Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu neets with Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng on August 24. (Photo: VNA)

Key Party leader meets Singaporean parliamentary speaker

Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu held a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng on August 24 as part of his official visit to Singapore and co-chairing of the first Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue between the CPV and the People’s Action Party (PAP) of Singapore.

Tu thanked Singaporean leaders for their warm and thoughtful reception for the high-ranking CPV delegation and conveyed National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man’s greetings and best wishes to Seah Kian Peng.

He expressed his impression of Singapore’s strong development and voiced his belief that under the leadership of the PAP and the Singaporean Government, the country will continue to achieve its development goals, including doubling gross domestic product (GDP) by 2040 and successfully building Smart Nation 2.0.

He also expressed confidence that Singapore will maintain its position as one of the world’s leading dynamic, innovative and sustainable development hubs, cited VNA.

Seah, for his part, said Tu's visit would help implement agreements reached during recent high-level visits, particularly the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam’s recent visit to Singapore.​

It will also contribute to advancing the Vietnam-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through Party and State channels, and people-to-people exchanges, strengthening the political foundation and creating new momentum for bilateral cooperation, he added.

Congratulating Vietnam on its major achievements in recent times, Seah affirmed that Singapore will continue to accompany Vietnam, share its experience, and expand cooperation in areas suited to the new era in development.

The two sides spoke highly of the comprehensive progress in bilateral relations. Tu said Vietnam-Singapore ties are at positive stage of development, with cooperation expanding and becoming more substantive.

Singapore is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners in investment, trade and connectivity, he noted. Relations between the CPV and PAP have also entered a new stage, notably with the establishment of the strategic dialogue mechanism, reflecting the high priority attached to political trust between the two Parties.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination and mutual support within ASEAN and at regional and international forums, particularly as Singapore will chair ASEAN in 2027 while Vietnam will host APEC the same year, thereby contributing to strengthening ASEAN solidarity and centrality and making contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.

Tu welcomed the continued positive development of cooperation between the Vietnamese and Singaporean legislatures, noting that close coordination between the two sides has helped create a favourable legal framework for overseeing and implementing bilateral cooperation agreements.

He proposed that the two sides promote parliamentary cooperation and make effective use of existing mechanisms to help implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and deepen substantive cooperation across a wide range of areas.

Seah stressed the need for both sides to increase the exchange of high-level delegation and engagements among parliamentary committees, young parliamentarians, and women parliamentarians to share legislative experience and strengthen mutual understanding and trust.

The Singaporean parliamentary speaker said such exchanges would also help coordinate the implementation of high-level agreements and further deepen the Vietnam-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

On the occasion, Tu conveyed an invitation from NA President Man to Seah Kian Peng to pay an official visit to Vietnam in the near future.

Vietnam pledges active role in global child protection efforts

Vietnam commits to being an active and responsible member in global child protection and care activities, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra affirmed while receiving Sanjay Wijesekera, Regional Director of UNICEF's Asia-Pacific Regional Office (APRO), in Hanoi on August 24.

At the meeting, Deputy PM Tra welcomed Wijesekera on his first official working visit to Vietnam since taking office, and congratulated him on his appointment to this important regional position.

She emphasized that the half-century partnership between Vietnam and UNICEF has achieved historically significant results, demonstrating effective companionship and trust in protecting, caring for, educating, and developing children.

She said that the Vietnamese Party and State consider child care, education, and protection a strategy of special importance-the future of the nation-and view investing in children as the core foundation for achieving sustainable development goals.

The Deputy PM highlighted Vietnam's major achievements, including universalizing lower secondary education and striving toward universal upper secondary education, reducing child malnutrition to its lowest level, fine-tuning policy frameworks, and substantially narrowing the development gap for vulnerable and ethnic minority children in mountainous areas, according to VOV.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra receives Sanjay Wijesekera, Regional Director of UNICEF's Asia-Pacific Regional Office (Photo: VNA)

In response, Wijesekera noted that Vietnam was his first choice to visit in his new position. He highly appreciated Vietnam as the first country in Asia to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990, commending its strong political commitment and prudent, sustainable investments over decades.

These efforts have yielded breakthrough progress in reducing child mortality and improving nutrition, healthcare, education, and child protection, offering valuable experience for other countries in the region.

Wijesekera stated that UNICEF and Vietnamese partners have been working to build the new Country Program of Cooperation, affirming UNICEF's commitment to supporting Vietnam's development vision on its solid foundation.

He outlined priority cooperation areas for the coming period, including expanding livelihood, employment, and skill development opportunities for youth leaving the education system; joining hands on climate change solutions; improving public financial management for child investments without burdening public debt; and especially boosting cooperation in digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance child development and protect children online.

Acknowledging these strategic recommendations, Tra shared that despite major achievements, Vietnam still faces notable challenges. The country currently has nearly 25 million children, with ethnic minorities making up 18.3%, multidimensionally poor children accounting for 8.4%, and 2.3% living in special circumstances. To ensure fair and balanced development opportunities for every child, Vietnam will review and evaluate the implementation of Party resolutions on child-related social policies.

Looking toward the adoption of the Vietnam-UNICEF Country Program for 2027-2031, Tra proposed three strategic focus areas. Regarding policy frameworks and experience sharing, UNICEF should leverage its global expertise to help Vietnam perfect its legal system for children, with new policies being multi-layered, flexible, and inclusive, shifting from passive support to proactive investment in the young generation.

