Directive No. 10/2000/CT-TTg on Strengthening Management and Promoting Foreign Information Work

DIRECTIVE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

On Strengthening Management and Promoting Foreign Information Work

On June 13, 1992, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Term VII) issued Directive No. 11-CT/TW on "Reforming and Strengthening Foreign Information Work," guiding the direction of foreign information activities in the cause of building and defending the country.

On December 29, 1998, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau issued Notification No. 188/TB-TW on foreign information work in the new situation.

Foreign information is an important part of the foreign affairs work of the Party and State aimed at enabling other countries, foreigners (including those residing and working in Vietnam), and overseas Vietnamese to understand Vietnam's land, people, policies, and achievements of reform, thereby seeking support from the international community and contributions from overseas Vietnamese for the cause of building and defending the country.

Since the conference summarizing Directive No. 11 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Term VII) in June 1998, many positive activities have been carried out in the field of foreign information, achieving notable results.

Generally speaking, over the past years, foreign information work has been conducted with direction, focusing on key tasks. The State has initially allocated appropriate budgets for foreign information activities and services, modernizing and increasingly globalizing the telecommunications system and Internet connectivity, creating conditions for updating information about Vietnam worldwide. The workforce for foreign information work has been strengthened. Technical infrastructure has been equipped. The understanding of various sectors, levels, and localities regarding foreign information work has made significant progress.

However, during the process of national renewal, foreign information work has not met the requirements of the new situation and has revealed many weaknesses pointed out in Notification No. 188/TB-TW dated December 29, 1998, of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau on foreign information work: "The quality, effectiveness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, and combativeness are still low. The cadre in this field is insufficient and uneven in terms of capacity and competence, lacking full and deep understanding of the importance of foreign information in the overall foreign affairs work of the Party and State. The determination of responsibilities of each sector, level in directing and organizing foreign information work is unclear, leading to difficulties in managing and coordinating domestic forces as well as implementing abroad. Investment is scattered, lacking synchronization, and ineffective."

The cause of renovation, accelerating industrialization and modernization for the goal of a wealthy people and strong country, a just and civilized society is a long-term endeavor requiring the whole Party, people, and military to promote creativity, self-reliance, effectively combining internal resources with external resources brought about by international cooperation and integration.

With its functions, foreign information work must actively and effectively participate in promoting advantages, utilizing opportunities, limiting negatives, overcoming weaknesses, and contributing practically to the successful implementation of the country's development goals.

Therefore, more than ever, foreign information work is urgent and needs to be implemented comprehensively, practically, and effectively under the unified guidance of the Central Committee and the active participation of ministries, sectors, and localities.

Implementing Directive No. 11/CT-TW dated June 13, 1992, of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Term VII) and Notification No. 188/TB-TW dated December 29, 1998, of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, to improve foreign information work and meet the demands of the new situation, the Prime Minister requests all ministries, sectors, localities, and levels to thoroughly understand and implement the following guidelines and tasks:

I. GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING FOREIGN INFORMATION WORK:

1. All ministries, sectors, localities, and levels have the responsibility to direct and organize the implementation of foreign information work within their respective jurisdictions.

2. Foreign information work should be implemented comprehensively and widely, but with focus and priority, first and foremost towards neighboring countries and regions, and overseas Vietnamese communities; prioritizing the provision of accurate information according to the orientation for foreigners living, working, traveling, studying in Vietnam, and world experts on Vietnam studies.

3. Organize, coordinate, and leverage the combined strength of various forces engaged in foreign information work: between core specialized forces and overseas representative offices, delegations abroad, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends; between foreign information and domestic information; between foreign information activities and political, economic, cultural foreign affairs activities; between state diplomacy and party and people's foreign relations; between central agencies and localities; between state agencies and enterprises.

II. DIVISION OF LABOR IN STATE MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF FOREIGN INFORMATION WORK:

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies in performing state management functions for foreign information work.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be responsible for monitoring the situation and implementing foreign information activities abroad.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall allocate funds for foreign information activities in the annual state budget.

4. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall plan investment in technical infrastructure for foreign information activities.

5. Ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises shall have the following tasks:

a) Direct specialized agencies to perform foreign information tasks;

b) Organize foreign information activities for related objects both domestically and abroad.

III. DIRECTIONS TO STRENGTHEN FOREIGN INFORMATION WORK:

1. Continue to enhance awareness at all levels and sectors, especially state management agencies and specialized agencies responsible for foreign information work, regarding the importance of this work both in the short term and long term.

2. Strengthen coordination among sectors and localities in organizing, directing implementation, and managing foreign information activities to maximize all capabilities that contribute to the comprehensive strength to promote and expand foreign information work.

3. Increase investment in building material and technical infrastructure with a focus on serving foreign information work; pay attention to investment in press and mass media agencies, including electronic press, publishing agencies; cultural cooperation and exchange agencies with foreign countries.

IV. MAIN CONTENT OF FOREIGN INFORMATION:

1. Foreign information has the task of widely disseminating the Party's and State's policies and important guidelines in all fields: politics, economy, culture, society, security, defense...; refuting false and distorted information about Vietnam.

2. The foreign policy and foreign economic policy, including the consistent guideline of Vietnam "ready to be friends with all countries in the international community, striving for peace, independence, and development"; requirements and potential of Vietnam in cooperative relations with other countries based on mutual benefit, respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and self-determination.

3. Introduce the country - people, history, and the rich, diverse, and distinctive national cultural heritage of Vietnam.

V. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN:

To bring foreign information work into a regular pattern, all levels and sectors need to develop long-term and short-term plans, appropriate management regulations as a basis for proactive implementation. Specifically:

1. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant ministries and sectors to establish:

a) Regulations on the organization and state management of foreign information activities of ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises;

b) Regulations on coordination among agencies: the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Propaganda and Culture Board, the Central External Relations Board regarding the development of content as well as plans for implementing foreign information activities;

c) Develop a two-year plan for domestic foreign information activities from 2000 to 2001;

d) Jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outline plans to dispatch cultural attachés to some diplomatic missions in necessary areas and plans to establish permanent offices of some Vietnamese press agencies abroad.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture and Information and relevant ministries and sectors to establish:

a) Regulations on the organization and management of foreign information activities outside the country;

b) A two-year plan for foreign information activities outside the country from 2000 to 2001.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors:

a) Allocate and guide ministries, sectors, localities, and specialized agencies to use funds for foreign information activities reasonably and effectively;

b) Develop subsidy and postage rate policies for printing and distributing materials (including books) used for foreign information.

4. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to develop:

A two-year plan from 2000 to 2001 for investment in construction and improvement of the quality of material and technical infrastructure for foreign information, primarily for specialized agencies engaged in foreign information work.

5. The General Post Office, the General Tourism Administration, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam shall develop:

Their own sector plans (each sector has its own plan) to participate in foreign information work for the two years 2000-2001.

6. Specialized information and press agencies, publishing agencies, mass media agencies: the Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, major newspapers and magazines, other information and press agencies shall outline annual plans for their foreign information work.

7. Ministries and sectors assigned tasks to develop proposals and plans must complete and submit them to the Prime Minister by the second quarter of 2000.

VI. THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION SHALL TAKE THE LEAD IN COORDINATING WITH THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, THE MINISTER OF PLANNING AND INVESTMENT, HEADS OF RELEVANT MINISTRIES AND SECTORS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GUIDING AND MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIRECTIVE ON STRENGTHENING MANAGEMENT AND PROMOTING FOREIGN INFORMATION WORK.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, chairpersons of provincial and municipal people's committees directly under the central government are responsible for implementing this Directive./.