Hanoi (VNA) – Internet freedom in Vietnam is an irrefutable truth, or in oﷺther words, Vietnam is an Internet-friendly country.
Despite the success of US President Barack Obama’s visit to Vietnam featured on articles and commentaries by experts and scholars at home and abroad, several foreign news outlets deliberately published false information about Vietnam blocking access to the widely-popular Facebook social network during the visit.
Some reactionaries and dissidents, to make it worse, posted this ill-intentioned information on their personal blogs.
Looking back the past years, a number of distorted and fabricated stories about the Party and State appeared on the Internet whenever any major political or diplomatic events took place, with the aim to destroy the regime and undermine the great national unity, and deny the country’s achievements across the socio-economic, national defence-security and diplomatic areas.
However, such kind of information was unwelcomed by the general public because it did not reflect the truths and was completely unverified.
Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan affirmed many times that Vietnam does not ban social media, but just corrects its wrong side to an extent as other countries have done.
Since 2010, Vietnam has been among the top 20 countries using the Internet. According to the Internet World Usage Statistics, as of June 2015, Vietnam recorded 45.5 million Internet users, or 48 percent of the population, ranking sixth in Asia, behind China (674 million), India (354 million), Japan (114.9 million), Indonesia (73 million), and the Philippines (47.1 million).
Compared to 2000, the number of Internet users in Vietnam has soared 200-fold.
Vietnam is also among the top countries globally in terms of Facebook user growth, not to mention other information channels.
Over the past years, there has been an unprecedented growth of newswire services in Vietnam with the appearance of hundreds of e-papers and e-magazines, thousands of licensed websites and a large number of personal blogs. The Vietnamese government and many State agencies have even used social media to disseminate information to a wider public.
In September 2010, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved a project to make Vietnam a country strong in information and communications. He also acknowledged that the social media’s role is increasing in Vietnam.
The all above facts prove the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent viewpoint of ensuring press and Internet freedom.
Given the social media’s dark side, Internet users must stay alert and learn how to screen stories, particularly preventing hostile forces from taking advantage of the Internet to distort and fabricate the truth, which affects the public’s thoughts and sentiments.
With Vietnam’s open policy towards the Internet and social media, the foreign press should carefully examine any sources of information before criticising Vietnam or releasing untruthful information tainting Vietnam’s images in the eyes of international friends.
The widespread coverage of the Internet in Vietnam is a vivid and persuasive reality to refute all allegations and distortions about the government’s restrictions to the public access to the Internet and social media.-VNA
The Internet is developing strongly in Vietnam and the country always creates favourable conditions for Internet activities, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga.
France-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on March 12 released a so-called survey on the right to freedom of expression on social networks.
RSF’s Secretary General Jean-Francois Julliard said in a communique that around 60 nations have censored the Internet to some extent, and at the same time have disturbed network citizens (netizens).
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
Illutrative image (Source: VNA)
