☀️ Morning digest August 12

The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.

☀️ Morning digest August 12

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting on Ho Chi Minh City’s socio-economic development and implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution 98 on piloting some specific mechanisms and policies for the city’s development on August 10 in the southern metropolis.

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PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting on Ho Chi Minh City’s socio-economic development and the implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution 98 on August 10. (Photo: VNA)

According to the report, the city’s GRDP in the first half of the year soared by an estimated 6.46% over the same period last year, the highest since 2020, contributing 19.65% to the nation’s growth rate. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the fourth meeting of the Coordinating Council for the Southeastern Region in Ho Chi Minh City on August 10, sketching out ways for fueling regional development.

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The fourth meeting of the Coordinating Council for the Southeastern Region takes place in Ho Chi Minh City on August 10. (Photo: VNA)

During the first seven months of 2024, the southeastern region recorded fair growth but still fell short of expectations for it as a key and leading economic region of the whole country. Its economic growth stood at 5.58% during the period, lower than the national average and only higher than that of the Central Highlands, the council reported. Read full story

- National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man on August 10 demanded communications about the arrangement of district- and communal-level administrative units be stepped up to ensure the best possible results.

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NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man (front, second from right) and delegates to the conference announcing the NA Standing Committee’s Resolution 1104/NQ-UBTVQH15 in Nam Dinh province on August 10. (Photo: VNA)

He made the request while attending a conference announcing the NA Standing Committee’s Resolution 1104/NQ-UBTVQH15 on the arrangement of district- and communal-level administrative units for 2023 - 2025 in the northern province of Nam Dinh, which is one of the first three localities nationwide to carry out the task in the period. Read full story

- A high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) led by Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh had meetings with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Speaker of the Legislative Council Abdul Rahman Taib in Bandar Seri Begawan on August 10.

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The meeting between NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Bandar Seri Begawan on August 10. (Photo: VNA)

The Sultan and the Speaker of the Legislative Council offered deep condolences on the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. They also extended congratulations on President To Lam’s election as Party General Secretary. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has stressed the need to further perfect, manage, and operate the vessel monitoring system (VMS) smoothly and effectively, according to a notice newly issued by the Government’s Office.

The official called it a key task from now to the end of this year to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood lifted, according to the August 10 document on his conclusions at a recent meeting on the implementation of solutions to untangle the knots in the system. Read full story

- Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan attended the 16th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting and related meetings held in Vientiane from August 7-9.

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Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan ( fifth, from left) is with her counterparts from other ASEAN countries at the 16th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting and related meetings held in Vientiane from August 7-9. (Photo: VNA)

Together with the Health Ministers of other ASEAN countries, Minister Lan attended and addressed sessions on building ASEAN health priorities after 2025. Read full story

- As Vietnam’s chip-semiconductor industry sees bright opportunities to thrive, human resources training is identified as a top priority.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the workforce demand for information technology (IT) and digital industry in Vietnam is estimated at 150,000 engineers per year. Read full story

- Vietnam earned 4.29 billion USD from exporting textile and garment products in July, up 12.4% from the same period last year.

This is also the first month in the year the sector’s exports have exceeded the 4 billion USD mark, the highest figure since August, 2022. Read full story

- Combating trafficking in person and supporting victims of human trafficking are among the key tasks that Vietnam and countries around the world are prioritising and actively implementing, including perfecting relevant legal systems.

Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Trinh, Deputy Head of Division 5 of the Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, said they are enacting the Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control and related laws. Vietnam is one of the earliest countries that signed on to the UN’s conventions and protocols, and memoranda of understanding (MoU) of ASEAN and regional countries, as well as cooperation agreements with relevant countries. Read full story

- Sky-watchers in Vietnam have a chance to see the Perseid meteor shower on the night of August 12 and early morning of August 13, according to Vietnam Astronomy and Cosmology Association (VACA).

In 2024, the Perseid meteor shower is active between July 17 and August 24, with the number of meteors increasing every night until it reaches a peak in mid-August, after which it will tail off. This year the peak falls on the night of the 12th and before dawn on August 13./. Read full story

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Vietnam–China 75-year ties: People-to-people exchange lays foundation for sustainable future

Vietnam–China 75-year ties: People-to-people exchange lays foundation for sustainable future

People-to-people exchange has long served as a vital bridge between Vietnam and China, forming a strong social foundation for building trust, fostering cooperation, and maintaining peace. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025, the two Parties and Governments have jointly designated the year as the “Year of Vietnam-China Humanistic Exchange,” reflecting a shared strategic vision to promote sustainable bilateral relations rooted in public engagement.

Politburo Member, Permanent Member of the Lao Party Secretariat, and Vice President Bounthong Chitmany (right) receives Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Nguyen Tuong Lam in Vientiane on July 10. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Laos boost youth cooperation, education

The Lao Vice President asked the Central Committees of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) and the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union (LPRYU) to continue enhancing coordination to effectively implement their 2022–2027 cooperation agreement, especially in youth exchanges and education of younger generations about the countries’ traditional ties.

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh (L) holds talks with French Senate Vice President Loic Hervé. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam eyes deeper comprehensive strategic partnership with France

National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh held talks with French Senate Vice President Loic Hervé and French NA Vice-President Nadège Abomangoli, met with Anne Le Hénanff, Chairwoman of the France – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group (FVFG) in the French NA, and Amélia Lakrafi, General Delegate of the APF.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his spouse, and Vietnamese and international female diplomats at the meeting in Hanoi on July 10, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

PM meets with Vietnamese, international female diplomats

Welcoming female diplomats at the meeting, PM Pham Minh Chinh wished them good health and continued contributions to the nations and to global diplomacy so as to keep promoting peace, cooperation, and development, advocating multilateralism, and promoting international solidarity.

NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) meets with Yorrys Raweyai, Deputy Speaker of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) of Indonesia, in Hanoi on July 10, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

NA Chairman receives Deputy Speaker of Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council

Based on their long-standing ties, shared interests, common viewpoints, as well as ASEAN membership, deepening the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship will not only serve the interests of the two peoples but also contribute to a united, strong, and cohesive ASEAN, and to peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man said.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien (right) holds talks Kelly McKeague, Director of the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency under the US Department of Defence. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

740 US soldiers missing in Vietnam war identified: US officer

The Vietnamese archives sector cooperates with not only the US but also France to provide information in the search for missing soldiers, thus meeting the needs of their families. It will continue to proactively cooperate and exchange information with the US side in this work.