The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has selected the top ten domestic events for 2014 as follows:
1. Resolutely protesting illegal acts of China in the East Sea: OnMay 2, China illegally placed its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 inVietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, seriouslyviolating international law, running counter to the high-levelagreements between the two countries, and threatening peace, security,safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea. With the internationalcommunity’s support, the entire Party, army and people of Vietnamwere unanimous in strongly protesting the illegal acts of Chinaand resolutely safeguarding the national sacred sea and islandsovereignty by peaceful means.
2.Promulgating a number of important laws: In 2014, the National Assemblyapproved 29 laws in order to improve economic institutions, the Stateapparatus and administrative and judicial reforms, ensure human rightsand citizens’ fundamental obligations, and accelerate internationalintegration. Additionally, lawmakers conducted votes of confidence onkey officials in the State system elected or approved by the NationalAssembly. They passed a resolution verifying the results of theconfidence vote.
3. Economic growth surpasses theset target: amidst global economic difficulties, Vietnam ’s grossdomestic product (GDP) in 2014 is estimated to expand by 5.98 percentover the previous year, exceeding the target of 5.8 percent set by theNational Assembly. The average consumer price index (CPI) shows ayear-on-year rise of 4.09 percent. The export turnover is estimated at150 billion USD, up 13.6 percent from a year ago. However, the Statebudget overspending remains high while difficulties in solving publicdebts and bad debts still lie ahead.
4. Resolution on cultural, human development adopted: The ninthmeeting of the Party Central Committee (11th tenure) approved a newresolution on the building and development of the Vietnamese culture andpeople to match the country’s sustainable development requirements. Itwas following the resolution adopted at the fifth meeting of thecommittee (8th tenure) on promoting the unique culture of Vietnam.
5. Policies oneducation-training renovation: Implementing the resolution of the 8thParty Central Committee on the basic and comprehensive education andtraining renovation, a number of policies were adopted such as theorganisation of the 2015 national high school exam and renovation ofcircular and textbooks since the 2018-2019 academic year.
6. Fierce struggle against corruption, negative phenomena: An array ofserious economic violations such as the cases of Nguyen Duc Kien,former Vice Chairman of the Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) Founding Council,and Huynh Thi Huyen Nhu, former Deputy Chief of the Risk ManagementDepartment of the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry andTrade (Vietinbank), brought to trial along with housing policyviolations of former Government Chief Inspector Tran Van Truyen strictlyhandled demonstrate the Party and State’s resolve to combat corruptionand negative phenomena, thus consolidating people’s confidence.
7. Successful rescue of victims of hydropower plant tunnel collapse inLam Dong province: At 4:30pm on December 19, 12 workers were rescuedfrom a collapsed tunnel of the Da Dang-Da Chomo hydropower plant in PangTieng hamlet, Lat commune, Lac Duong district, the Central Highlandprovince of Lam Dong, after being trapped for 81 hours.
8. Numerous strides made in economic integration: In 2014, Vietnamconcluded negotiations on bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) withthe Republic of Korea and the Customs Union ofRussia-Belarus-Kazakhstan and reached a consensus on orientations forfinishing FTA talks with the European Union. Additionally, the countryalso took part in negotiations on three regional FTAs, namely theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, and another deal with theEuropean Free Trade Association (EFTA).
9.Construction of numerous important structures completed: A number ofstructures vital for socio-economic development and security-defencewere put into use such as the Southeast Asia’s longest undersea powercable line from mainland Ha Tien town to Phu Quoc island, the Ho ChiMinh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Highway, the Noi Bai-Lao CaiHighway, and the Nhat Tan Bridge .
