Positioning the nation in the digital space

With digital transformation accelerating across every aspect of society, cyberspace is not only a new communications medium but has also become a strategic domain that offers unprecedented opportunities for cultural development while simultaneously intensifying global competition over values, identity, and influence.

Politburo Resolution No.80-NQ/TW on the development of Vietnamese Culture sets out a defining requirement for the digital age: “To advance science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation in order to create new spaces and new momentum for cultural development.”

Digital spaces are fundamentally transforming the ways in which culture is created, disseminated, and experienced. In the past, for a film, a book, a musical work, or an exhibition to reach international audiences, it typically had to pass through multiple intermediaries, including distribution networks, publishing houses, cultural centres, diplomatic missions, or official cultural promotion institutions. Today, enabled by digital technologies, a group of young creators, a local museum, a chef, an independent artist, a digital content company or an overseas Vietnamese community can all establish direct cultural connections with audiences around the world. These new forms of engagement create immediate cultural touchpoints that transcend geographical boundaries and traditional institutional channels.

This transformation presents unprecedented opportunities to promote Viet Nam’s image, identity, and cultural values to the world. Yet the greater the opportunities, the fiercer the competition. In the digital environment, culture competes not only through the quality of its content, but also for visibility, attention, credibility, and influence amid an immense and constantly evolving flow of information.

Against this backdrop, digital public diplomacy has emerged as an essential instrument of modern cultural diplomacy. It refers to the use of digital technologies, including social media, official websites, multimedia platforms, and online communication campaigns by governments to engage international audiences, shape narratives about their countries, foster mutual understanding, and ultimately strengthen national soft power.

The message “Viet Nam – The Era of Nation’s Rise” lit up the night sky in a spectacular display at the 2025 Light Concert held jointly by Nhan Dan Newspaper and Ha Noi Municipal People’s Committee.

A scene from MV “Bac Bling” by singer Hoa Minzy.

According to DataReportal’s digital report, by the end of 2025, Viet Nam had 85.6 million internet users, representing 84.2% of the population. The country also recorded 79 million active social media identities, equivalent to 77.6% of the population. These figures demonstrate that the digital space has become the primary environment in which most people consume, create, and interact with culture. It is also the arena where a nation’s image is continuously observed, discussed, shared, and redefined.

This reality highlights a crucial point that in the digital sphere, attention is not allocated according to administrative structures or the intrinsic value of content. Instead, it is shaped by a combination of factors, including platform algorithms, the speed of dissemination, storytelling ability, emotional resonance, visual design, localisation of language and cultural references, and the suitability of content for different digital platforms.

Even cultural content of profound value can easily disappear into the vast stream of online information if it is presented in an outdated, unimaginative or visually unappealing manner that fails to resonate with digital audiences. Conversely, distorted, sensational, or one-sided narratives may achieve enormous visibility simply because they align more effectively with the logic of platform algorithms, generating immediate impact while leaving long-lasting misconceptions.

Therefore, promoting national identity and values, fostering mutual understanding, and strengthening soft power in the digital environment is far more than a matter of communication. At a deeper level, it has become a competition over a country’s ability to construct, organise, and sustain a compelling national narrative. In today’s interconnected world, international audiences do not lack information about Viet Nam. The more fundamental question is whether that information is woven into a coherent system of values that is authentic, credible, intellectually engaging, and capable of meaningful dialogue with the rest of the world.

Resolution No. 80 states: “The world is undergoing the formation of a new international order characterised by unprecedentedly rapid and complex changes, most notably increasing competition among cultures, including competition over values and the influence of cultural industries. Traditional and non-traditional security challenges, together with the impact of the scientific and technological revolution, are fundamentally reshaping behavioural norms and cultural value systems, creating an urgent need for countries to redefine their position within the emerging global order.”

From this perspective, the resolution sets out a guiding principle of “advancing science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in order to create new spaces and new momentum for cultural development.” On this basis, the resolution sets out eight groups of tasks and policy measures. Among the most significant are: embedding the principle that cultural development should stand alongside political, economic, and social development, while strengthening cultural security, human security, and digital cultural sovereignty; diversifying communication approaches with greater emphasis on modern forms of communication, particularly digital media (Task Group 1); introducing breakthrough mechanisms and policies to promote science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in the cultural sector, alongside policies that support cultural creativity within digital spaces, the digital society, and the digital economy (Task Group 2); developing and effectively utilising the national cultural data infrastructure and interoperable digital platforms connected with national databases; expanding Vietnamese digital cultural content and digital cultural infrastructure; comprehensively standardising and digitising tangible and intangible cultural heritage, together with valuable literary and artistic works; strengthening data governance to safeguard digital cultural security and sovereignty; and accelerating the application of artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, virtual reality (VR), and blockchain technologies in cultural production, distribution, consumption, and governance (Task Group 4).

