Vietnam aims to build a healthy digital cultural environment by 2030 while transforming culture into a new engine of economic growth, General Secretary and President To Lam said at the second meeting of the Central Steering Committee for the Development of Vietnamese Culture.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 80 on the development of Vietnamese culture and discussed priorities for the next phase.

Strengthening cultural sovereignty in the digital era

Addressing the meeting, Party Chief and President To Lam said Vietnam must address four major gaps that have emerged as the country advances its cultural development agenda.

These include the limited appeal and influence of positive cultural values in digital spaces, the need to better transform cultural heritage into digital resources and intellectual property, insufficient competitiveness of Vietnamese cultural products, and shortcomings in the institutional framework supporting cultural industries.

He also called for three major strategic shifts.

These include moving from viewing culture as simply one area of development to recognising it as the spiritual foundation of society; expanding cultural development from traditional settings into both physical and digital spaces; and combining cultural preservation with creativity rather than focusing primarily on conservation.

To support these objectives, Mr. To Lam urged authorities to continue improving institutions and policies to unlock creativity across society while mobilising resources more effectively for cultural development.

A central priority, he said, is strengthening Vietnam's cultural sovereignty in cyberspace by increasing the visibility, attractiveness and resilience of Vietnamese cultural values online.

Building a national digital cultural ecosystem

According to the government's Party Committee, digital cultural sovereignty has become an essential component of building an advanced Vietnamese culture rooted in national identity.

Rather than serving only as a platform for publishing cultural content, digital space should become an environment where Vietnamese culture is recognised, appreciated, widely shared and capable of shaping social values.

Authorities have been instructed to develop a national digital cultural programme while improving policies that support Vietnamese digital platforms, media channels and digital content ecosystems.

The strategy also calls for greater participation by government agencies, businesses, social organisations and creative communities in producing and promoting high-quality cultural content that can compete effectively in the digital environment.

The Central Commission for Communications, Education and Mass Mobilisation has been tasked with strengthening public awareness campaigns and modernising communication methods, particularly on digital platforms, to promote Vietnam's national values, cultural identity, family values and social norms, especially among younger generations.

The steering committee will regularly evaluate implementation not only by measuring the quantity of digital cultural products but also by assessing public recognition, influence and changes in cultural awareness and behaviour.

Cultural industries as a new growth driver

Party Chief and President To Lam said Vietnam aims to establish a healthy digital cultural environment by 2030.

He emphasised the need to transform cultural heritage and cultural assets into knowledge, intellectual property, creative products and resources that support education, science, technology, cultural industries and innovation.

The General Secretary and President called for the development of cultural industries as a new source of economic growth capable of strengthening Vietnam's national competitiveness.

He said efforts to help culture contribute to the country's ambition of achieving double-digit economic growth should identify sectors with the greatest growth potential, localities capable of becoming leading cultural hubs, businesses able to drive investment, and projects capable of generating products, revenue, employment, intellectual property and export opportunities.

Each key locality, he said, should focus on only a limited number of priority sectors and no more than three flagship projects.

Every project should clearly identify its products, participating businesses, funding sources, target markets, intellectual property strategy and expected contributions to regional economic output, employment, exports or tourism.

Mr. To Lam stressed that preserving culture in the digital age is no longer simply about protecting historical assets.

Instead, he said, heritage must remain relevant in contemporary life.

Digitisation should go beyond archival purposes and instead support education, creativity, wider public engagement and become a strategic resource for Vietnam's cultural industries, scientific development and future artificial intelligence capabilities.

Tran Thuong