Hanoi (VNA) - By 2030, Vietnam aims to develop major national publishing and media groups operating across multiple platforms, serving key functions in political communication, culture and entertainment, science and technology, and education and training.
Among them will be a flagship group tasked with strategic external communications, promoting Vietnam’s image, people, and publications globally while absorbing international knowledge and cultural values into the domestic market.
This is a key directive outlined in Directive No. 04-CT/TW on strengthening Party leadership over publishing in the new context, signed by Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu.
Under the Secretariat’s guidance, the publishing sector is expected to better meet public demand for reading, learning, entertainment and cultural consumption, while evolving into a technology-driven economic sector playing a central role in value creation ecosystems. The move aligns with Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW, which identifies culture and people as foundational resources and key drivers of sustainable development.
By 2030, the sector is to be streamlined, with the formation of multi-platform publishing-media groups, full-scale digital transformation, 100% of publishers engaged in digital publishing, and 80% of printing facilities equipped with modern technology. Efforts will also focus on promoting reading culture, expanding community reading spaces, and strengthening international cooperation.
Looking ahead to 2045, Vietnam envisions a robust, modern publishing and media sector that evolves into a global-facing digital economy industry and a leading regional hub for creativity and cooperation, contributing to the country’s international standing.
To achieve these goals, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat calls for stronger Party leadership, effective State management and coordinated action across the political system. Also needed are improved regulations, removal of bottlenecks, and preferential policies to unlock resources and elevate the sector to regional and global standards.
Nguyen Thu Trang, Deputy CEO of Tan Viet Books, stressed the need to step up international cooperation in publishing, not only through book fairs but also via copyright partnerships, to enhance Vietnam’s credibility. She added that growing reader interest in content origin and copyright will help improve the quality of reading culture.
Sharing the view, Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of Thai Ha Books, said failure to tackle book piracy decisively would hinder the sector’s ability to attract high-quality copyrights and expand knowledge-based content. For building a sustainable digital publishing ecosystem, he outlined four key pillars: quality content; a transparent legal framework; socially responsible publishers with a long-term vision; and a reading-oriented, lifelong learning community. These, he noted, are essential for the sector to contribute to both economic growth and a knowledge-based, sustainable society.
According to Director General of the Authority of Publication, Printing and Distribution under the Ministry Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Nguyen, reading habits are increasingly shifting to digital platforms. In 2025, Vietnam released more than 5,200 digital publications, attracting around 35 million visits, with 35 out of 52 publishers already engaged in digital publishing.
He stressed that digital transformation goes beyond content digitisation to include online distribution platforms, copyright management systems, reader data and market analytics—key components of a modern publishing ecosystem. Strengthening copyright protection and enforcement in the digital space remains a core priority.
At a recent 2026 sector conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Tam said publishing is set to transition from traditional printing and distribution to a knowledge-based content industry. Legal reforms, including amendments to the Publishing Law, are being accelerated to support digital publishing, online distribution and emerging business models.
At the same time, the publishing value chain will be restructured on a technology-driven foundation, with the goal of building a cultural industry capable of generating both economic and intellectual value, in line with Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation./.
