☕ Afternoon briefing on July 4

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

- Party General Secretary To Lam has directed provincial-level Party Committees to strengthen leadership so that all operations of both provincial and commune-level administrations run smoothly and efficiently, with the overarching goal of better serving people and enterprises.

Chairing a meeting of the Party Central Committee’s Politburo and Secretariat on July 4 to discuss the implementation of resolutions and conclusions regarding the reorganisation of administrative units, the Party chief urged the Party Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to promptly review staffing arrangements across provincial and commune-level offices. Read full story

- The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence held an art programme in Hanoi on July 3 evening, marking the 10-year review of the army’s implementation of the 12th-tenure Politburo’s Directive No. 05 on promoting the study and following of President Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality, and lifestyle.

Party General Secretary To Lam, who also is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, attended and chaired the exchange programme.

The event aimed to highlight key achievements over the past decade and offered a platform for exemplary individuals and collectives to share experiences, spread positive examples, and encourage officers, Party members, and soldiers to continue studying and following the late leader’s thought, morality, and lifestyle. Read full story

- State Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan underscored Vietnam's notable progress in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in recent years, affirming the country's consistent commitment to these priorities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Global Summit of Women in Berlin, Germany, on July 3, Xuan shared that between 2022 and 2024, Vietnam climbed 11 places in the global gender equality rankings, currently standing at 72nd out of 146 countries. Read full story

- Vietnam and Spain are set to elevate their economic partnership following Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc’s working trip on July 3 to Barcelona, where he engaged with regional leaders and business executives to accelerate cooperation across green energy, logistics and sustainable finance.

In a meeting with President of Catalonia Salvador Illa, Phoc suggested enhanced cooperation with Vietnamese localities in such domains as tourism, port, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and food processing. The Vietnamese leader also requested further support for the Vietnamese community in Barcelona, which represents the largest concentration of Vietnamese nationals in Spain. Read full story

- Vietnam will have special and superior mechanisms and policies to encourage the attraction of capital, technologies, modern management methods, high-quality human resources, and infrastructure development to its first International Financial Centre.

This is part of the Resolution on International Financial Centre in Vietnam freshly signed by National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man. The resolution clearly stipulates the establishment, operation, management, supervision, and specific mechanisms and policies applicable to the centre. Read full story

- The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host the Vietnam Summer Camp 2025, an annual event that offers a meaningful platform for young overseas Vietnamese to explore their homeland, deepen cultural connection, and strengthen ties with domestic peers.

Announced at a press briefing in Hanoi on July 3, the 2025 edition is expected to bring together over 100 outstanding young Vietnamese from 31 countries and territories for a two-week journey across three regions of Vietnam, with stops in Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak, Quang Ngai, Da Nang, Quang Tri, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi. Read full story./.

VNA