"Rapid-changing and complicated regional and global developments have generated multi-dimensional impacts and posed new opportunities and challenges to Vietnam’s security and development. Many countries, both developed and developing, are struggling to win favourable positions at the back of the global financial crisis. And, economic diplomacy is increasingly valued and promoted,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at a recent roundtable seminar on economic diplomacy in Hanoi.
The Vietnamese economy is in the key stage of restructuring, growth remodelling and five-year socioeconomic plan (2011-2015). Vietnam is also actively preparing for the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 and for conclusion of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with key partners. International and domestic contexts are requiring economic diplomacy to change the ways of thinking and doing to turn challenges into opportunities to make greater contributions to national economic development.
Economic diplomacy must be clear about domestic needs
Nguyen Quoc Dung, Director of General Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said economic diplomacy of any country also incorporates diplomatic - political tools and economic tools. And, depending on conditions, circumstances and development levels, they may focus more on economic tools or political - diplomatic tools. Vietnam has made effort to integrate politics - diplomacy with economic diplomacy and actually achieved many positive results. But, there is still a vast room for further promoting the strengths of political - diplomatic tools and economic tools.
He added that Vietnam should continue to use diplomacy - politics to pave the way; create market breakthroughs, especially emerging and potential markets; and transform advantages in diplomatic - political relations into advantages in economic cooperation. Particularly, Vietnam should give priority to employing economic instruments in economic diplomacy because economic benefits eventually create a solid foundation for all international relations. To do that, the effort of only diplomatic sector is not enough but it requires close coordination to promote synergised strengths of ministries, branches, localities and businesses to integrate politics - economic diplomacy.
An inherent question is always addressed for economic diplomacy in all periods: "Where is appropriate for the diplomatic service?” According to Dung, to find the answer to this question, we must begin from the starting point of diplomacy as “supply” and the country as “demand” because the diplomatic service can only promote its roles when it well meets national development requirements. For years, in thinking and reality of carrying out economic diplomacy, we often focus on utilising the strengths of the diplomatic service. This is true but insufficient because a basic principle of market economy is "only make what the market needs, not what you can." Therefore, the diplomatic service must be first and foremost clear about the domestic demand to match with its supply to generate practical results and effects.
He stressed that the thinking of taking “demand” as the starting point must be translated into policymaking, planning and deployment of economic diplomacy tasks. For example, to promote foreign economic relations, the diplomatic sector should not directly organise economic promotion events but organise events at the request of ministries, branches, localities and enterprises. In doing so, the diplomatic sector must also change the way it makes external economic promotion plans. Accordingly, it needs to work carefully and specifically with ministries and branches before building promotion plans of economic diplomacy. Similarly, diplomats must understand practical development of Vietnam and focus on what the country needs to promote its fortes and advantages to see global trends and methods adopted by other nations to put forth practical proposals recommendations o Vietnamese agencies.
Thus, in the coming time, the diplomatic sector must actively and positively coordinate and cooperate with central and local authorities and businesses to clearly define the needs to have most effective support methods and measures.
Promoting national image
Mr Dung said most countries are now focusing on building and promoting their national images with clear messages, logos and symbols (e.g. Japan promotes its national image for sushi and kimono; South Korea popularises kimchi, Gangnam Style dancing and cinematography; Thailand uses its massage and soup). The deeper international integration requires Vietnam to have a good national image for this purpose. Creating an image for a product or a company is very difficult and complex but making and popularising a national image is much more difficult and complicated to reach consensus on matters concerned. While continuing renovating the organisation of Vietnam Days in foreign countries, Vietnam should select and popularise some typical products and brands during such events like pho, aodai (Vietnamese traditional dress) or martial arts.
External economic promotion is now carried out by many sectors (diplomacy, trade, investment, tourism, culture and others) while promoting the national image is a general form of popularisation. In many countries, the diplomatic service is the lead coordinator in building, deploying and promoting the national image. Dung said Vietnam should define roles and tasks of diplomatic service in promoting the national image to obtain best results when it works with other sectors.
Vietnamese
