Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 29

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's activities during his state visit to Singapore, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man extending Vesak greetings to Buddhist dignitaries, and the launch of a national drive to protect and support children in cyberspace for 2026–2030 are among news highlights on May 29.

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 29

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

– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam held talks with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on May 29, agreeing to promote science – technology and innovation as a pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The talks followed a state-level welcome ceremony held with the highest protocol accorded to a head of state at the headquarters of Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read full story

– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam held talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Singapore on May 29, during which the two leaders agreed to further enhance the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation mechanisms and elevate strategic cooperation in line with the newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam (left) meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 29. (Photo: VNA)

PM Wong expressed admiration for Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements, saying the upgrade of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025 opens significant space for deeper cooperation across fields. Read full story

– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam To Lam and Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong witnessed the exchange and announcement of several cooperation documents between the ministries, sectors, and localities of the two countries on May 29.

The event took place as part of the Vietnamese leader's state visit to Singapore. Read full story

– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and State President To Lam has affirmed that technology cooperation is set to become a major pillar of relations between Vietnam and Singapore in the coming period.

The top Vietnamese leader made the statement while attending the Vietnam–Singapore Tech Connect Forum held during his state visit to Singapore on May 29. The event brought together senior officials, representatives of ministries and sectors, universities, research institutes and businesses from both countries. Read full story

– National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man on May 29 visited and extended greetings to Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Patronage Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), and Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Vice Supreme Patriarch and President of the VBS Executive Council, on the occasion of Vesak 2026 (Buddhist Calendar 2570).

Joining the visit was President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai. Read full story

– Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has signed off a decision on the membership of the National Committee for APEC 2027.

Under Decision No. 938/QD-TTg, Permanent Deputy PM Pham Gia Tuc serves as Chairman of the National Committee for APEC 2027 while Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung is appointed Vice Chairman. Read full story

– Vietnam considers the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) a trustworthy partner in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) for mutual benefit, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung affirmed at the plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 28.

In his remarks, Dung highlighted several of Vietnam’s achievements in science – technology, innovation, e-government and the digital economy while sharing the country’s approach to AI development. He stressed that Vietnam identifies science – technology, innovation and digital transformation as foundational drivers and strategic breakthroughs for entering a new era of development. Read full story

– Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra attended a ceremony to launch a national drive in Hanoi on May 29 to protect and support children in cyberspace for the 2026–2030 period.

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Participants mark the launch of the national drive to protect and support children in cyberspace for the 2026–2030 period on May 29. (Photo: VNA)

Hosted by the Ministry of Public Security, the event followed the Prime Minister’s decision and marks a strategic pivot in safeguarding the next generation online, building on a prior five-year drive that ended in 2025. Read full story

– The National Innovation Centre (NIC) on May 28 officially unveiled Vietnam AI Hacks, marking the launch of the country’s first AI-native hackathon at a nationwide scale.

Part of the Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2026, the programme goes beyond conventional coding competitions by requiring participants to develop AI-driven solutions to business challenges in real time. Read full story./.

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