10. Three more heritage honoured: The Trang An Landscape Complex inthe northern province of Ninh Binh was recognised as a worldheritage meeting both cultural and natural criteria by UNESCO, thusbecoming the first mixed heritage in Vietnam . Vi-Giam folksinging of the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh was listed aspart of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Meanwhile, acollection of official administrative documents of the Nguyen Dynastywas named as documentary heritage of the Memory of the World Programmein Asia-Pacific.-VNA
1. Resolutely protesting illegal acts of China in the East Sea: OnMay 2, China illegally placed its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 inVietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, seriouslyviolating international law, running counter to the high-levelagreements between the two countries, and threatening peace, security,safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea. With the internationalcommunity’s support, the entire Party, army and people of Vietnamwere unanimous in strongly protesting the illegal acts of Chinaand resolutely safeguarding the national sacred sea and islandsovereignty by peaceful means.
2.Promulgating a number of important laws: In 2014, the National Assemblyapproved 29 laws in order to improve economic institutions, the Stateapparatus and administrative and judicial reforms, ensure human rightsand citizens’ fundamental obligations, and accelerate internationalintegration. Additionally, lawmakers conducted votes of confidence onkey officials in the State system elected or approved by the NationalAssembly. They passed a resolution verifying the results of theconfidence vote.
3. Economic growth surpasses theset target: amidst global economic difficulties, Vietnam ’s grossdomestic product (GDP) in 2014 is estimated to expand by 5.98 percentover the previous year, exceeding the target of 5.8 percent set by theNational Assembly. The average consumer price index (CPI) shows ayear-on-year rise of 4.09 percent. The export turnover is estimated at150 billion USD, up 13.6 percent from a year ago. However, the Statebudget overspending remains high while difficulties in solving publicdebts and bad debts still lie ahead.
4. Resolution on cultural, human development adopted: The ninthmeeting of the Party Central Committee (11th tenure) approved a newresolution on the building and development of the Vietnamese culture andpeople to match the country’s sustainable development requirements. Itwas following the resolution adopted at the fifth meeting of thecommittee (8th tenure) on promoting the unique culture of Vietnam.
5. Policies oneducation-training renovation: Implementing the resolution of the 8thParty Central Committee on the basic and comprehensive education andtraining renovation, a number of policies were adopted such as theorganisation of the 2015 national high school exam and renovation ofcircular and textbooks since the 2018-2019 academic year.
6. Fierce struggle against corruption, negative phenomena: An array ofserious economic violations such as the cases of Nguyen Duc Kien,former Vice Chairman of the Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) Founding Council,and Huynh Thi Huyen Nhu, former Deputy Chief of the Risk ManagementDepartment of the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry andTrade (Vietinbank), brought to trial along with housing policyviolations of former Government Chief Inspector Tran Van Truyen strictlyhandled demonstrate the Party and State’s resolve to combat corruptionand negative phenomena, thus consolidating people’s confidence.
7. Successful rescue of victims of hydropower plant tunnel collapse inLam Dong province: At 4:30pm on December 19, 12 workers were rescuedfrom a collapsed tunnel of the Da Dang-Da Chomo hydropower plant in PangTieng hamlet, Lat commune, Lac Duong district, the Central Highlandprovince of Lam Dong, after being trapped for 81 hours.
8. Numerous strides made in economic integration: In 2014, Vietnamconcluded negotiations on bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) withthe Republic of Korea and the Customs Union ofRussia-Belarus-Kazakhstan and reached a consensus on orientations forfinishing FTA talks with the European Union. Additionally, the countryalso took part in negotiations on three regional FTAs, namely theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, and another deal with theEuropean Free Trade Association (EFTA).
9.Construction of numerous important structures completed: A number ofstructures vital for socio-economic development and security-defencewere put into use such as the Southeast Asia’s longest undersea powercable line from mainland Ha Tien town to Phu Quoc island, the Ho ChiMinh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Highway, the Noi Bai-Lao CaiHighway, and the Nhat Tan Bridge .
10. Three more heritage honoured: The Trang An Landscape Complex inthe northern province of Ninh Binh was recognised as a worldheritage meeting both cultural and natural criteria by UNESCO, thusbecoming the first mixed heritage in Vietnam . Vi-Giam folksinging of the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh was listed aspart of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Meanwhile, acollection of official administrative documents of the Nguyen Dynastywas named as documentary heritage of the Memory of the World Programmein Asia-Pacific.-VNA
