The spectacular "final sprint" of social media

(Baonghean) - In recent days, almost all 90 million Vietnamese people, from remote villages to distant islands, both domestically and around the world, have been deeply concerned about the May 1st incident when China deployed the giant HD 981 oil rig into Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. Perhaps never before has public opinion, both domestically and internationally, formed so quickly and powerfully as these "tsunami waves of public opinion" to protest against the aggressor.

Information and images provided by authorities regarding China's blatant acts of aggression and aggression, such as their arrogant deployment of numerous aircraft and over 80 vessels of various types to protect the oil rig, and their deliberate attacks on Vietnamese fisheries patrol and coast guard vessels, have spread rapidly and widely across social media. Simultaneously, the resolute actions of the Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries patrol forces in protecting sovereignty and enforcing the law, along with their tact and restraint in avoiding falling into China's insidious traps, have attracted significant attention. The online community has expressed trust, agreement with the handling of the situation, and support for these efforts to protect sovereignty.

Information about measures and activities to protect sovereignty on the ground and on the political and diplomatic fronts is updated and disseminated like a storm on social media every minute and every second, making the people more confident and reassured in our national defense strategy. Therefore, within just a few days, most people at home and abroad understood the true nature of the situation. This result was achieved thanks to the strong and timely involvement of domestic and international press agencies, but the role of social media cannot be overlooked – a factor that has played an extremely effective role in promoting practical communication, and this needs to be acknowledged and evaluated objectively and promptly.

It must be frankly acknowledged that social media always has two sides, always having both positive and negative elements (even mainstream media is not immune to this, although the level of control is higher). We have clearly recognized and carefully considered this when accepting and expanding social media widely in Vietnam. However, due to the high level of vigilance against negative elements, there are many concerns and doubts about the social effectiveness of social media in our country.

For a developing country constantly facing opposition and sabotage from hostile and reactionary forces, and in fact, with many forces regularly using social media to undermine the Party and the State, disrupt national unity, and disrupt international cooperation, the existence of skepticism is understandable. However, the activities of Vietnamese social media platforms and online communities, using the Vietnamese language, in response to China's placement of the HD 981 oil rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, clearly demonstrate a high degree of self-awareness and self-regulation regarding political awareness, legal values, cultural norms, ethics, and humanistic values ​​of the nation.

Most personal accounts on social media platforms naturally demonstrate a conscious sense of national pride, a relatively high level of culture, and intellectual development. These days, on social media sites, personal websites, Facebook, etc., one encounters numerous instances of conversation, exchange, and sharing of information, helping each other correct biased, distorted, hasty, and subjective perceptions; enthusiastically supplementing, consolidating, adjusting, and enhancing awareness of sovereignty; or frankly and fiercely debating and refuting irresponsible, thoughtless, and ill-considered statements.

Besides written texts, social media platforms also feature a rich and diverse collection of images, graphics, films, music, and documents—both official and unofficial—all expressing themes of patriotism, peace, independence, and self-reliance. Many works demonstrate meticulous intellectual investment and talent, not only providing moments of relaxation but also instilling in each individual feelings of responsibility towards their homeland and country.

Therefore, although operating on social media, personal accounts, whether under real names or fake nicknames, mostly meet and connect on common ground, sharing thoughts, feelings, responsibilities, vigilance, and self-awareness. It is encouraging that in this problematic situation, in this critical juncture, the online community has shown a high degree of consensus with the Party and State in resolutely opposing acts of aggression, while persistently devising strategies to protect territorial integrity and minimize losses against an aggressor that is a superpower in every respect – except for certain aspects such as the spirit of upholding the rule of law, respecting sovereignty, and the principles of established relations with Vietnam.

The high level of self-awareness among individuals participating in social media has left no room for opportunists to exploit the situation. Some individuals have taken advantage of the difficult circumstances and precarious situation, making numerous statements with subversive intentions, using inflammatory and critical language to sow discord and disperse Vietnam's strength... But in the face of the close connection and timely and comprehensive information updates of the online community, these malicious statements and words are nothing more than isolated, weak sounds, off-key notes, out of place and unsuitable for a grand, majestic, multifaceted, yet harmonious and unified chorus.

As you may recall, in his book *The World is Flat*, considered a "Summary of 21st-Century World History" that dissects the contemporary structure of the world's economy and politics in the era of globalization, author Thomas L. Friedman argues that social media can be considered one of the factors contributing to flattening the world. Assessing the media power of social media, he wrote: "I think this is a fifth power, existing alongside mass media (monitoring and providing raw information)...". Indeed, along with traditional news agencies, social media has helped Vietnamese people who love Vietnam, cherish peace, and respect the law... to erase barriers and distances, both in space and time, bringing them closer together to "join hands" in resistance against China's encroachment in the South China Sea.

Simultaneously, the online community of Vietnamese people around the world has used social media to connect with each other and create a "flat world" of information, a solid "front" to protect the truth, promptly repelling and crushing the biased, distorted, deceptive, and insidious information of Chinese media aiming to deceive the Chinese people, military, and world public opinion. With the power of truth and justice, the online community of Vietnamese people has promptly wielded the power of the "fifth power," taking a step ahead of China in providing the truth to the Vietnamese people and the people of the world (including the Chinese people), truly creating a "final sprint" to victory against Chinese media, paving the way for truth, justice, law, and righteousness to prevail!

Ngo Kien