Earlier, in his address marking the 80th anniversary of the Traditional Day of Viet Nam’s Cultural Sector on August 23, 2025, General Secretary To Lam emphasised: “In the digital age, creativity is the lifeblood, innovation is the means, and connectivity is the driving force. When culture is connected with technology, markets, tourism, education, urban areas, and rural communities, its value is multiplied many times over.”

The demands of reality call for a radical shift in mindset. Culture must not only be preserved through physical institutions but also adapt, compete and flourish within an ecosystem shaped by data, digital platforms, algorithms and artificial intelligence. In its recent discussions on digital technology and culture, UNESCO has consistently pointed out that digital transformation expands access to culture, enriches creativity, and strengthens heritage preservation.

At the same time, however, it raises important challenges relating to platform fairness, digital skills, copyright protection, fair remuneration for artists, and the risk of cultural bias arising from the growing use of artificial intelligence. The concept of digital cultural sovereignty should be understood as more than a matter of regulatory oversight. It is an essential condition for Vietnamese culture to confidently, equally, and competitively present in this new environment.

“In the digital age, creativity is the lifeblood, innovation is the means, and connectivity is the driving force. When culture is connected with technology, markets, tourism, education, urban areas, and rural communities, its value is multiplied many times over.”

The greatest challenge in promoting Viet Nam’s identity and projecting its national values in the digital age lies in safeguarding digital cultural sovereignty. Once data relating to cultural heritage, images, art works, traditional knowledge, languages, costumes, customs, and cultural symbols are transferred into digital environments, they serve purposes far beyond preservation or promotion. They become valuable assets for the creative industries, smart tourism, open education, virtual museums, video games, animation, AI-generated content, and entirely new digital business models.

Unless these datasets are properly standardised, identified, protected through appropriate intellectual property mechanisms, and managed within an effective governance framework, Vietnamese culture risks being used indiscriminately, misrepresented, or absorbed into external digital ecosystems without the rightful custodians of that cultural heritage receiving fair recognition or benefit.

From the data risks, the second challenge lies in the competitiveness due to the fragmented digital cultural content. Viet Nam possesses tens of thousands of relic sites, thousands of traditional festivals, and hundreds of forms of intangible cultural heritage. Yet these rich resources will not automatically become internationally competitive digital products if digitisation and promotion continue to be pursued through isolated initiatives rather than as part of an integrated value chain encompassing data, technology, human capital, and finance.

Unlike traditional cultural diplomacy, which has largely been led by government institutions, digital cultural diplomacy requires the simultaneous participation of content creators, technology companies, independent artists, museums, and overseas Vietnamese communities. Without effective cross-sector coordination, each stakeholder may perform its own role successfully, yet the overall impact will remain fragmented and far less effective than it could be.

The third risk relates directly to ideological and cultural security in cyberspace, where harmful content, disinformation, and anti-cultural narratives can spread at unprecedented speed, exerting a direct influence on public perceptions, particularly among younger generations. This is not merely a matter of administrative management. It concerns the protection of the fundamental values upon which society is built. A nation cannot project an attractive image internationally unless it first possesses a healthy and resilient cultural environment at home.

These three challenges are closely interconnected. The loss of control over cultural data weakens the competitiveness of cultural content. Weak competitiveness, in turn, leaves the digital cultural environment more vulnerable to harmful information and anti-cultural influences. Safeguarding digital cultural sovereignty must therefore go hand in hand with strengthening Viet Nam’s capacity to create, organise, and disseminate its cultural values.

A central challenge today is how to build a level of cultural competitiveness that enables Vietnamese values not only to be visible in the digital space, but also to gain influence and generate meaningful international impact. Guided by Resolution No.80, several priorities emerge for this new context.

Firstly, Viet Nam should develop a national cultural data infrastructure capable of serving international cultural engagement. This infrastructure should function as a controlled open platform serving multiple purposes simultaneously: preservation, education, academic research, tourism, cultural and creative industries, international communications, and cultural cooperation. When cultural data is systematically organised and interoperable, museums can develop virtual tours, localities can create smart tourism products, and businesses can design video games, animations, and other creative content inspired by Vietnamese heritage, unlocking the full value of the country’s cultural assets.

