Culture, like other aspects of life, is greatly impacted by globalization. Culture can be reflected in spiritual cultural products and the activities and operation of social life as well as in psychological life, the sentiments and thoughts of both the people and the socio-political institutions of the country. However, being a member of the WTO, which together with the impacts of globalization, the side-effects of the market economy and the opposition of hostile forces, challenges to traditional cultural values will also increase accordingly. The scale of values faces great changes which causes complexity in the definition of good versus bad things, correct versus incorrect things. External and miscellaneous factors have due conditions to penetrate into, develop and badly affect social and spiritual life. Cultural and political venom penetrates into our country in different ways and means. The protection of political security, economic security, psychological and cultural security and social order become an ever pressing issue. Individualism, pragmatism and the money-oriented life-style i.e. enrichment by all means, has given social devils the ground to develop. In this situation, if an appropriate cultural strategy is not adopted, the aftermath may be unpredictable.

Correctly realizing this issue, the 10^th Party Congress (convened before Vietnam became a full member of the WTO) pointed out: “effectively exploiting opportunities and minimizing challenges and exposures when Vietnam joins the WTO”. The strategy on culture in the new situation should comprehend the above-mentioned viewpoints and ideology of the Party. Passionately pursuing economic development without giving due attention to culture in the development strategy is an action which can weaken ourselves. The strategy on culture should address two fundamental and pressing matters which dialectically relate to each other: firstly, preserving, inheriting and developing national cultural characteristics; secondly, bringing into full play national culture which is the source of internal strength of the nation in the integration process. Building, development and preservation should closely intertwine with each other in the strategy on culture.

Our nation can only be developed and self-affirmed during this globalization process with its parallel international economic integration on the playing field of the WTO, and successfully achieve the objectives of a rich people, strong nation, democratic and equitable and civilized society, which is well-matched with other countries in the world, if we know how to bring into full play our internal power, by preserving, protecting and developing our national cultural characteristics.