Although the principle that “culture stands on an equal footing with the economy, politics, and society” has been affirmed at previous Party congresses, culture has in practice been sidelined during implementation on many occasions.

Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW represents a breakthrough turning point as, for the first time, cultural development is quantified through specific targets directly linked to economic growth indicators and national competitiveness.

The resolution outlines an ambitious yet highly pragmatic roadmap. By 2030, Viet Nam aims for cultural industries to contribute around 7% of GDP, and to establish between five and ten national brands in high-potential fields such as cinema, performing arts, cultural tourism, design, and fashion. Looking ahead to 2045, cultural industries and the creative economy are identified as pillars of sustainable development, contributing approximately 9% of GDP and positioning Viet Nam among the top three in ASEAN and the top 30 worldwide in the National Soft Power Index.

Beyond economic indicators, Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW also demonstrates profound humanistic depth and the principle that “the people are the foundation”, which is reflected in its objectives relating to cultural institutions and levels of cultural access.

Accordingly, the resolution sets the goal of comprehensively completing the national system of cultural institutions, ensuring that 100% of two-tier local administrations are equipped with cultural facilities that meet the public’s needs for creativity and cultural enjoyment. This is intended to address the previous situation in which some localities either lacked cultural institutions altogether or had facilities that existed in name only and were operating in a formalistic and ineffective manner.

In the digital era, the Resolution requests the digitisation of 100% of ranked cultural heritage sites. This is an urgent task aimed at ensuring the long-term preservation of the nation’s valuable cultural assets in the face of time and natural disasters, while also establishing a data foundation to support the promotion of heritage values in the online space.

Notably, the Resolution places strong emphasis on future generations, setting a target for 100% of pupils and students to have regular access to artistic activities and heritage education. This represents a long-term investment in the very foundations of culture, nurturing the spirit, character, and cultural resilience of Viet Nam’s young people from their school years.

The strength of Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW lies in its clearly defined system of goals, targets, and implementation tools, turning the aspiration to revitalise culture into concrete milestones that can be measured, monitored, and evaluated.

Another important highlight, demonstrating the strong political commitment of the Party and the State, is the fundamental shift in the concept of resources. The Resolution clearly affirms: “Investing in culture is investing in the sustainable development of the country, in the future of the nation.”

Specifically, the Resolution requires allocating at least 2% of the total annual State budget expenditure to culture, while emphasising that the use of resources must be focused and targeted, concentrating on three breakthrough areas: training and rewarding talent; developing science and technology and digital transformation; and commissioning high-value cultural and artistic works and projects.

Sharing this perspective but emphasising the need for decisive action, Associate Professor Dr Bui Hoai Son argues that the implementation of Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW must be identified as a national action programme, substantively carried out across institutions, resources, facilities, people, and coordination mechanisms, rather than remaining at the level of a movement.

He proposed an implementation roadmap following the approach of “from roots to crown”. The “roots” lie in building the quality of human resources, value systems, cultural conduct, patriotism, and a spirit of dedication. The “trunk” involves strengthening the system of cultural institutions and spaces from the grassroots to the central level, from community life to the digital environment. The “crown” is the development of cultural industries and cultural markets, turning culture into a new engine of growth, where identity is not diluted but elevated into a source of national competitive strength.

“Put simply, implementing Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW means giving culture real power in life — soft power to guide awareness, shape behaviour, and nurture character; and developmental power to transform values into national capabilities. Only then will the objectives of the Resolution move beyond paper and become tangible drivers, contributing to the building of a rapidly and sustainably developing Viet Nam in the new era,” Assoc Prof Dr Bui Hoai Son affirmed.