Vietnam Pushes 'Talk Less, Do More' in Corruption Fight

Vietnam's Communist Party is strongly advocating for a 'talk less, do more' approach in its ongoing campaign against corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena. While critics have sometimes characterized the anti-corruption drive as mere political theater or a populist exercise, recent developments suggest a shift in momentum. A significant turning point occurred in May this year when the People's Court of Hanoi tried former Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and nine other defendants in connection with irregularities involving the second campuses of Bach Mai and Viet Duc hospitals. This high-profile case demonstrates that the anti-corruption efforts are yielding tangible results, contributing to the strengthening of the Party and the political system, ensuring political stability, and fostering socio-economic development. The Party General Secretary has emphasized the need to build and refine institutions, translating Party policies and solutions on preventing and combating corruption, wastefulness, and negative practices into concrete legal frameworks, aligned with the spirit of the 14th National Party Congress. This institutional strengthening is seen as crucial for maintaining public trust in the Party and the State. Hanoi has been specifically requested to take the lead in personnel development, recognizing that decisions regarding personnel directly impact the city's development capacity and the public image of its administrative apparatus. Internationally, Vietnam is actively seeking to expand cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, advanced digital services, and human resource training. These initiatives align with Vietnam's ambitious goal of having the digital economy account for 30% of GDP by 2030. The country's foreign policy of openness, independence, and multilateralism is further exemplified by the participation of its top leader in high-level international forums and bilateral engagements with key global partners. Vietnam is projected to remain a growth leader in Southeast Asia, underscoring the importance of continued domestic stability and robust international engagement for its sustained development. In other news, the Vietnam–Russia joint statement highlighted mutual support for expanding labor cooperation and boosting tourism links. Discussions also included simplifying entry and exit procedures for Vietnamese nationals entering Russia, with a move toward a visa-free regime for ordinary passport holders. The second session of the Steering Committee for the review of 100 years of the Party’s leadership of the Vietnamese revolution is underway. Vietnam is expected to remain the growth leader in Southeast Asia during 2026-2035. The leader is scheduled to attend the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81), engage in bilateral activities in the US, and pay a state visit to Canada. The Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continues to see progress across all ten pillars, with expanded cooperation in economy, trade, investment, war legacy remediation, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges, and advanced technology. The review of the Party's 100 years of leadership aims to clarify its leadership process and strategic choices, while a 40-year review will examine the development of theoretical thinking and implementation of the Platform, contributing to a clearer understanding of socialism and Vietnam's development path. A recent visit by the Thai Royal Family underscored the special importance attached to Vietnam by Thailand, strengthening people-to-people exchanges. Vietnam and Indonesia are working towards a bilateral trade target of $18 billion USD by 2028. Laos has affirmed the strong friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, calling it an invaluable asset. People-to-people exchanges are highlighted as a crucial foundation for strengthening Vietnam-Philippines ties, deepening mutual understanding and trust. The results of inspections must lead to concrete improvements in personnel work and the National Assembly's operations, according to the top leader. General Secretary and President To Lam sent congratulatory messages to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on Mexico's Independence Day. Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc called on China to facilitate Vietnamese agricultural exports and deepen quarantine cooperation. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang expressed hope for continued cooperation with Chinese counterparts to develop substantive ties. Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam met with Australian lawmakers to discuss boosting bilateral cooperation and parliamentary ties.