Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
- The 15th meeting of the 13th Party Central Committee opened in Hanoi on December 22.
Party General Secretary To Lam presided over and delivered the opening remarks at the meeting. Politburo member, State President Luong Cuong chaired the opening session. Read full story
- Party General Secretary To Lam urged focusing on key tasks to ensure success of the upcoming 14th National Party Congress, while delivering his opening remarks at the 15th meeting of the 13th Party Central Committee in Hanoi on December 22.
General Secretary Lam said that based on proposals by the Politburo, the 13th Party Central Committee had previously reached high consensus at its 13th and 14th meetings in nominating candidates for the Party Central Committee (both official and alternate members), the Politburo, and the Secretariat for the 14th tenure, ensuring structure, quantity and qualification requirements in line with the Party's regulations and personnel orientations. Read full story
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference in Hanoi on December 22 to announce and present a decision transferring Chairman of the Members’ Council of the Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group (Petrovietnam) Le Manh Hung to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, where he was appointed Acting Minister.
Presenting the appointment decision, PM Chinh congratulated Hung on the major responsibility entrusted by the Party and State to lead a ministry described as an economic "pillar" with a vanguard role in advancing national industry, trade and services. Read full story
- In the context of information globalisation, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are values respected and ensured by all countries. However, these rights are never absolute.
International legislative history as well as legal practices in developed nations affirm that no civilised country allows the abuse of freedom of expression to distort the truth, defame leaders, incite hatred, disrupt social order, or act against the State. Read full story
- Vietnam's foreign trade is projected to hit a record of over 900 billion USD in 2025, positioning the country among the top 15 global trade powers, providing a new impetus for national economic growth, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
Addressing a recent conference to review the performance of the industry and trade sector in 2025 and during the 2021–2025 period, and outline key tasks for 2026, Nguyen Anh Son, Director of the MoIT’s Agency of Foreign Trade, announced that as of December 15, Vietnam’s total import-export turnover had reached 883.7 billion USD. Read full story
- Recent assessments by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) place Vietnam among the fastest recovering and growing tourism markets globally, with growth rates exceeding 21%. This performance stands out at a time when many established destinations are still grappling with post-pandemic restructuring.
The achievement of 20 million international visitors in 2025 represents far more than a headline figure. It signals that Vietnam’s tourism ecosystem has reached a level of maturity where infrastructure, destination capacity, product diversity, and service quality are capable of supporting large-scale visitor flows, longer stays, and higher spending. Read full story
- The establishment of Vietnam’s International Financial Centre (IFC), announced on December 21, marks a significant milestone for Ho Chi Minh City, one of the two operational hubs, together with the central city of Da Nang. The centre is expected to become a new growth driver while enhancing Vietnam’s and HCM City’s position on the global financial map.
Over recent months, the city has taken concerted actions to prepare for this historic development, from spatial planning and infrastructure development to human resources training and partnership mobilisation. Essential conditions for IFC operations are now fundamentally in place. Read full story
- The fact that Phu Quoc Island welcomed Vietnam’s 10-millionth international visitor in 2016 and its 20-millionth in 2025 is not merely symbolic. These milestones reflect the inevitable outcome of sustained development in infrastructure, tourism products, and destination capacity.
Looking back, Vietnam’s international tourism doubled in scale in less than a decade, rising from 10 million international arrivals in 2016 to 20 million in 2025 – an exceptionally rapid growth rate in the region. During the same period, Thailand recorded an increase of around 19%, while Singapore grew by approximately 8%, despite their larger visitor bases. This trajectory signals Vietnam’s transition from an “emerging destination” to a new tourism hub in the region, distinguished by strong momentum and clear potential for further expansion in international markets. Read full story
- Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History have unveiled a list of more than 70 species newly identified over the past year, including two noteworthy discoveries from Vietnam: a rare sucker-mouthed minnow and a bee distinguished by its teddy bear-like appearance.
In an announcement issued on December 19, the researchers said the newly described species cover a broad spectrum of life, ranging from dinosaurs and mammals to fish, reptiles and insects. Notably, many of the discoveries did not result from recent field expeditions, but from the re-examination of specimens long preserved in museum collections and overlooked for decades./. Read full story
