Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 12

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 12


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

- Party General Secretary and State President To Lam called for an overhaul in the methods used to rally the people, aiming to better harness the strength of great national unity as he addressed the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) for the 2026-2031 tenure in Hanoi on May 12.

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At the VFF's 11th National Congress for the 2026-2031 tenure. (Photo: VNA)

The gathering drew former and incumbent Party, State, Government and National Assembly leaders, senior ministry officials, war veterans, heroic Vietnamese mothers, and 1,136 delegates representing the VFF’s chapters, intellectuals, ethnic and religious groups, the army and overseas Vietnamese. Read full story

- The Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group (Petrovietnam) outperformed all six of its core production and business targets in the first four months of 2026, reinforcing its role as a key pillar of national energy security amid continued volatility in global energy markets.

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A view of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery. (Photo: VNA)

The group maintained stable supplies of crude oil for domestic refineries as well as essential petrol and gas products, thus helping to stabilise the domestic market and support economic growth. Read full story

- A new alliance named “Vietnam Wings” has been launched to support the Republic of Korean (RoK)’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are seeking to expand into the Vietnamese market.

The RoK’s West Power, a major power generation companies under Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), officially established the alliance on May 11. Read full story

- Samil Pharmaceutical of the Republic of Korea (RoK) is stepping up its manufacturing expansion in Vietnam as the company seeks to cut production costs and unlock new growth momentum amid a broader overseas expansion strategy.

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Samil Pharmaceutical headquarters on Hyoryeong-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul. (Courtesy of Samil Pharmaceutical)

The move also coincides with efforts by Chairman Heo Seung Beom to consolidate the company’s third-generation leadership transition through increased share ownership. Read full story

- As Vietnam seeks to unlock new growth drivers, domestic enterprises are increasingly looking beyond national borders to expand their presence in international markets.

Vietnam’s overseas investment continued to surge in recent years. In 2025, the country’s outbound investment reached more than 1.36 billion USD, up 88.7% year-on-year. In the first four months of 2026 alone, overseas investment totalled 713.9 million USD, 2.3 times higher than the same period last year. Read full story

- The 2026 Gia Lai International U14 Football Festival was kicked off on May 11.

The five-day event draws the participation of 12 youth teams across Asia, including seven international teams from the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand, alongside five domestic sides, namely LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai, PVF, Hanoi T&T, Song Lam Nghe An and Truong Tuoi Dong Nai. Read full story

- The northern port city of Hai Phong topped the national rankings in the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR INDEX) and the Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) in 2025.

This marked the third time Hai Phong has led the country in the PAR INDEX and the second consecutive year it has maintained the top position in both the PAR INDEX and SIPAS. Read full story

- The initiation of nearly 1,500 criminal cases related to smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in just four months reflected the strong determination of authorities in dealing with this lingering problem with no “blind spots” allowed.

In the Jan-April period, authorities nationwide uncovered and handled nearly 44,000 cases related to smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, while initiating 1,464 criminal cases involving 2,277 suspects, according to the National Steering Committee for Combating Smuggling, Commercial Fraud and Counterfeit Goods (National Steering Committee 389). Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung has signed a decision ratifying the programme implementing Project 06 on developing applications of population data, identification and electronic authentication to serve national digital transformation for 2026–2030, with a vision to 2035.

The project aims to comprehensively promote the development and application of population data, digital identity and electronic authentication across all sectors to accelerate national digital transformation and effectively support the pillars of digital government, digital economy and digital society./.Read full story

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