Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 9 urged all stakeholders to take more urgent, decisive, and bold actions to accelerate the progress of key infrastructure projects, with the goal of achieving simultaneous groundbreaking and inauguration by December 19, 2025.
Chairing the 22nd meeting of the State steering committee for national key projects in the transport sector, PM Chinh requested ministries, sectors, localities, and relevant parties to continue working tirelessly to complete and open for technical traffic 3,188 km of expressways and 1,700 km of coastal roads, and ensure the commencement of technical flight operations at Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai by December 19, 2025. Read full story
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the morning of December 9 ordered accelerating construction and repair of homes for residents affected by storms and floods, stressing that any shortfalls must be addressed.
Chairing a meeting with ministries and agencies, connected online with local authorities, on the implementation of the “Quang Trung Campaign” to rapidly rebuild and repair homes destroyed or severely damaged by the natural disasters, the PM praised their recovery efforts. Read full story
- A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 9 to mark the 80th traditional day of the armed forces of Military Region 7 (December 10, 1945 – 2025) and to confer the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces upon the unit.
State President Luong Cuong, who also serves as Chairman of the Council of National Defence and Security and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, attended the event and delivered keynote remarks. Read full story
- Vietnam's foreign trade is set to exceed 900 billion USD in 2025, positioning the country among the top 15 global trade powers, according to insiders.
The total import-export turnover reached nearly 840 billion USD in the first 11 months of this year, up 17.2% year-on-year, with a trade surplus of over 20 billion USD. With this performance, the target of 900 billion USD in foreign trade is well within reach. Read full story
- Despite facing a range of challenges, Vietnam’s aquatic exports have maintained a stable growth trajectory and are expected to hit a new turnover record this year.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), seafood products were sold overseas for more than 10.5 billion USD in the first 11 months, up 14.6% year-on-year. Shrimp exports generated 4.31 billion USD, a year-on-year rise of 21.2%, remaining the key growth driver; tra fish exports surpassed 2 billion USD, up 9%; tuna exports reached 855.7 million USD, while the figures for molluscs, marine fish and value-added products all maintained double-digit growth. Read full story
- Military-run telecom group Viettel has surpassed its 2025 rollout schedule, completing the installation of 20,000 new 5G base stations more than three weeks ahead of the timeline pledged to the Government.
The group expects its total number of 5G stations to reach 30,000 by December 31, providing coverage across 90% of outdoor areas nationwide. Read full story
- Ho Chi Minh City’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) is forecast to expand by approximately 8.03% in 2025, outpacing the national average and reaffirming the city’s role as a leading growth engine for the country.
Speaking at the opening session of the sixth meeting of the 10th-tenure municipal People’s Council on December 9, Chairman Vo Van Minh said the city had completed the consolidation of administrative units at all levels, implemented the two-tier local government model, and achieved notable socio-economic progress in 2025. Read full story
- Ho Chi Minh City will light up the sky with fireworks displays at four locations on January 1, 2026 to ring in the New Year 2026.
Accordingly, there will be high-altitude fireworks displays at three sites - the Saigon River Tunnel entrance in An Khanh ward, the New City’s centre in Binh Duong ward, and Tam Thang Square in Vung Tau ward, along with a low-altitude show at Dam Sen Cultural Park in Binh Thoi ward. Funding for these displays comes from social contributions. Read full story
- As Vietnam faces increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and high-tech online fraud, the National Cybersecurity Association (NCA) on December 8 officially launched its southern branch in Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Major General Le Xuan Minh, Director of the Ministry of Public Security’s Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05), noted that while Vietnam has made major strides in science-technology, innovation and digital transformation, cyber risks have escalated sharply, directly affecting national security and social order. Read full story
- As of 12:00 on December 9, no information had been received regarding damage to property or casualties involving Vietnamese citizens in areas affected by an earthquake that struck Japan on the evening of the day before, injuring around 30 people.
The quake, whose epicentre was located about 80km off the coast of Aomori prefecture in northeastern Japan, caused strong shaking across the region. Authorities initially warned of possible tsunamis of up to 3 metres along the northeastern coastline, including Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate. These warnings were later downgraded./. Read full story
