Cultural diplomacy is an important tool for showcasing a country's soft power and international influence, with profound impacts on its economy, image, and international relations. In the context of globalization, cultural diplomacy has become an important component of a country's foreign policy, working in synergy with political and economic diplomacy to promote national interests and the development of friendly relations. There are differences in the concept of cultural diplomacy, with some emphasizing its role as a diplomatic tool, some believing that its purpose is to develop one's own culture, and others combining politics with culture to broadly understand cultural diplomacy. The cultural diplomacy strategy of Vietnam aims to inherit cultural characteristics, promote economic and social development, enhance international image, export soft power, and promote mutual understanding and trust. Vietnamese culture has the characteristics of both tradition and diversity, providing a foundation for cultural diplomacy. In 2011, Vietnam issued a cultural diplomacy strategy with phased goals. At the end of the 2020 strategy, Vietnam has achieved success in cultural heritage, economic development, and international status enhancement, demonstrating a positive and open national image, but there are also shortcomings. This article aims to analyze Vietnam's cultural diplomacy strategy, summarize its achievements and shortcomings, and enhance understanding of it.

1、 The Formation and Development of Vietnamese Cultural Diplomacy

The formation and development of Vietnamese cultural diplomacy have gone through three stages. The first stage (1945-1986) was the gestation stage. Although the concept of cultural diplomacy was not formally proposed, Vietnam's cultural policy and diplomatic activities already had cultural diplomatic characteristics, such as Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic ideas and strategies, as well as policy documents such as the Vietnamese Cultural Outline. The second stage (1987-2006) was the birth stage, during which Vietnam began implementing reform and opening up, adjusting domestic and foreign policies, and cultural diplomacy emerged with the adjustment of the Vietnamese Communist Party's foreign policy. The important conferences such as the 7th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1991 and the 8th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1996 clarified the status and role of cultural undertakings, encouraging Vietnamese culture to go global. The 10th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2006 proposed to accelerate the promotion of foreign cultural propaganda, marking the maturity of Vietnam's "all-round and diversified" diplomatic strategy. The third stage (2007 present) is the development stage, in which Vietnam has included cultural diplomacy as one of the three pillars of its foreign policy and issued a series of documents to implement, explore, and develop its cultural diplomacy strategy. In 2007, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was established. In 2008, the "Directive on Strengthening Cultural Diplomacy Work" was issued, and in 2011, the decision to issue the "Cultural Diplomacy Strategy until 2020" clarified the strategic deployment and goals of Vietnam's cultural diplomacy in the next decade. Vietnam's cultural diplomacy strategy mainly includes five activities aimed at promoting its own culture to the world, absorbing advanced cultures from around the world, actively participating in international cultural exchanges and cooperation, enhancing national confidence, showcasing a friendly and open country image, and creating favorable conditions for economic and social construction.

2、 Interpretation of Vietnam's Ten Year Cultural Diplomacy Strategy Text

The 2011 Decision elevated Vietnam's cultural diplomacy to a national strategic level, clarifying the implementation background, objectives, and division of labor. The Decision consists of six parts: the preface emphasizes the importance of cultural diplomacy in globalization; Summary of the achievements and shortcomings of Vietnam's cultural diplomacy in the early 21st century in terms of historical situation; Analyzing the demand for cultural diplomacy both domestically and internationally in the context of the times; The task objective is to introduce Vietnamese culture to the world and enhance its international status; Implementing measures to plan cultural diplomacy at the policy and operational levels; Clearly define the responsibilities of each department in cultural diplomacy through functional division of labor. The Decision aims to enhance national soft power, increase international influence, and promote peaceful development through cultural diplomacy.

3、 Analysis of the Effectiveness of Vietnam's Ten Year Cultural Diplomacy Activities

In the past decade, Vietnam's cultural diplomacy activities have achieved significant results both domestically and internationally. Domestically, cultural diplomacy has promoted the prosperity of the cultural industry, facilitated economic and social development, and enhanced the cohesion of the nation. On the foreign front, Vietnam has promoted its ethnic culture through cultural diplomacy activities, showcasing a peaceful and friendly national image and enhancing its international status. The three major goals of Vietnam's cultural diplomacy strategy include: maintaining national identity, promoting Vietnamese cultural values, and advancing the inheritance of cultural prosperity; The learning goal of absorbing the essence of world culture and promoting economic and social development; The developmental goal of improving international relations, enhancing national image, and strengthening international status and influence. Vietnam has achieved corresponding achievements in the three dimensions of culture, economy, and politics, basically realizing the three major goals specified in the ten-year cultural diplomacy strategy.

4、 Conclusion

Cultural diplomacy, as an important component of Vietnam's diplomatic strategy, contributes to the export of the country's soft power through its unique appeal and persuasiveness. In the early 21st century, Vietnam regarded cultural diplomacy as one of the pillars of diplomacy, forming a diplomatic pattern where politics, economy, and culture complement each other. Over the past decade, Vietnam's cultural diplomacy activities have not only protected cultural heritage, but also promoted economic development and social stability, enhancing the country's image and international status. Despite significant achievements, there are also challenges in terms of policies, mechanisms, publicity, talent, and funding that need to be addressed by the government in future cultural diplomacy.