Secondly, the legal framework governing digital copyright must be perfected to ensure effective enforcement across international digital platforms. Viet Nam should actively participate in shaping international rules and standards for emerging technologies, particularly those relating to digital culture, artificial intelligence, copyright, and cultural data protection.

Without a clear legal framework, creators will have fewer incentives to innovate, businesses will hesitate to invest, and valuable cultural recting copyright should therefore be recognised as an essential condition for sharing cultural values in a fair, sustainable, and responsible manner

Thirdly, Viet Nam should establish a well-structured model of public-private partnership for producing and distributing cultural content internationally. The state’s role should be to commission projects of strategic cultural significance, provide controlled access to cultural data, support translation, strengthen intellectual property protection, connect diplomatic missions with businesses and creators, establish funding mechanisms for experimental projects, and encourage technology platforms to participate in developing Vietnamese cultural products.

Businesses, artists, media organisations, universities, research institutes, and the wider creative community should be integrated into collaborative networks rather than operating independently. Practical measures could include prioritising comprehensive strategic partner countries and locations with large overseas Vietnamese communities; working with global influencers and digital content creators to develop networks of “cultural ambassadors”; and expanding support for the translation and international publication of Vietnamese literary and artistic works.

Fourthly, Viet Nam should foster a healthy digital cultural environment capable of resisting harmful content and anti-cultural products. Cultural diplomacy means not only presenting the best of Viet Nam to the outside world but also safeguarding the values that underpin society from within. Achieving this requires a combination of legislation, technological solutions, education, and the responsibilities of platforms. Distortions, copyright infringement, and inappropriate commercial exploitation of national culture should be addressed rigorously, while high-quality cultural contents are actively encouraged and digital literacy are strengthened, particularly among young people.

Fifthly, Viet Nam should cultivate a new generation of digital cultural ambassadors. This group should include diplomats, cultural professionals with advanced digital skills, artists, journalists, creative entrepreneurs, Vietnamese-language teachers, and young overseas Vietnamese. Together, they can translate Vietnamese cultural relic, while creating more flexible, accessible, and sustainable channels for dissemination

Finally, and most fundamentally, a new management mindset must be embraced. Management methods need to be reformed towards a constructive, service-oriented approach. This will require mechanisms for policy experimentation, commissioning of creative projects, and strengthening of public-private collaboration to ensure that creativity develops within a framework of clear standards, accountability, and public value.

Viewed against the demands of cultural development in the digital era, Resolution No.80 does more than articulate a new strategic vision. It introduces a fundamentally new approach to mobilising rending of Vietnamese culture

Commenting on Resolution No.80, Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam, said: “From UNESCO’s perspective, the resolution provides a policy roadmap for structural reform in the cultural sector, aimed at mobilising social resources, advancing the creative economy, and safeguarding cultural diversity. It represents a logical continuation of Viet Nam’s long-standing tradition of valuing culture, while laying the foundation for the country to respond effectively to the challenges of the digital age and an increasingly volatile global environment.”

Sharing this view, Director of the Japan Foundation to Ha Noi Yoshioka Norihiko noted that: “The greatest opportunity from the implementation of Resolution No. 80 can not only help Vietnamese culture present abroad but also lies not only in presenting Vietnamese culture abroad, but in creating a sustained process of dialogue, criticism, experimentation, and co-creation. Through such interaction, a wide range of Vietnamese cultural actors can contribute to shaping the culture of the future.”

These perspectives underscore a broader conclusion: cultural diplomacy in the digital age must become a process of transforming cultural values into drivers of national development andrategic assets, identity into international appeal, data into productive reanding

If the digital space is regarded merely as a platform for publishing information, Viet Nam will miss one of the most important strategic arenas. But if it is approached through thoughtful organisation, sustained investment, effective collaboration, and digital sovereignty, it can become the place where Vietnamese culture engages the world with confidence, modernity, humanity, and a distinctive national identity. Ultimately, this reflects the spirit of Resolution No.80, placing culture at the heart of national development and recognising it as a vital endogenous resource, a powerful engine of growth, a strategic pillar, and a regulatory force for the country’s rapid and sustainable development.

Professor Dr Ahn Kyong Hwan, Distinguished Professor at Chosun University (the Republic of Korea), expressed his confidence that Resolution No.80 on cultural development would provide a golden opportunity for the growth of Viet Nam’s cultural industries. “Viet Nam’s cultural diplomacy policy is a forward-looking strategy. I believe it will not only enhance the country’s international profile but also make a significant contribution to Viet Nam’s journey towards becoming a prosperous nation,” he said.