Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 31

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 31

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

- Ahead of the New Year 2026, which marks the start of the 14th National Party Congress term, Party General Secretary To Lam has granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency, affirming the country’s resolve to harness its intellect and fortitude as Vietnam moves confidently into a new era of development. Read full story

- The standing agency of the Central Steering Committee for Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Digital Transformation has released the conclusion of Party General Secretary To Lam at a conference reviewing the committee’s 2025 performance and outlining key tasks and solutions for 2026.

Accordingly, the Steering Committee concurred with the assessment of the one-year implementation of Resolution 57 in the standing agency’s report and praised determined efforts of its members, ministries, sectors, localities and the business community. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 30 issued an official dispatch, calling for stronger, faster and more coordinated efforts to accelerate the implementation of the rapid “Quang Trung Campaign” to rebuild and repair houses damaged by recent storms and floods in the central region.

The document was sent to leaders of Quang Tri, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong, alongside relevant ministries and agencies. Read full story

- A series of major laws passed in 2025 will take effect on January 1, 2026, spanning employment, education, data protection, taxation, state budget, digital technology, energy, and transport.

They include the 2025 Law on Employment, the 2025 Law on Teachers, the 2025 Law on Personal Data Protection, the 2025 Law on Participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, the 2024 Law on Justice for Minors, the 2025 Law on Special Consumption Tax, the 2025 Law on State Budget, the amended 2025 Law on Advertising, the Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality, the Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Law on Technical Standards and Regulations, the 2025 Law on Digital Technology Industry, the 2025 Railway Law, the 2025 Law on Chemicals, the 2025 Law on Atomic Energy, and the Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy. Read full story

- Through sustained attentiveness and the expansion of diverse engagement channels, ranging from consultations on draft documents to specialised forums and connectivity programmes, the Party and State of Vietnam have created favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese (OVs) to contribute ideas, expertise, material resources and spiritual support to national development, effectively turning aspirations for the homeland into concrete action.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Ho Ngoc Thang, a former senior specialist at Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, said the Politburo’s Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs underscores the soundness of the Party and State’s long-standing policy, affirming the OV community as an inseparable part of the nation. Read full story

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Visitors enjoy nightly fireworks during festival activities on Phu Quoc Island.


- Business Traveller, the UK’s leading travel magazine for business and affluent travellers, has recently named Phu Quoc among the world’s most trending and “hottest” destinations, predicting a dramatic transformation for the Vietnamese island in the years ahead.

In its latest Travel Trends: The Hot List feature, Business Traveller showered praise on Phu Quoc, the only destination from Vietnam to make the list. The ranking includes just ten destinations worldwide, carefully selected by the magazine’s expert panel. Read full story

- The Ministry of National Defence held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 31 to hand over the State President’s decisions to deploy four officers to the UN peacekeeping mission to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

The officers have been carefully vetted and fully meet the UN’s stringent standards. They are ready to replace personnel currently serving with the MINUSCA mission, and to take up new posts at the UN Liaison Office for Peace and Security in Brussels, Belgium. Read full story

- Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Tran Quoc Khanh, in a recent interview with local television channel Elbilad, discussed stronger bilateral relations following the elevation to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit in November.

Khanh said when it comes to a strategic relationship, the foremost core element is trust, which lays groundwork for concrete business opportunities across multiple sectors like trade, agriculture, health care, technology, sustainable energy, and education – training./. Read full story

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