International integration

A seminar was held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 15, aiming to explore ways for fostering Vietnam's trade with the two Northeast Asian countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and his Philippine counterpart Maria Theresa Lazaro agreed to continue promoting efforts to elevate bilateral ties to a new height, including stepping up high-level and all-level delegation exchanges across Party, State, National Assembly and people-to-people channels.

The strategy aims to build a high-quality Vietnamese intellectual workforce with a rational structure, identified as a core driving force for the rapid development of modern productive forces, as well as a leading force in digital transformation, innovation and international integration.

As of 21:30 on December 14, Vietnam had won a total of 35 gold, 32 silver and 63 bronze medals. This haul, however, was not enough to move them back into second place, as Indonesia enjoyed a stronger day with seven additional golds.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 14 called on teams to accelerate the construction of the Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai to make it ready for the first flight on December 19 and commercial operations in the first half of 2026.

Handling the 2 millionth TEU in 2025 not only demonstrates Hai Phong Port’s operational capacity and the collective efforts of its workforce, but also highlights its increasingly important role in regional and global supply chains, the confidence of shipping lines, logistics firms and the business community, and the effectiveness of policies to improve the investment climate and strengthen maritime infrastructure and services.

Durian has set a new record, raking in over 3.33 billion USD in export value during the first 10 months of this year, a 10.4% jump compared to the same period last year, according to customs data.

The vibrant display of Vietnamese fine arts, signature cuisine, and stunning natural landscapes impressed visitors at the annual Winternational Embassy Showcase held recently by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US in collaboration with the International Trade Centre.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revised upward its medium-term outlook for Vietnam, projecting GDP growth of 6.2% for 2026 and 5.8% for 2027, according to its latest global economic outlook.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang held that to develop Vietnam – Africa ties more strongly and substantively, it is necessary to promote the engagement of businesses, and that the Government will create favourable conditions for them to enhance fruitful cooperation.

Over 25 years of operation in Vietnam, AIA has achieved positive results. Its premium revenue ranks among the top five life insurers, reaching nearly 14.83 trillion VND (563.71 million USD) in 2024 and an estimated 15.73 trillion VND in 2025, equivalent to around 10% of the market share.

The two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination in the time ahead and to expand cooperation under the new framework and orientation, underscoring the significance of the two countries’ “great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, strategic cohesion”.

Also on December 11, Vietnamese MMA athletes delivered impressive performances, securing two gold medals, one silver and two bronzes in their debut appearance at SEA Games 33.

Hang emphasised that Vietnam’s achievements over the past year were made possible thanks to the support of international partners, including diplomatic missions, journalists, and staff from resident foreign media offices, who helped introduce a dynamic and friendly Vietnam to the world.

The State Securities Commission (SSC) has been meeting frequently with foreign investors and international financial institutions to gather feedback and adjust policies accordingly.

Viettel has won honours in the “People & Culture” and “Best Operator in a Growth Market” categories at the 2025 World Communication Awards (WCA), alongside the “Best Digital Transformation Project” at the 2025 Global Telecoms Awards (Glotel).

The conference features almost 80 presentations across plenary sessions, parallel sessions and poster sessions, focusing on leading research trends such as point-of-care diagnostics; predictive biomarkers used to anticipate individual responses to therapy; and the development of new tools and platforms for rapid molecular-level detection and diagnosis.

Vietnam has officially secured a landmark victory at the SEA Games with the gold medal earned by fighter Quang Van Minh in mixed martial arts. In the men's under-65kg modern category final, Van Minh (in blue) delivered a dominant performance, defeating his Malaysian opponent (in red) by technical knockout before the start of the third round.

Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong highly valued the positive and fruitful cooperation between the Vietnam People’s Navy and the JMSDF, saying that this has helped enhance professional skills and technical expertise while fostering friendship and mutual understanding between the two forces.

The programme aims to develop high-quality human resources through undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and short-term training courses in these countries, with priority given to disciplines in which these countries have strong expertise.