International Scholars: 14th National Party Congress Opens New Era of Development for Vietnam

The 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, scheduled to take place in January 2026, is not only a major political event for the country but has also attracted widespread attention from the international community. Many scholars, economists, and international organizations believe that the 14th Congress will serve as an important milestone, ushering in a new era of development for Vietnam with long-term strategic orientations and a vision extending to the mid-21st century.
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In an interview with a correspondent of Nhan Dan Newspaper based in China, Professor Gu Yuanyang, former Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) and a highly respected scholar with decades of research on Vietnam and Vietnam-China relations, emphasized that the 14th Congress holds special significance in Vietnam’s political life. The Congress will not only review five years of implementing the resolutions of the 13th Congress but will also look back on 40 years of Doi Moi (Renewal), adopt important documents, and set out goals, vision, and development roadmaps for the next stage. It will also be an occasion for Vietnam to select its senior leadership team to continue guiding the country steadily forward in a new era of development.

The 90-year-old scholar said that despite his advanced age, he continues to closely follow and update developments in Vietnam, as the country’s strong transformations in recent years have significance not only for Vietnam but also for the region and the world. Assessing the past term, Professor Gu Yuanyang noted that the last five years have been an especially challenging period, as Vietnam, like the international community, has had to confront a series of unprecedented challenges, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and climate change to complex global developments, protectionist trends, conflicts, and strategic competition among major powers.

International Scholars: 14th National Party Congress Opens New Era of Development for Vietnam
Professor Gu Yuanyang (right) and his spouse at the ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day in Beijing, China. (Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper)

However, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country has achieved many notable accomplishments across various fields. The economy rebounded rapidly after the pandemic and rose to become one of the world’s fastest-growing, with GDP growth exceeding 8% in 2025. National defense and security have been maintained; people’s living standards have continued to improve; and foreign relations have expanded increasingly, contributing to the enhancement of Vietnam’s international position and prestige.

In particular, in recent times, Vietnam has implemented many breakthrough, revolutionary, and unprecedented policies, such as restructuring and streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system; merging provinces and cities; implementing a two-tier local government model; strongly promoting science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation; investing in the development of infrastructure, especially transport and urban infrastructure; and prioritizing education, training, and healthcare to improve the quality of human resources and people’s livelihoods.

Professor Gu Yuanyang affirmed that these steps have laid an important foundation for Vietnam to enter the “era of national rise,” moving toward the realization of development goals by the 100th anniversaries of the founding of the Party and the founding of the country. Expressing confidence in the success of the 14th Congress, he expected it to set out strategic orientations and important policy decisions that will create new momentum for Vietnam’s sustainable development. He also emphasized the significance of strengthening Vietnam-China cooperation amid increasingly volatile regional and global situations, contributing to the deepening of traditional friendship, delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries, and contributing to peace, stability, and shared development.

Positive assessments of Vietnam come not only from political research circles but are also clearly reflected in international economic analyses. In 2025, Vietnam’s total import-export turnover reached the USD 900 billion mark for the first time, the highest level ever, marking an important step forward in the process of international integration. GDP growth exceeding 8% placed Vietnam among the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia and made it one of the region’s rare bright spots amid global economic uncertainty.

International Scholars: 14th National Party Congress Opens New Era of Development for Vietnam
Shantanu Chakraborty, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). (Photo: VGP)

According to the Vietnam News Agency, Shantanu Chakraborty, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam, said that this achievement reflects an effective combination of domestic institutional reforms and the ability to capitalize on opportunities arising from global supply chain shifts. Meanwhile, Suan Teck Kin, Head of Global Markets and Global Economics Research at UOB Bank, assessed that Vietnam is currently one of ASEAN’s “growth engines,” with industrial production continuing to play a key driving role.

Experts also noted the resilience of Vietnam’s exports in the face of changes in international trade policies. Many enterprises have shifted from relying on low-cost advantages to meeting higher standards related to green transformation, traceability, and rules of origin, thereby maintaining their positions in major and demanding markets.

The positive assessments from scholars and international organizations demonstrate the growing confidence of the international community in Vietnam’s leadership capacity, governance, and development prospects. The 14th National Party Congress is expected to mark the starting point of a new, more solid and sustainable development cycle, guiding the country into a higher stage of development in the new era.

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