☕ Afternoon briefing on April 3

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- The 6th Vietnam–Laos Defence Policy Dialogue took place in the central city of Da Nang on April 3, underscoring the commitment to deepening bilateral defence cooperation amid evolving regional and global security challenges.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, and Sen. Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army. Read full story

- Despite mounting global headwinds, particularly escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Vietnam’s exports remained resilient in the first quarter of 2026, reaching nearly 100 billion USD, up more than 17% year-on-year.

The strong start to the year came amid a wave of disruptions triggered by conflict in late February, which drove up fuel prices, strained logistics chains and dampened global demand. Yet export performance stayed robust, with total turnover hitting nearly 97 billion USD by mid-March, 17.1% higer than the same period last year. Read full story

- The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), in collaboration with Ant International - a unit of China-based Ant Group, and Vietcombank, on April 3 announced the expansion of cross-border QR code payment services between Vietnam and China.

The launch marks a significant step forward in digital payment connectivity, helping to facilitate trade and tourism flows between the two countries. Under the new arrangement, Chinese tourists can use Alipay - a member wallet of Ant International - to scan VIETQRGlobal codes and make direct payments at merchants within NAPAS’ network across Vietnam. Read full story

- The Prime Minister has signed Decision No. 530/QD-TTg approving a national programme to attract foreign experts and overseas Vietnamese (OV) scholars to teach, conduct research and work at Vietnam’s higher education and vocational training institutions.

The programme aims to develop and effectively implement breakthrough mechanisms and policies to recruit, utilise and retain high-caliber international and OV talent. It is expected to strengthen the country’s science and technology capacity, foster a high-quality workforce, enhance innovation capabilities and promote international integration in education and research. The initiative also contributes to Vietnam’s goal of bringing its education system to an advanced regional and global level by 2035. Read full story

- The Department of Climate Change (DCC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on April 2 held a kick-off meeting for the project “Sustainable Management of Substances Controlled by the Montreal Protocol” (SMS-MP).

Funded by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol and implemented through the World Bank (WB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the project aims to help Vietnam meet its international commitments in managing and phasing out controlled substances. It will run from 2026 to 2031 with a total budget of over 13 million USD. Read full story

- The northern province of Quang Ninh has officially deployed round-the-clock medical teams on Ha Long Bay starting April 2 to provide immediate first aid and handle health emergencies for tourists.

The initiative is the latest effort by local authorities to enhance service quality and ensure safety at the UNESCO-recognised Ha Long Bay, especially as newly expanded sightseeing routes attract increasing numbers of visitors. Read full story

- A large-scale community health festival and walking event titled “For a Healthy Vietnam” will take place from 7am to 4pm on April 5 at Tran Nhan Tong pedestrian street and Thong Nhat Park in Hanoi, in response to Vietnam’s National Health Day.

Volunteer young doctors are expected to provide free health screenings for around 10,000 residents. Read full story./.

VNA