Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 23

General Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee To Lam re-elected as the Party chief for the 2026 – 2031 term, Vietnam's attendance at a signing ceremony for the founding charter of the Board of Peace aimed at ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and Fitch Ratings' upgrade of Vietnam’s senior secured long-term debt instruments to BBB- are among news highlights on January 23.

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 23

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

– At the closing session of the 14th National Party Congress on January 23 afternoon, Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, on behalf of the Congress’s Presidium, reported on the results of the election of the Political Bureau, which consists of 19 members. Read full story

– General Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee To Lam was re-elected as the Party chief for the 2026 – 2031 term at the first meeting of the 14th Party Central Committee on January 23 morning.

The 14th Party Central Committee (PCC) held its first meeting at the PCC headquarters to decide on particularly important issues, marking the beginning of the new term, according to a communique released after the meeting. Read full story

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General Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee To Lam (second, right) is re-elected as the Party chief for the 2026 – 2031 term at the first meeting of the 14th Party Central Committee on January 23 morning. (Photo: VNA)

– The 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) concluded with success in Hanoi on the afternoon of January 23 after five days of serious, democratic and disciplined working.

On behalf of the Presidium, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man co-chaired the session. Read full story

– A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son attended a signing ceremony for the founding charter of the Board of Peace aimed at ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip on January 22, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.

At the ceremony, US President Trump joined 19 heads of state and government and senior representatives from countries and territories including Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Mongolia in signing the charter. Read full story

– Vietnam has proposed a number of ASEAN cooperation priorities at the discussions on “New Pathways for ASEAN Growth and Productivity” and the “ASEAN Power Grid” held on the framework of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Vietnamese representatives highlighted that ASEAN remains one of the world’s most dynamic and resilient growth regions, with the potential to become the fourth-largest economy globally by 2030. Emerging growth drivers include industrial transformation, digital innovation and green growth, with the digital economy, artificial intelligence and energy transition playing a pivotal role in boosting productivity and competitiveness. Read full story

– Fitch Ratings has upgraded Vietnam’s senior secured long-term debt instruments from BB+ to BBB-, according to the Ministry of Finance.

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The Ministry of Finance is working to establish a mechanism for regular and ongoing dialogue with international credit rating agencies, including Fitch, Moody’s and S&P. (Illustrative image: VNA)

In a statement released on January 22, the ministry said the rating for Vietnam’s secured long-term debt was raised to BBB-, equivalent to investment grade, one notch higher than the country’s long-term foreign-currency rating on unsecured debt, which remains at BB+. The upgrade followed Fitch’s review under its revised Sovereign Rating Criteria issued in last September. Read full story

– As competition among global financial hubs intensifies, Ho Chi Minh City is moving to carve out a distinct position with a “latecomer but different” strategy, placing institutional reform and innovation at the heart of its competitiveness.

That approach was highlighted during a working trip by a Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where the Vietnam International Financial Centre in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC) was introduced directly to the global policy and financial community. Read full story

– Total overseas remittances sent to Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest recipient, last year exceeded 10.34 billion USD, up 8.3% year on year.

Data from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s Region 2 branch show that remittances were primarily transferred via economic organisations, reaching nearly 7.43 billion USD, or about 71.8% of the total. Transfers through credit institutions, meanwhile, amounted to almost 2.92 billion USD, or 28.2%. Read full story./.

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