Vietnam Emphasizes Cultural Values for People-Centric Prosperity

Vietnam is emphasizing the importance of people and cultural values as the foundation for prosperity in implementing the resolution of the 14th National Party Congress. This reflects Vietnam's approach to balancing domestic development with strengthening international relations while maintaining economic growth. According to the National Statistics Office, Vietnam's GDP recorded an 8.39% year-on-year increase in the second quarter, and an 8.18% growth for the first six months. This robust economic expansion is attributed to broad-based contributions from both the supply and demand sides of the economy. In diplomatic efforts, Vietnam has proposed exploring the establishment of a maritime dialogue mechanism between ASEAN and India. This includes seeking India's continued support for ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea issue. Furthermore, with Japan, agreements have been reached to closely cooperate in enhancing economic connectivity, economic security, and science-technology collaboration, as well as pushing for concrete joint projects in digital transformation, green transition, innovation, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. Vietnam regards Japan as a key partner and is committed to deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership. Domestically, the National Party Central Committee is set to adopt new regulations on matters prohibited for Party members, aiming to strengthen Party discipline. Preparations are also underway for the draft Law on Urban Development, which is expected to be landmark legislation signaling a shift from urban administration to modern urban governance. Additionally, an inter-agency coordinating body has been established to oversee civil defense activities and nationwide states of emergency related to disasters. Vietnam aims to enhance its contribution to international human rights efforts alongside fellow ASEAN members. The country also intends to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in science and technology, human resource development, IT, innovation, digital transformation, and high-tech agriculture. These developments suggest that while pursuing economic growth, Vietnam is also prioritizing domestic stability, Party governance, and international cooperation.