General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the 'Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy' school

Speaking at the 29th Diplomatic Conference in 2016, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong mentioned "Vietnamese bamboo" diplomacy for the first time. In a speech lasting more than 60 minutes at the first National Foreign Affairs Conference held in December 2021, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sent a message of determination to build a "Vietnamese bamboo" diplomatic school.

According to the General Secretary, Vietnam has built a very unique and distinctive school of foreign affairs and diplomacy of the Ho Chi Minh era, imbued with the national identity of the "Vietnamese bamboo tree", "firm roots, sturdy trunk, flexible branches", imbued with the soul, character and spirit of the Vietnamese people.

That is: Soft, clever, but very resilient, determined; flexible, creative but very brave, steadfast, courageous in the face of all challenges and difficulties for national independence, for the freedom and happiness of the people.

Solidarity, humanity, but resolute and persistent in protecting national interests. Knowing softness and hardness; knowing the times and the situation; knowing oneself and others; knowing advance and retreat, "adapting to the situation", "tying tightly with soft ropes".

On July 19, Associate Professor Dr. Duong Van Quang - former Director of the Diplomatic Academy shared his thoughts and feelings about the image of "Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy" that the General Secretary had proposed.

"What is bamboo diplomacy? First of all, bamboo - a typical tree of Vietnam, looking at it we see three important special parts: the root, the trunk and the bamboo branches", Mr. Quang analyzed.

Bamboo trees are found in many places around the world. The image of bamboo trees also appears in the cultures of many other countries. Each country and nation has its own identity and its own attachment to bamboo trees.

Bamboo roots are very deep, when thinking about diplomacy, it is the Vietnamese diplomatic tradition built by many previous generations, that is the tradition of "peace" - a word with many meanings but very difficult to translate into foreign languages. Bamboo roots also inherit the ideology, method, style, and diplomatic art of Ho Chi Minh - the first Minister of Foreign Affairs, who founded, trained and guided the Vietnamese Diplomacy.

That bamboo stalk is our viewpoint and policy on international relations. In addition, it is also the national and ethnic interests that remain unchanged in each period and stage.

Bamboo branches are the part that "adapts to the outside", "resists change but must be attached to the trunk and roots".

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With diplomacy, we keep what and give up what in international negotiations. International negotiations now are not only about politics, military, not only borders but also about economy, culture, society. Therefore, we need to understand this spirit to promote all the traditions and identity of Vietnamese diplomacy."

Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Van Quang

"The softer and more skillful you are, the more you need to rely on the roots and trunk. That way, the roots are strong, the trunk is secure and the branches are flexible," Mr. Quang concluded.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first person to introduce the image and school of "Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy". Through many Diplomatic conferences, the General Secretary has emphasized this image.

In recent times, our country has welcomed many leaders and heads of state of major powers. Associate Professor Duong Van Quang said: "In a competitive context, Vietnam's ability to continuously welcome leaders of major countries has demonstrated the essence of bamboo diplomacy. Countries have very different views, but when we invited them and they came here, they accepted our thinking about the world, the region, and bilateral relations. As for Vietnam, for the sake of the nation and people, we are ready to be friends and responsible partners."

Analyzing another aspect, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son - former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the Russian Federation said that from the 13th Party Congress until now, it can be said that Vietnam's foreign affairs have achieved many successes.

"The world has just experienced the Covid-19 earthquake. Vietnam is one of the emerging countries of ASEAN. We have mobilized countries to support a large number of vaccines to prevent and fight the pandemic. That is one of the successful foreign policies and guidelines.

In addition, another success is that Vietnam integrates to develop the economy but security, politics, society are stable and national defense is strengthened," Mr. Son assessed.

The former Deputy Minister acknowledged that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's conclusion about diplomacy with the image of Vietnamese bamboo is completely correct.

Bamboo is the symbol of Vietnam, with the solid root representing our steadfastness in our guidelines and policies; the flexible branches representing foreign affairs, diplomacy is always flexible, suitable to the world situation.

He cited the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam (July 21, 1954 - July 21, 2024). This agreement marked an important milestone for Vietnamese diplomacy. Although the negotiation and signing process was very complicated and difficult, we were still persistent, skillful, and maintained our goals and principles.

According to him, Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy school is a continuation of President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of "being unchanging, responding to all changes".

"One of the greatest successes is that Vietnam integrates but still maintains political, security, economic, cultural and social stability. Because under the leadership of the Party, we have the right direction, we have determination and solidarity. Our foreign policy is always admired and respected by the world, even though there are countries with different political systems than ours," Mr. Son analyzed.

Not only is Vietnam accepted, but it also has a very worthy position in the international arena. That proves that, with the leadership of the Party and "the flexible and rhythmic foreign policy and guidelines, bamboo diplomacy has conquered the world".

As General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed at the National Foreign Affairs Conference in December 2023, the "Vietnamese bamboo" school of foreign affairs and diplomacy is increasingly widely recognized internationally.