☕ Afternoon briefing on January 13

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 13

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 has urged authorities to rein in commercial housing prices, particularly for apartments, stressing that prices should better reflect household income levels, prevailing economic conditions, and market fundamentals.

Addressing the fifth meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Housing Policy and the Real Estate Market virtually connected to all 34 cities and provinces on January 13, PM Chinh praised ministries, agencies, and local authorities for drastically following resolutions, conclusions, and directions from the Party Central Committee, its Politburo and Secretariat, National Assembly, and Government. Efforts to expand housing supply and manage real estate market have been pursued with strong determination, clear priorities, and focus on key tasks. Read full story

- Vietnam has obtained historic achievements in foreign affairs over 40 years of "Doi moi" (renewal) under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), which is set to continue to build on these successes to proactively seize opportunities and surmount challenges to further strengthen diplomatic efforts, thereby safeguarding national interests and affirming Vietnam’s role as a responsible and active member of the international community in an ever-changing world.

Looking back, one of the Party’s most significant achievements is to break through isolation and embargoes, and gradually normalise and expand relations with all countries, transforming Vietnam from a marginalised state into a nation with a broad diplomatic network spanning most regions of the world. Today, Vietnam maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries and territories, and holds strategic or comprehensive partnerships with 38 nations, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, G7 countries, and most G20 economies. Read full story

- In the period leading up to and during the 14th National Party Congress, hostile forces are exerting all efforts and employing every possible tactic in an attempt to “poison” personnel affairs and undermine the Party’s unity.

When personnel work is the most critical task, especially at the Party Congress, then unity is the very lifeblood of the Party - a matter of survival, the “heart” of the Vietnamese revolution. Read full story

- A preliminary review of preparations for the 14th National Party Congress was held under the chair of Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on January 13 morning.

The Permanent member and other officials examined the main hall of the congress, slated for January 19–25, an exhibition of publications serving the event, a photo display themed “Under the Party’s flag, the nation advances to a new era”, functional rooms, the press centre, the command centre, and medical services, among others. Read full story

- The Government and Prime Minister, under the Party leadership, have focused on steering the country with a “proactive, flexible, creative, decisive and effective” approach, stressing action over retreat. They have pursued sweeping institutional, regulatory and policy breakthroughs designed to reverse setbacks and fundamentally reshape the country's development path.

Throughout 2025, the Party and State accelerated institutional reforms, easing constraints on production and business activities, while effectively unlocking and pooling all available resources to drive breakthroughs across multiple sectors. Read full story

- To achieve sustainable double-digit growth and fulfill its ambition of becoming a developed country by 2045, Vietnam must take a hard look at its current economic model, carefully identifying its strengths to leverage and weaknesses to address, and fundamentally rethinking its approach and build a new development model for the new era, said insiders.

- The European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam on January 13 released the Q4/2025 edition of its Business Confidence Index (BCI), which climbed to 80 points, the highest level recorded in the past seven years.

The result marks a clear and sustained recovery in business sentiment among European enterprises in Vietnam, even as the global economic environment continues to face significant uncertainties. Read full story

- Ahead of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Pasaxon, the official newspaper of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, published an article on its electronic edition highlighting the countries’ significant cooperation outcomes across multiple fields.

According to the article, during the terms of the 11th LPRP and the 13th CPV national congresses, under the close attention and direction of the two Parties and States, bilateral cooperation in the 2021-2025 period achieved many significant results across various sectors. Ministries, agencies, and local authorities of both countries actively coordinated to effectively implement agreements reached by senior leaders in line with practical conditions, thereby basically fulfilling the set objectives. Read full story

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Vietnam earn three consecutive victories and a maximum nine points at 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. (Photo: AFC)


- Vietnamese football fans were left jubilant after the U23 team topped Group A with a perfect record to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

With three consecutive victories and a maximum nine points against Jordan (2-0), Kyrgyzstan (2-1), and hosts Saudi Arabia (1-0), Vietnam defied expectations to finish first in what had been widely dubbed the tournament’s “group of death”./. Read full story

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Hanoi Police on January 12 holds a conference to roll out a comprehensive plan for deploying forces to ensure security and public order during the 14th National Party Congress. (Photo: the Hanoi Police)

Hanoi deploys plan to ensure absolute security for 14th Party Congress

Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tung, Director of Hanoi Police, praised the units for their responsibility and proactive efforts in preparing the plan, personnel, and equipment. He stressed that the top priority for ensuring security and order during the 14th Party Congress is maintaining stability while strictly applying the principle of “normalcy outside, strict control inside,” and ensuring smooth traffic.

Vietnam’s foreign affairs: 40 years of historic achievements under Party's leadership

Vietnam’s foreign affairs: 40 years of historic achievements under Party's leadership

Vietnam has obtained historic achievements in foreign affairs over 40 years of "Doi moi" (renewal) under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), which is set to continue to build on these successes to proactively seize opportunities and surmount challenges to further strengthen diplomatic efforts, thereby safeguarding national interests and affirming Vietnam’s role as a responsible and active member of the international community in an ever-changing world.

NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

NA Vice Chairman inspects election preparations in Ca Mau

National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai, who is also a member of the National Election Council, called on Ca Mau authorities to ensure local communes and wards regularly update and clearly post voter lists as required, ensure timely allocation of funds for the grassroots level, maintain public safety and order, and provide social welfare support for those eligible, especially as the Lunar New Year holiday draws near.

Former Deputy Foreign Minister and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Thach Du (Photo: VNA)

Public expectations grow ahead of 14th National Party Congress

The attainments gained over 40 years of Doi moi come as the essence of the perseverance in independence, self-reliance, as well as the solidarity and creativity of the entire nation, said former Deputy Foreign Minister and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Thach Du.

National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong speaks at the working session with representatives of Quang Tri province. (Photo: VNA)

NA Vice Chairman inspects election preparations in Quang Tri

National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong, member of the National Election Council, asked Quang Tri to continue implementing all steps in line with legal regulations, including establishing election teams within the timeframe prescribed in the election law, and organising the 2nd and 3rd consultative conferences to finalise the lists of candidates no later than February 20, 2026.