Affirming the role and position of foreign information work

Attending and directing the conference were comrades: Nguyen Trong Nghia - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda Department, Head of the Steering Committee for External Information Work; Le Quoc Minh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association; representatives of leaders of central departments, ministries, branches, leaders of provincial and municipal Party Committees, People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, Propaganda Departments of provincial and municipal Party Committees, and central party committees.

At Nghe An bridge, comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department attended and chaired.

Scene at the Nghe An province bridge. Photo: TG

MANY POSITIVE RESULTS IN 2021

The summary report on the work of foreign information; propaganda on seas, islands and demarcation, marker planting and border management in 2021 presented by comrade Phung Xuan Nha - Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department at the conference stated that in 2021, the world situation continued to develop complicatedly, the world continued to be deeply affected in all aspects due to the Covid-19 pandemic spreading globally. Non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, natural disasters, epidemics, climate change... are constantly increasing, the Asia-Pacific region, especially the East Sea, has become a place of fierce strategic competition and gathering of forces between major countries. Countries in the region are increasingly tougher in protecting their sovereignty claims at sea.

Also in 2021, Vietnam successfully organized many important political events such as the 13th National Party Congress, the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term. Despite many difficulties and challenges due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the socio-economy developed stably, national defense and security were maintained, and foreign affairs achieved many positive results.

“In the context of advantages mixed with challenges, foreign information work; propaganda on seas and islands; demarcation, marker planting and border management have achieved important results, contributing to ensuring a peaceful and stable environment, attracting resources, affirming the position, prestige and image of Vietnam in the international arena,” he affirmed.

Delegates watched a report on foreign information work, propaganda on seas and islands, demarcation, marker planting and border management in 2021. Photo: TG

Foreign information work has clearly innovated and created, comprehensively deployed on the Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy channels through diverse activities; closely linking foreign information with domestic information; promoting digital transformation, applying new technologies, actively using new media, catching up with world trends...

Press agencies have innovated their forms in a modern and attractive way, aiming to improve the efficiency of information transmission. The coordination and mobilisation of international media agencies, representative agencies of countries and international organizations in Vietnam have been carried out more effectively. Scientific research on foreign information, sea, islands, borders and territories has been focused on; the dissemination of models, movements and exchange activities on sea, islands and borders has been promoted,...

In addition to the positive results achieved, there are still some shortcomings and limitations in the above 3 areas in 2021. That is, the implementation of the information and propaganda plan during the year was affected by the epidemic, the coordination between forces was sometimes and in some places not timely and effective, information products in foreign languages ​​and ethnic languages ​​were promoted but did not meet both quantity and quality requirements... The reason for the above limitations is that direct activities cannot be implemented because many localities have to implement social distancing to ensure epidemic prevention and control, the propaganda force at the grassroots level is still thin, some places still have limited expertise related to foreign information, sea, islands, borders...

DEEPLY UNDERSTAND THE PARTY'S LINES AND VIEWPOINTS

Concluding the conference, Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda Department, Head of the Steering Committee for External Information Work said that in 2022, the regional and world situation is forecasted to continue to have complex and unpredictable developments, traditional and non-traditional security issues pose many challenges, affecting international relations, including Vietnam. Hostile forces continue to plot sabotage with many new and sinister tricks.

"The above situation requires continuing to thoroughly grasp the Party's guidelines and viewpoints on foreign affairs, ideological work in general, as well as foreign information and propaganda work in the coming time," the Head of the Central Propaganda Department emphasized.

He also pointed out a number of major issues that need to be focused on. Firstly, unifying the increasingly important role and position of foreign information work and propaganda on demarcation, marker planting, and sea and island sovereignty. Foreign affairs must be modern, but imbued with national identity, foreign affairs must bear the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo", these viewpoints must be reflected in the practice of foreign affairs in general, foreign information work, propaganda on demarcation, marker planting, and protection of sea and island sovereignty, and more deeply imbued with the spirit of the 13th National Congress.

Second, continue to demonstrate the proactiveness, creativity, and flexibility of the forces working on foreign information and propaganda for the sea, islands, borders, and mainland, with the highest goal being to gain consensus from the people. It is necessary to interact in many ways, to make the world understand Vietnam and the Vietnamese people understand the world, to recognize that Vietnam's revolutionary path, the Party's guidelines to create a peaceful, stable environment, an independent, unified country for development are correct.

In 2021, Nghe An province has proactively coordinated with embassies of other countries to implement cooperation and support activities. In the photo: The Polish Embassy in Vietnam hands over ventilators to Nghe An General Hospital. Photo: TG

Third, the Head of the Central Propaganda Department suggested that foreign information work must be closely linked with other fields, must forecast the situation, grasp trends in international relations, be proactive in communication work, be unified in orientation, increase persuasiveness, diversify the connection between propaganda of guidelines, policies and policies with the history, culture and people of Vietnam in the new period, create trust so that the international community can confidently invest and strengthen relations with Vietnam.

Fourth, foreign information work needs to be further modernized, proactive, and provide more timely information so that Vietnamese representative agencies abroad have information to provide to the people and governments of other countries, while at the same time refuting and combating erroneous and hostile viewpoints and perceptions that do not fully understand the reality of the situation in Vietnam...

Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia suggested that it is necessary to invest in human resources and material resources, first of all, there must be a focus, key points, especially stronger investment in national press agencies, local press agencies related to issues of sovereignty, borders, seas, islands... Also in 2022, the leader of the Central Propaganda Department suggested that agencies, units, and localities continue to pay attention to foreign affairs with major countries, neighboring countries, step up propaganda to strengthen solidarity and friendship, thereby maintaining a peaceful, friendly, and developed border, enhancing cohesion among the three Indochinese countries as well as ASEAN...

On this occasion, the Central Propaganda Department awarded Certificates of Merit to 36 collectives and 12 individuals with outstanding achievements in foreign information work; propaganda on seas and islands and demarcation, marker planting, and border management in 2021.