Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
– Vietnam has so far this year completed 102,633 social housing units, exceeding the Prime Minister's yearly target by 2%, according to the Ministry of Construction.
Cumulatively, the national social housing programme, aimed at building one million units from 2021 to 2030, has fulfilled approximately 62% of its goal. Read full story
– The Government has issued Decree 319 introducing special mechanisms for technology transfer in key railway projects, providing a solid legal basis for domestic enterprises to participate in the supply chain of the North-South high-speed railway.
With a total investment exceeding 67 billion USD, the rail line is not only an unprecedented infrastructure project in Vietnam, but also a test of the private sector’s capacity to engage in large-scale public works. Read full story
– Vietnam’s average export growth has stayed in double digits year on year, while the share of exports to the US, the country’s largest market, has remained strong over the past 11 months, despite mounting tariff pressures.
The effects of US reciprocal tariffs on Vietnam’s economy, especially exports, have been far milder than initial projections. HSBC’s latest reported showed that Vietnam’s trade flows, foreign direct investment and key macroeconomic metrics have all outperformed forecasts. Read full story
– The Vietnam International Gifts and Housewares Expo 2025 (IGHE 2025) opened on December 18 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring over 10,000 products from more than 250 domestic and international enterprises.
Jointly organised by VINEXAD of Vietnam, CHAOUYU EXPO of China, and trade promotion agencies at home and abroad, the event is held under the theme “enhancing quality of life”. IGHE 2025 features a comprehensive range of household goods, gifts and decorative products, positioning itself as a must-see destination for buyers from Vietnam and overseas. Read full story
– A scientific workshop announcing the results of a pilot study on the Gender Equality Index for the public sector in Vietnam was held in Hanoi on December 18.
The event organised by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), in coordination with the Australian Embassy in Vietnam through the Vietnam–Australia Centre (VAC) aimed to introduce and discuss the findings of a study developing a specialised assessment tool to measure gender equality in the public sector, covering both central agencies and local authorities. Read full story
– VinSpeed, an infrastructure arm of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, signed a strategic partnership and technology transfer agreement on high-speed rail development with Siemens Mobility GmbH, a subsidiary of Germany’s Siemens AG, in Hanoi on December 17.
Under the pact, Siemens Mobility, a supplier of high-speed rail technologies and solutions, will design, supply and integrate trainsets and key railway subsystems, including signaling, communications and power supply. It will also cooperate in maintenance for supplied equipment and transfer technology to support VinSpeed’s rail projects. Read full story./.
