Deputy Ambassador of Ireland joins local people in tea-picking. — Photo courtesy of Phú Thọ Province

PHÚ THỌ — Amid the tide of international integration, external affairs are becoming an important driving force expanding local development space.

For Phú Thọ – the ancestral land at the roots of the Vietnamese nation – external affairs are no longer merely a bridge to international friends, but have become a form of development-oriented diplomacy, helping attract resources, promote culture, expand markets and enhance the province’s standing.

Aspiration for integration

Following the implementation of the two-tier local government model, Phú Thọ has entered a new stage of development with broader space and greater requirements for deeper integration.

In a world still marked by volatility, the province remains steadfast in its goal of fast and sustainable development, identifying external relations as an important driver for mobilising resources for socio-economic development.

With a proactive, forward-looking approach, the province is paving the way for investment, trade, tourism, science and technology, and digital transformation.

A notable feature in the first six months of this year is the proactive involvement of the entire political system in carrying out external affairs activities.

From improving mechanisms and policies to enhancing advisory quality and preparing cooperation content with international partners, all tasks were implemented systematically, in line with central guidance and the province’s development strategy.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Trần Duy Đông stressed that after the merger, Phú Thọ has a larger scale, greater potential and more development space; therefore, external affairs must truly become a driving force in the service of development.

The province will continue to promote Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy in a coordinated manner; place economic diplomacy at the centre; and effectively implement international cooperation commitments to generate more resources for fast and sustainable development.

Paving the way

If external affairs were previously viewed mainly through the lens of protocol and friendship exchanges, they have now become a direct instrument serving development.

In the first six months of this year, Phú Thọ organised four investment promotion delegations, joined high-level delegations visiting Laos, China and Cambodia, and welcomed numerous international delegations for working visits.

These activities have expanded cooperation and affirmed the image of a dynamic, open local authority ready to accompany its partners.

Following the merger, Phú Thọ has continued to build on its cooperation network with many localities in Cuba, China, Italy, Japan, Laos, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and the United States, among others.

In the first half of the year, the province also signed six additional memoranda of understanding across a range of fields, from politics and the economy to education, digital transformation, science and technology, human resources development and environmental protection.

Phú Thọ has actively promoted investment abroad, engaged major corporations and enterprises, and showcased its investment climate and development potential through international forums, business networking programmes and the network of Vietnamese representative missions overseas. This shift towards “seeking out investors” has delivered many positive results.

In the first six months of this year, the province’s export turnover was estimated at US$22.04 billion, while imports reached $26.73 billion, bringing total import-export turnover to about $48.77 billion. This continued to serve as an important driver of industrial growth and economic development.

Cultural diplomacy

Alongside economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy continues to play a role in building soft power. This year, Phú Thọ issued a scheme on organising Phú Thọ Cultural Day events abroad and foreign cultural festivals in Phú Thọ for the 2026–2030 period.

It also held the Thai Connect 2026 programme, combining cultural exchange with investment promotion, tourism promotion and educational cooperation.

In external affairs activities, the worship of the Hùng Kings, Xoan singing and the Hùng Kings Temple Historical Relic Site continued to be introduced as emblematic symbols of the ancestral land.

In the digital era, external information work has been carried out proactively, focusing on promoting the province’s development achievements, investment climate and cultural values.

In the first six months of this year, the province produced more than 20,000 news items and articles; issued six editions of the External Affairs Bulletin; produced two specialised reports; and posted thousands of bilingual Vietnamese-English articles and news items.

Lương Đức Minh, Head of the provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education and also Permanent Deputy Head of the province’s Steering Committee for External Information Work, acknowledged and highly valued the initiative and sense of responsibility shown by members of the Steering Committee, agencies, units and localities in renewing communication content and formats.

These efforts have helped spread the image of a dynamic, integrated and identity-rich Phú Thọ to international friends.

Phú Thọ currently maintains cooperation with 39 domestic press agencies, while also creating favourable conditions for international media delegations to carry out reporting activities, helping promote the image of a dynamic, transparent and friendly locality.

Putting people at centre

Phú Thọ Province organises a diplomatic delegation including international news and press agencies to conduct fieldwork, in order to report and promote the province’s investment potential and strengths, as well as to honour its cultural values and intangible cultural heritage. — Photo courtesy of Phú Thọ Province

The core value of external relations is reflected not only in growth figures, but also in service to the people.

In the first six months this year, the province provided consular protection for 65 Phú Thọ citizens facing difficulties overseas, while also expediting procedures for more than 1,000 foreign visitors coming to work and study.

In addition, more than 13,000 people from Phú Thọ living abroad were connected through various programmes oriented towards their homeland, helping mobilise overseas Vietnamese resources and strengthen people-to-people diplomacy.

People-to-people diplomacy has continued to be promoted through friendship associations, with practical activities such as support for poor households, the construction of houses of gratitude, care for former volunteer soldiers, support for Lao students and gatherings for overseas compatriots returning home for Tết.

These sustained activities have helped nurture solidarity, strengthen trust and deepen mutual understanding between the people of Phú Thọ and international friends.

The first six months of this year closed with many important achievements, but the greatest value lay in a profound shift in development thinking.

External affairs are no longer solely the responsibility of the foreign affairs sector; they have become the task of the entire political system. They are not only serving integration, but also directly driving economic development, enhancing competitiveness, promoting the local image and opening up new opportunities for businesses and people alike.

Chairman Đông affirmed that in the coming period, Phú Thọ will continue to expand cooperative relations with international partners, promote economic diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, improve the quality of external information work, and study the establishment of a Phú Thọ Desk overseas, turning external affairs into an important driver of fast and sustainable development.

Today, the ancestral land of the Hùng Kings is continuing its development story with a new mindset: taking external relations as a bridge, integration as a driving force, culture as a foundation and the people as the centre.

Along that journey, every cooperation programme, every investment project, every cultural event and every citizen-support activity contributes to building the image of a dynamic, integrated and identity-rich Phú Thọ, increasingly affirming its position in the eyes of international friends. — VNS