Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 5

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 5

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 Central Committee and State President To Lam, accompanied by a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, departed Hanoi on May 5 for a three-day state visit to India.

The visit is made at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read full story

- The upcoming state visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam is expected to serve as a pivotal political milestone, providing fresh impetus and opening a new chapter in bilateral relations marked by enhanced political trust and more substantive, wide-ranging cooperation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong has said. Read full story

- Vietnam will work closely with fellow ASEAN members to effectively advance the priorities of the 2026 Chairmanship Year and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, aiming to build a resilient, dynamic, innovative and people-centred community, according to Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN.

The 48th ASEAN Summit is scheduled to take place in the Philippines from May 7–8, and is expected to set out key strategic directions for the bloc’s next development phase. Read full story

- As of early May, a series of bridge projects spanning the Red River in Hanoi are being fast-tracked, with several recording significant progress. However, site clearance, relocation of technical infrastructure and construction conditions remain critical factors affecting overall timelines.

According to the municipal Transport Construction Investment Project Management Board, the city is simultaneously implementing seven projects, namely Tu Lien, Ngoc Hoi, Tran Hung Dao, Thuong Cat, Van Phuc, Hong Ha and Me So bridges. Construction is being carried out on multiple fronts, focusing on bored piles, pile caps, piers and superstructure works. Read full story

- Economists, experts, policymakers, and representatives from businesses and management agencies gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on May 4 to discuss practical and actionable solutions for securing sufficient energy supply to support the city’s double-digit growth ambitions while advancing its green transition.

The discussion focused on how electricity, seen as a core growth enabler, must expand in both scale and quality to keep pace with the city’s ambitious economic trajectory. Read full story

- Raising the total fertility rate (TFR) by an average of 2% annually and gradually restoring it to the replacement level is a key target under a Ministry of Health (MoH) plan implementing the programme on ensuring replacement-level fertility by 2030.

Vietnam’s fertility has dropped below replacement in recent years, from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 1.91 in 2024 and 1.93 in 2025, especially in major cities and more developed regions, prompting the need for coordinated measures to encourage childbirth. Read full story./.

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