Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on March 19

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on March 19

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

- Infrastructure connectivity, especially railway links, between Vietnam and China must be identified as a strategic breakthrough in bilateral economic ties, said Party General Secretary To Lam.

Chairing a working session with representatives of several ministries, agencies and localities at Dong Dang railway station in Lang Son province on March 19, General Secretary Lam described enhanced rail ties as an important driver of bilateral trade ties into a new stage that is more substantive, effective and sustainable. The push follows the Party’s resolutions and is expected to inject new momentum and open up new space for national economic growth. Read full story

- A grand groundbreaking ceremony for primary and secondary boarding schools in border communes was held on March 19 morning, with Party General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attending at the main venue in Dong Dang commune, the northern mountainous province of Lang Son.

The hybrid event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), state broadcaster Vietnam Television, telecom giants VNPT and Viettel, and authorities of 17 cities and provinces. Read full story

- Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to China on March 19 to attend activities within the 10th Vietnam – China Border Defence Friendship Exchange, following events held in Vietnam a day earlier.

Chinese Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun presided over an official welcoming ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation at the Dongxing International Border Gate in China. Read full story

- The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) on March 19 led a delegation of 28 Australian agriculture and food enterprises to Ho Chi Minh City to attend a Vietnam-Australia trade and investment forum.

The event formed part of the Australia–Southeast Asia Business Exchange (A-SEABX), running from March 16–20. It marked one of the largest recent Australian agrifood business missions to Vietnam, reflecting growing interest among Australian firms in diversifying partnerships and expanding engagement with the Vietnamese market. Read full story

- Vietnam has successfully carried out its first domino multi-organ transplant, a landmark medical achievement that underscores the country’s rapidly advancing organ transplantation expertise, the Department of Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health and Viet Duc University Hospital announced on March 19.

The milestone operation was made possible by the organ donation of a 42-year-old woman who was admitted to Viet Duc University Hospital on March 11 following a serious traffic accident. Despite intensive resuscitation efforts, she fell into a deep coma with a Glasgow score of three, lost all light reflexes, and was declared brain-dead. Her family’s decision to donate her organs enabled multiple critically ill patients to receive life-saving transplants. Read full story

- Preserving and leveraging the folk wisdom behind “Nam Dinh-style pho”, now recognised as Vietnam’s national intangible cultural heritage, isn’t just about saving a beloved noodle soup. It’s a full-throttle push to guard a living cultural heritage and turn it into an engine for sustainable economic growth and tourism.

Connoisseurs frequently cite “pho Co” as the gold standard of traditional pho, where handed-down family recipes and time-honoured techniques create pure magic in a bowl. The nickname stems from a village in what used to be Nam Dinh province, now merged into Ninh Binh, heavily populated by folks surnamed Co. Read full story./.

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