Article 2:

People-to-people Diplomacy: Guidelines of Historical Significance

People-to-people diplomacy inherits the traditions of patriotism, independence, self-reliance, and the “winning hearts” approach to diplomacy - righteous, peace-loving, and humane - of the Vietnamese nation. Following the principle of “taking the people as the foundation,” it embodies the spirit of solidarity rooted in the strength of the people, as reflected in President Ho Chi Minh’s words: “…In the sky, nothing is more precious than the people. In the world, nothing is stronger than the united force of the people.” [1]

From the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam, when it led the people in the struggle for the goverment, the Brief Political Platform and Brief Tactics, drafted directly by President Ho Chi Minh and adopted at the Party’s founding conference, together with the October 1930 Political Platform, emphasized that the Party must unite with oppressed peoples and the working masses worldwide, particularly the French proletariat and revolutionary movements in colonies and semi-colonies [2].

Over the past 80 years, under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the thinking and system of viewpoints on people-to-people diplomacy have been continuously developed and perfected in line with the evolving context. This work has been effectively organized and implemented, achieving significant accomplishments and making important contributions to the success of revolutionary objectives in each stage.

During the resistance war against the United States for national salvation, while implementing the strategy of “fighting while negotiating” and closely coordinating the diplomatic front with political and military struggle, people-to-people diplomacy developed remarkably, becoming an “art” of diplomacy with many creative and distinctive forms. Following President Ho Chi Minh’s directive: “The path of winning hearts - conquering with reason, transforming with humanity, persuading people to multiply the strength of justice”, people-to-people diplomacy upheld the banner of peace and the righteousness of the Vietnamese people’s struggle. Numerous Vietnamese people’s delegations visited fraternal and friendly countries, participated in international conferences, and conveyed the voices of the people from both North and South Vietnam about their heroic struggle for a just cause. They exposed the crimes and the unjust war waged by US imperialism in Vietnam at international forums and in global media.

People-to-people diplomatic activities - especially the efforts of the two negotiating delegations of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, represented by outstanding diplomats such as Minister Nguyen Thi Binh - amplified the military victories of the Vietnamese armed forces in both the North and the South. Combined with diplomatic struggle at the negotiating table, these activities created an unprecedentedly broad and powerful global people’s movement. This included anti-war protests within the United States itself, all uniting to support and assist the just struggle of the Vietnamese people. These efforts contributed greatly to bringing the resistance war for national salvation to victory, liberating the South, and reunifying the country.

After national reunification and especially since the launch of the Doi Moi process, Vietnam has pursued the policy of expanding and renewing people-to-people diplomacy in order to safeguard peace, broaden relations of friendship and cooperation, and create favorable international conditions for building socialism and defending the Fatherland. At the same time, these efforts have contributed to the common struggle of peoples worldwide for peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress, in the spirit of Vietnam’s consistent policy: to be a friend of all countries in the international community, striving for peace, independence, and development.

People-to-people diplomacy has continued to bring into play its distinctive advantages, actively “taking the lead in opening the way.” Alongside Party and State diplomacy, it has worked to break through blockades and embargoes, expand relations, strengthen friendships, promote the normalization of ties between Vietnam and key partners, and gather the support of people around the world for Vietnam’s efforts to overcome the consequences of war and rebuild the nation.

In line with the country’s international integration process, people-to-people diplomacy has consistently followed the motto of being “proactive, flexible, creative, and effective.” It has made steady progress, grown in strength, and achieved important results. These efforts have helped the international community and overseas Vietnamese better understand Vietnam, while also enhancing public awareness within the country about the foreign policy of the Party and State. People-to-people diplomacy has thereby contributed to strengthening international solidarity, friendship with the peoples of other nations, creating a favorable environment for external relations, mobilizing international support and resources, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, safeguarding independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and advancing national interests. It has also helped raise Vietnam’s standing on the international stage.

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and its member associations have closely coordinated with agencies, ministries, sectors, localities, and international partners to organize numerous exchanges with neighboring countries sharing land borders. VUFO has frequently exchanged delegations at various levels and hosted important Chinese partners, such as delegations from the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, representatives of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and veterans from the Nanxi Mountain field hospital that once assisted Vietnam during the war, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (2024).

Many meaningful activities have been held, including: the Vietnam-Laos People’s Friendship Festival [9]; a nationwide oratory contest for Lao students in Vietnam (2019); the national commemoration of the victory in the Southwestern border war and the joint victory with the Cambodian people over the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime; the Vietnam-Cambodia People’s Friendship and Cooperation Meeting [10]; and the “Nurturing Friendship” program supporting Cambodian pupils and students studying in Vietnam.

Notably, VUFO has organized numerous friendship meetings and exchanges with young people within the framework of high-level diplomatic visits by Vietnamese leaders abroad and foreign leaders to Vietnam. These activities have laid a solid foundation and created an important driving force for strengthening and fostering the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese people and peoples of other nations.

Second, people-to-people organizations have actively pursued integration and strengthened international cooperation to mobilize resources and contribute to socio-economic development. Central- and local-level friendship organizations have served as bridges between domestic and foreign business communities, promoting investment and trade, protecting the legitimate interests of Vietnamese enterprises, and engaging in advocacy and cooperation with foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses. These efforts have made practical contributions to poverty reduction, overcoming the consequences of war and natural disasters, improving social welfare and the quality of healthcare, education, and cultural services, protecting the environment, supporting human resource development, and advancing Vietnam’s international integration. At present, Vietnamese people-to-people organizations maintain relations with more than 1,200 people’s organizations worldwide, including nearly 400 foreign NGOs that have projects in all provinces and cities across the country.

Third, people-to-people diplomacy has made active contributions to the global struggle for peace, national independence, democracy, social progress, and sustainable development. The victory of Vietnam’s just struggle for national independence and liberation was itself a major contribution to peace and to the global movement for national liberation. In both wartime and peacetime, Vietnamese people’s organizations have actively and proactively participated in multilateral people’s mechanisms and forums [12], making their voices heard, winning broad support and solidarity from peoples around the world, and coordinating with partner networks to organize numerous conferences, workshops, and campaigns for peace, security, and humanity. They have called for refraining from the use of force or the threat of force in international relations; for adherence to and respect for international law, especially the United Nations Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); and for nuclear disarmament and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.

At the 13th National Party Congress (2021), for the first time, the Party officially incorporated into its documents the policy of “building a comprehensive, modern diplomacy based on three pillars: Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy.” It emphasized: “Expanding relations and strengthening cooperation with political forces, social organizations, and peoples of other countries, striving for peace, national independence, democracy, development cooperation, and social progress.” [15] This marked an important milestone and a new stage in Vietnam’s diplomatic thinking. It clearly defined the fundamental components of Vietnamese diplomacy within a unified whole, ensuring both relative independence in carrying out respective tasks and close, dialectical, and mutually reinforcing coordination, all for the supreme goal of “safeguarding to the highest degree national interests based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, equality, cooperation, and mutual benefit.” [16]

Accordingly, people-to-people diplomacy is one of the three principal actors in carrying out Vietnam’s foreign policy. It plays a core role in promoting friendship and cooperation with the people of other countries, building a favorable social foundation for Vietnam’s relations with other nations, and providing active support to Party and State diplomacy on certain issues, in specific regions, or under circumstances suited to the strengths of people-to-people diplomacy. This evolution in thinking demonstrates adaptation to the fast-changing and complex international environment, while also meeting the requirement of enhancing the pioneering role of foreign affairs in maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, mobilizing external resources for national development and defense, and raising Vietnam’s international standing.