Afternoon briefing

☕ Afternoon briefing on July 18

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on July 18

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

- Following a request of the Specialised Council for Protection of Central-level Officials' Health, General Secretary of the Party Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong has, over the recent past, been managing the work and taking health treatment and care at the same time, a notice by the Politburo said.

The Politburo, the Secretariat, key leaders and the standing member of the Secretariat have directly instructed specialised agencies to mobilise a contingent of top professors, doctors, medical staff, and experts and the most favourable conditions to treat the General Secretary and provide health care for him, it said. Read full story

- Member of the Politburo and President To Lam presided over the 5th session of the Council of National Defence and Security in Hanoi on July 18 morning.

Attending the session were Prime Minister and Vice Chairman of the council Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the National Assembly and council member Tran Thanh Man, and Minister of National Defence and council member General Phan Van Giang, among other officials. Read full story

- On the morning of July 17 (local time), at the United Nations headquarter in New York, the US, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation led by Ambassador Trinh Duc Hai, Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, officially presented the Submission of Vietnam’s extended continental shelf in respect of Central Area of the East Sea (South China Sea) to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

The same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Statement regarding Vietnam's submission. Read full story

- The Republic of Korean (RoK)’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has announced that its smart farm sector is gaining momentum in penetrating the Vietnamese market, leveraging advanced technologies to expand into the Southeast Asian region.

At a press conference in Sejong city on July 18, MAFRA revealed that 15 Korean companies specialising in smart farming is participating in the ongoing 2024 Vietnam-Korea Plus Partnership Week held in Ho Chi Minh City. Read full story

- Thanks to good communications strategies, Vietnamese tra fish (pangasius) products have been known to domestic and foreign consumers, and the export of these products has continuously increased in recent times, creating new breakthroughs.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, an expert from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said this year tra fish exports have started to recover in some markets, including those under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Read full story

- Overseas remittances to Ho Chi Minh City reached nearly 5.2 billion USD in the first half of 2024, equivalent to 54.7% of last year's figure and up 19.5% year-on-year, according to Nguyen Duc Lenh, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)'s HCM City branch.

In the second quarter of this year alone, remittances totalled over 2.3 billion USD, a fall of 19.5% compared to the previous quarter, but an increase of 4.2% from the same period last year. The capital flow from Asia continued to dominate, comprising 56.1% of the total and up 48.5% year-on-year. Read full story

- Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD on July 18 officially introduced its brand with three key lines, and announced its strategy in the Vietnamese market.

The three lines, namely BYD SEAL, BYD DOLPHIN, and BYD ATTO 3, have prices starting from 659 million VND (26,037 USD). Read full story

- The “Enjoy Da Nang 2024” festival was kicked off at East Sea Park, the central beach city of Da Nang on July 17.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, said the festival is expected to be a distinctive tourism product and an effective promotional activity to attract more domestic and international tourists to the locality while supporting businesses in promoting their tourism services, thereby boosting business operations. Read full story./.

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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has a working session with Vietnamese associations in Udon Thani province, northeastern Thailand, on July 16. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese community in Thailand urged to strengthen friendship bridge

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang commended the unity and sense of responsibility shown by the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani and across Thailand, urging them to continue preserving the Vietnamese language and cultural identity while helping build a positive image of Vietnamese people and contributing to bilateral relations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang (R) and Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government Moctar Al Housseynou Lam. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)

Vietnam seeks Mauritania’s role as bridge to African Union for deeper ties

Vietnam expects Mauritania to act as a bridge for substantive cooperation between Vietnam and the African Union (AU), said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang during a reception in Hanoi on July 16 for Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government Moctar Al Housseynou Lam.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (R) and Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government, Moctar Al Housseynou Lam. (Photo: VNA)

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The two officials agreed to continue their long-standing coordination at multilateral forums, including the Francophonie, while reinforcing practical collaboration with regional organisations such as ASEAN and the AU, for the benefit of their people and for peace, stability and development in their respective regions and globally.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (L) pays a courtesy call on Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Laos strengthen cooperation on overseas community affairs

The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in overseas Vietnamese and overseas Lao affairs for the 2026–2030 period, providing a framework for future collaboration. Laos will send a delegation to Vietnam to study preparations for the World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese, scheduled for December 2026.