Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 13

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on May 13.
☕ Afternoon briefing on May 13 ảnh 1

Hanoi, (VNA) – The following is a brief review of theday’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on May 13.

-President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted visiting Secretary of theLao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP)’s Central Committee and President ofthe Lao People’s Supreme Court Viengthong Siphandone in Hanoi on May 13.

President Phuc affirmed that the Party, State andpeople of Vietnam always attach great importance to preserving and developingthe special Vietnam-Laos ties, including the cooperation between the twoSupreme People’s Courts. Read full story

- PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of other ASEAN countries had a workinglunch with US lawmakers in Washington D.C. on May 12 (local times), ahead ofthe ASEAN-US Special Summit.

Participants discussed issues related tocooperation in trade, investment, people-to-people exchange,science-technology, renewable energy development, and the response to securitychallenges in the region and the world. Read full story

-As partof his trip to the US, PM Chinh attended a meeting with the US businesscommunity in Washington D.C on May 12 (local time). At the meeting, Chinh saidcooperation activities between Vietnam and the US continue to develop deeply inall fields, particularly in investment and finance, with businesses of the twocountries playing a very important role.

The meeting was held by the US-ASEAN BusinessCouncil and the US Chamber of Commerce. Read full story

-At his meetingthe same day with Chief Executive Officer of the US International DevelopmentFinance Corporation (DFC) Scott A. Nathan,  PM Chinh suggested that, on the basis of thepositive cooperation results attained so far, DFC continue to support Vietnamin areas such as green transition, circular economy, renewable energy, climatechange response, digital transformation, and addressing war aftermaths. Read full story

-In anothermeeting with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai also on May 12, PM Chinhsaid the Government of Vietnam views the economic, trade, investment andfinancial relations with the US as a strong driver for boosting the bilateralcomprehensive partnership. Read full story

-PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong haveagreed to promote high-level visits and meetings and maintain bilateralcooperative mechanisms during their meeting ahead of the ASEAN-US SpecialSummit in the US. Read full story

-Minister of Information and Communications NguyenManh Hung expressed his hope for stronger partnerships between QualcommIncorporated and technology companies of Vietnam, while receiving an executiveof the US firm in Washington D.C. on May 12.

The meeting with Alex Rogers, President ofQualcomm Technology Licensing and Global Affairs, took place as Hung wasaccompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in his ongoing working visit to theUS. Read full story

-Ministerof National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang and his visiting Indonesian counterpartPrabowo Subianto agreed to intensify bilateral defence relations in the timeahead in their talks in Hanoi on March 13.

Subianto, who is on an official visit from May 12to 14, said his country always attaches importance to the relations withVietnam. Read full story

- ResidentRepresentative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Vietnam FrancoisPainchaud has said Vietnam has successfully maintained fiscal, external andfinancial stability.

Speaking at a May 12 forum on forecast forVietnam’s economy in 2022-2023 held by the Economy & Forecast Review,Painchaud said Vietnam’s economy is projected to grow 6 percent in 2022 and 7.2percent in 2023. Read full story

-The HSBChas forecast that Vietnam's inflation will increase 3.7 percent, still belowthe inflation ceiling of 4 percent set by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

In its "Vietnam at a glance" report inMay, HSBC Vietnam said that inflation pressure in Vietnam remains low in theASEAN region. Read full story

-Pandora,a Danish jewelry manufacturer, will invest 100 USD million to build a newfacility in the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in the southern provinceof Binh Duong under a memorandum of understanding signed between two sides onMay 12. Read full story

- Allcountries need to make stronger commitments and take more drastic and effectivemeasures to demonstrate their responsibility for the sustainable development ofthe ocean economy, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh told the InternationalConference on Sustainable Ocean Economy and Climate Change Adaptation.

The conference is being held on May 12 and 13 inboth online and offline formats by the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resourcesand Environment and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the supportof the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Read full story

-Politburomember and head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission Tran TuanAnh stressed Vietnam’s commitment made at COP26 to achieving net zero emissionby 2050 while receiving UK and EU diplomats in Hanoi on May 12.

Anh had meetings with John Murton, UK government'sEnvoy for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties(COP26), and EU Ambassador for Climate Diplomacy Marc Vanheukelen. Read full story

-Thehomepage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the internationalmedia have run articles reflecting their impressions with the brilliant andmagnificent opening ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31)at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi in the evening of May 12. Read full story/.
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Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (left) and DPRK Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese FM, DPRK officials discuss ways to boost bilateral ties

Trung reiterated that Vietnam places strong emphasis on strengthening and advancing its ties with the DPRK in a more practical and effective way, in line with the aspirations of the two nation’s people, while contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of its Organisation Commission Nguyen Duy Ngoc chairs the first meeting of the steering committee for digital transformation in the Party organisation and personnel sector in Hanoi on May 13, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Party building work prioritises clean, shared data in digital transformation push

Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of its Organisation Commission Nguyen Duy Ngoc urged provinces and cities to review legal frameworks, decentralisation mechanisms, assigned tasks and administrative procedures, while ensuring synchronisation between local infrastructure systems and the central platform, including equipment, cybersecurity solutions and resource allocation.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam speaks at the working session in Hanoi on May 13, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Party, State leader calls for consolidation of central steering committees on legal, judicial reform

Consolidating the central steering committees for institutional and legal reform and for judicial reform is necessary in order to streamline organisational structures without reducing responsibilities, while ensuring clear accountability, measurable outputs and concrete results. Following the restructuring, the body will be renamed the central steering committee for institutional improvement and law enforcement, with the Party General Secretary and State President serving as its head.

Civil servants provides administrative services for citizens in Son Hai commune of Bac Ninh province. (Photo: VNA)

Reform drive expected to remove barriers, unlock growth momentum

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung recently ordered ministries and agencies to immediately cut at least 30% of administrative procedures, 50% of processing time, 50% of compliance costs and 30% of business conditions, while eliminating all unnecessary procedures.

Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), meets with Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam strives for substantive outcome at NPT review conference

At the meeting this week, Ambassador Viet briefed the UNGA President on developments during the first two weeks of the conference. He stressed that the current international geopolitical landscape poses numerous complex challenges, while reaffirming Vietnam’s determination, together with other member states, to promote substantive and balanced outcomes at the conference.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam (R) receives Athsaphangthong Siphandone, member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Vientiane Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Council, in Hanoi on May 12, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader of Vietnam receives Vientiane official in Hanoi

The host leader stressed that cooperation between localities, particularly between the capitals of Hanoi and Vientiane, plays an especially important role as a pioneering force in effectively implementing the foreign polices of the two Parties and States, while also serving as a bridge between politics and development, as well as between strategy and concrete action.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung receives Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei in Hanoi on May 12. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister receives Chinese Ambassador

The Party and State of Vietnam always value the assistance China has provided to Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence as well as in national development today. Vietnam consistently regards the development of relations with China as a steadfast policy, an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Tran Duc Thang and Secretary of the Vientiane Party Committee Atsaphangthong Siphandone witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Women’s Unions of Hanoi and Vientiane for 2026–2030, as well as a memorandum on enhanced cooperation between the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Hanoi and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union of Vientiane for the same period. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi, Vientiane promote comprehensive cooperation in new phase

The capitals of Vietnam and Laos signed memoranda of understanding on joint work in the fields of public communication and mass mobilisation, women and youth affairs, foreign relations, industry and trade, education and health care. These are expected to provide an important basis for implementing their cooperation priorities for 2026–2030.