Phan Thi Thanh Tam, spouse of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, and Prof. Peng Liyuan, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping on December 13 engaged in an exchange programme with students of the Vietnam National University – Hanoi (VNU).

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

Sen. Lt. General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Defence Minister; and General Sanitchanog Sangkachantra, Permanent Secretary for Defence of Thailand, co-chaired the 5th Vietnam – Thailand Defence Policy Dialogue in Hanoi on December 13.

The two countries will support each other within the ASEAN military and defence framework; maintain ASEAN's common stance on regional and international security issues.

The National Innovation Centre (NIC) is building a project on developing human resources for the semiconductor industry as part of the country’s efforts to provide 50,000 engineers for the industry, according to NIC Vice Director Vo Xuan Hoai.

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee convened its 28th meeting in Hanoi on December 13 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and the high-level delegation of the Chinese Party and State laid a wreath and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi on December 13 morning.

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee convened its 28th meeting in Hanoi on December 13 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

If approved, they believe the taxes will help secure a stable revenue stream for the State's budget and should be implemented in line with international norms. 

The central coastal city of Da Nang’s scholarship programme for Lao officials and students studying at local universities is a bright spot in the sides’ cooperation, affirmed visiting Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh at a working session with Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Ho Ky Minh on December 12.

The Chinese official reaffirmed that China sees Việt Nam as a priority in China's neighbourhood diplomacy and support the Southeast Asian nation to uphold a greater role in the region and the international arena, thus raising the voice of developing countries in solving international problems.

As an active and responsible member of the UN and the international community, Việt Nam will step up its participation in peacekeeping operations, including police-related ones

Ho Chi Minh City will closely collaborate with the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam and the Consulate General of Cuba in the city to effectively and practically implement bilateral cooperative programmes and projects between Vietnam and the Latin American nation, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai.

Vietnam had posted a trade surplus of USD 24.44 billion as of November 15, according to data released by the General Statistics Office.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, met with UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar in New York on December 11 to discuss measures for promoting Vietnamese police officers’ participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, right after the official welcome ceremony in Hanoi on December 12.

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

Vietnam considers developing relations with China a top priority and a strategic choice in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization as well as its “four no's” defence policy, said a senior official of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Thirty-six cooperation documents were signed between Vietnamese and Chinese ministries, agencies, sectors and localities during General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping’s State visit to Vietnam.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presented his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet a number of books by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on December 12.