diplomacy" school has profound connotations, which are "firm at the root", "firm at the trunk" and "flexible at the branches". "Firm at the root" is reflected in the consistent principle of ensuring the highest national interests and the guiding ideology of consistently implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralization and diversification. "Firm at the trunk" is reflected in the method of creating strength, the method of implementing foreign affairs work is "ensuring the direct and comprehensive leadership and direction of the Party, centralized management of the state; combining national strength with the strength of the times. "Flexible at the branches" is reflected in the motto of implementing foreign affairs and diplomacy "smoothly and skillfully applying the lesson of "using the unchanging to respond to all changes", steadfast in principles and strategies, flexible in methods and tactics. "Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy has truly become a vivid and correct image for an independent, autonomous, multilateral, diversified and internationally integrated diplomacy, steadfast in principles but flexible in strategies, loyal and just, for peace, cooperation and progress of humanity," Mr. Vu analyzed.

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At the seminar, delegates listened to the sharing and exchanges from speakers who are ambassadors, former leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaders of units in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, those who have been and are directly participating in the country's foreign affairs, to better understand the foreign policy school with the strong identity of "Vietnamese bamboo".

To bring practical benefits to the nation and the Fatherland

Concluding the discussion, Mr. Nguyen Van The said that this was a very meaningful discussion. "Because through the discussion, I have a deeper understanding of the bamboo diplomacy that the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong wrote and published in a book to guide upcoming diplomatic work. In particular, through the speakers, I also have a deeper understanding of diplomacy according to Ho Chi Minh's ideology and the ideology of the late General Secretary," Mr. The said. According to Mr. The, the discussion is not only useful for young people, but it is also extremely meaningful for all cadres and party members leading departments and branches in the bloc. Mr. The expressed his hope that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to organize discussions, inviting leaders of ministries and branches to participate, so that international cooperation will bring practical benefits to the nation and the Fatherland.

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Mr. The emphasized that international integration is an inevitable global trend, the only way for our country to take a shortcut. "International integration allows us to absorb the world's experiences, scientific and technological achievements, management, administration and operation methods of the world to concretize them into the activities of Vietnam's ministries and branches, from strategy building to planning to implement each specific task," Mr. The acknowledged. At the same time, Mr. The hopes that youth delegates need to be responsible for advising leaders of ministries, departments and branches on how to apply diplomacy in their work, to bring benefits to the country and the people. "You are strategic cadres, future owners of the country and can later become leaders of the Party and State. It is necessary to spread and share experiences from the seminar to all cadres, party members, and union members of your industry to do a good job so that the country will quickly achieve the goal of a strong nation," Mr. The suggested.