14th National Party Congress: Expectations to harness the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual resources of the Vietnamese people
WVR - Mr. Pham Khanh Nam, Editor-in-Chief of Huong Viet Magazine in Germany, hopes that the 14th Party Congress will continue to set strategic directions with a long-term vision, particularly emphasizing human development, culture, and the nation's soft power in the context of deep international integration.
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Looking back at the 13th National Party Congress, what do you consider the most outstanding achievements, especially the impressions felt by the overseas Vietnamese community?
The 13th National Party Congress term was marked by significant, comprehensive achievements, notably maintaining political stability, ensuring national independence and sovereignty, and enhancing Vietnam's position and reputation on the international stage amid rapidly changing, complex, and unpredictable global situations.
Foreign affairs, cultural diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy continued to be proactively, synchronously, and effectively implemented.
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| Mr. Pham Khanh Nam - Editor-in-Chief of Huong Viet Magazine, overseas Vietnamese in Germany. |
For the overseas Vietnamese community, especially in Europe, a clear impression is the increasingly profound and substantive attention from the Party and State, reflected in policies directed towards overseas Vietnamese, citizen protection efforts, and encouragement for overseas Vietnamese to promote the image of Vietnam and its people to the world.
Notably, the successful implementation of Resolution 36 is evident through effective activities connecting the overseas Vietnamese community, citizen protection, policy dissemination, and strengthening social organization, bringing about significant positive changes for the overseas Vietnamese community over 20 years.
In Germany, numerous large-scale, in-depth cultural and artistic activities have been organized, with Hương Việt Magazine playing an active and pioneering role.
Prominent events include the "Voices of Expatriates" art program, the Vietnam Cultural Festival in Germany, and the Vietnam Fair in Germany, organized in collaboration with the Augsburg City Exhibition Center.
These activities have contributed to enriching the national cultural identity, strengthening the great unity among the overseas Vietnamese community, and spreading the image of a traditional, dynamic, and integrated Vietnam.
From the perspective of the Vietnamese community in Germany, how do you evaluate the Party's policies towards overseas Vietnamese in the past term?
It is evident that the Party's policies in the 13th term have become increasingly synchronized, comprehensive, and strongly directed towards the grassroots and the lives of overseas Vietnamese. The view that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese national community has been concretized through many practical activities.
As a result, the Vietnamese community in Germany has not only stabilized their lives and integrated well into the host society but also actively participated in activities directed towards their homeland.
Notably, "Huong Sac Viet" is a successful cultural program organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany relations (1975-2025) within the framework of the Sommerfest festival in the Schwaben region. It aims to introduce Vietnamese culture, leaving a strong impression and strengthening solidarity within the Vietnamese community and international friends in Germany, creating a significant impact in promoting Vietnamese culture, cuisine, tourism, and products.
From the perspective of a community journalist, how do you view the work of external information, propaganda, and the role of community journalism for the country?
The work of external information and propaganda in the past term has seen many positive changes, contributing to protecting the ideological foundation of the Party, spreading official information, and a positive image of Vietnam to the world.
Community journalism, including Huong Viet Magazine, serves as a reliable bridge between the homeland and the overseas Vietnamese community and the host society. Not only excelling in information dissemination, the magazine also directly participates in organizing people-to-people diplomacy and cultural diplomacy activities.
Notable is the coordination with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Frankfurt to work with Mr. Bernd Kränzle, Deputy Mayor of Augsburg, and organize cultural and tourism promotion events within the framework of the Autumn Multicultural Festival in Bavaria. These are practical activities that contribute to strengthening friendly relations and mutual understanding between German and Vietnamese localities.
Looking towards the 14th National Party Congress, what do you expect from the major directions and decisions of the Party in the coming period?
Looking towards the 14th National Party Congress, I hope the Party will continue to set strategic directions with a long-term vision, particularly emphasizing human development, culture, and the nation's soft power in the context of deep international integration.
For the work concerning overseas Vietnamese, stronger decisions are needed to harness the role of overseas Vietnamese in external information, cultural diplomacy, and international connectivity.
Practical experience shows that initiatives from journalism and the community, such as Huong Viet Magazine, can become important supplementary forces for state diplomacy if properly guided and supported.
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| Mr. Pham Khanh Nam receives a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs for outstanding achievements in building and developing the overseas Vietnamese community, focusing on the homeland. (Source: State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese) |
In your opinion, what solutions should the 14th National Party Congress focus on to more effectively harness the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual resources of overseas Vietnamese?
I believe the 14th National Party Congress should focus on several key solutions:
First, improve mechanisms and policies to attract and harness overseas intellectuals, creating conditions for them to contribute opinions, critique, and policy development. My participation in presenting a paper at the 4th Global Overseas Vietnamese Conference and the 2024 Overseas Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Forum is evidence of the great demand and potential of this group.
Second, promote cultural diplomacy linked to the role of community journalism, considering it a channel to spread Vietnam's identity and soft power. Activities like the 2025 Vietnam Cultural Promotion Festival show that Vietnamese culture is increasingly attracting international interest and reception.
Third, strengthen coordination between diplomatic missions, journalism, and overseas Vietnamese associations to form a strong, effective people-to-people diplomacy network, contributing to building the national image in the new era.
Implementing these solutions comprehensively will create a solid foundation to effectively harness the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual resources of overseas Vietnamese, making practical contributions to the nation's construction and development as envisioned by the 14th National Party Congress.