On technology challenges, both sides need to actively utilize digital technologies and AI for education and health while proactively preventing risks and mitigating negative online impacts on children's mental health, nutrition, and cognitive development. Finally, regarding governance capacity, efforts should focus on strengthening and upskilling the workforce dedicated to child affairs from the central to provincial and commune levels following organizational restructuring, alongside building a synchronized database on children for effective management.

Tra reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to being an active member in global child activities and expressed confidence that the trusted, effective partnership between Vietnam and UNICEF will continue to grow and flourish.

Vietnam–China economic corridor shifts to integrated cooperation

The 12th conference on cooperation along the economic corridor linking Lao Cai, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh of Vietnam with China's Yunnan province has called for a decisive shift from fragmented initiatives to integrated, value-driven cooperation across the entire corridor.

Held in Sa Pa ward of Lao Cai province on August 24, the conference brought together leaders from the participating localities, along with relevant Vietnamese and Chinese agencies.

Secretary of the Lao Cai Party Committee Duong Quoc Huy said that after two decades of development, the corridor needs a new approach, moving from simply “having cooperation” to jointly creating tangible value and shared benefits for all.

Participants agreed to strengthen connectivity across the entire corridor and focus on practical projects with clear priorities and concrete results.

Liu Hongjian, Deputy Secretary of the Yunnan provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Kunming municipal Party Committee, said the five provinces and cities are currently at a pivotal stage of accelerating development. To further strengthen common perceptions and deepen cooperation, they are jointly exploring and continuously refining a cooperation model suited to their specific realities, enhancing planning alignment, and speeding up shared development.

He expressed confidence that by steadfastly upholding shared ideals, respecting each other's interests, and maintaining timely communication and consultation, the parties can effectively overcome immediate challenges and work together to pave an increasingly broad path for cooperation.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Bui Duy Cuong called for the faster implementation of the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong railway, which would provide momentum for integrated and modern connectivity for the entire corridor.

Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People's Committee Nguyen Minh Hung said the next period's breakthrough should connect not only localities but also infrastructure, businesses, markets, and value chains.

He proposed closer investment and business linkages, with priority given to in agro-processing, supporting industries, electronics, green energy, smart logistics, cross-border e-commerce, science – technology, and human resources training.

Tourism was also highlighted as a major area for strong cooperation under the 2026–2027 Vietnam–China Tourism Cooperation Year. Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh People's Committee Le Van Anh proposed joint tourism routes linking Yunnan with Lao Cai, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh. The links would include road, rail and air transport, VNA reported.

Secretary of the Lao Cai Party Committee Duong Quoc Huy speaks at the conference on August 24. (Photo: VNA)

The participating localities signed a memorandum of cooperation, focusing on organising all-level delegation exchanges and boosting substantive ties in transport, investment, trade, logistics, tourism, culture, sports, education, health care, science – technology, finance, and banking.

The 13th conference is scheduled to be held in Hai Phong in 2028.

Malaysia highlights potential for Vietnam-Malaysia Halal supply chain cooperation

Malaysia highly appreciates Vietnam’s potential to integrate into the global Halal supply chain and pledges to enhance trade cooperation and technical support to help Vietnamese businesses meet strict international standards.

The statement was made by Abu Bakar Yusof, CEO of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), and Dr. Sirajuddin bin Suhaimee, Director General of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM)-Malaysia's Halal certification body, during a press interview in Kuala Lumpur on August 24.

Evaluating business cooperation prospects, Abu Bakar Yusof acknowledged Vietnam's active engagement in the Halal market over the past five years. Although the number of directly participating enterprises remains modest at around 17, the country is actively developing the industry and importing Halal products from Malaysia to offset domestic supply shortages.

The MATRADE CEO emphasized that the agency has established a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City to assist Vietnamese firms in seeking Halal business opportunities with Malaysia and supplying products to the Malaysian market. To facilitate direct linkages, MATRADE maintains its annual International Sourcing Program (INSP) to connect Vietnamese exporters with local buyers. He invited more Vietnamese companies to join the program to boost two-way trade in the sector.

Regarding management and standard compliance, Dr. Sirajuddin bin Suhaimee affirmed that JAKIM has maintained long-standing cooperation with Vietnamese companies since around 2000. Currently, JAKIM recognizes five Halal certification bodies in Vietnam to support domestic enterprises in applying for certification for export to Malaysia and international markets.

According to Dr. Sirajuddin, Malaysia’s Halal certification is trusted worldwide due to its strict adherence to hygiene, quality, and traceability. The process requires rigorous auditing of every product ingredient, quarterly audits for medium-risk items, and standard updates every five years. To optimize registration, JAKIM revealed it is developing an AI-powered system scheduled for launch next year to automate document verification and facilitate ingredient lookups.

Amid the rapid growth of the global Halal market, projected to reach US$5 trillion by 2030, Vietnam’s proactive efforts to enhance production capacity and comply with strict standards will be key to deeper integration into the global Halal value chain.

Malaysia is preparing for a broad array of international Halal events, including the Global Halal Summit (GHaS 2026) and the 22nd Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), reported VOV.

Abu Bakar Yusof (right), CEO of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), and Dr. Sirajuddin bin Suhaimee (left), Director General of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

At the 22nd MIHAS, Malaysia aims for a breakthrough by raising expected sales targets from US$1.1 billion to US$1.25 billion, building on export recovery momentum that exceeded US$250 billion over the January-July period of 2026.

Featuring 2,400 booths from at least 45 countries, the showcase is expected to facilitate around 4,000 direct B2B matchings between 600 Malaysian enterprises and 300 international buyers, while debuting an AI application for automated buyer-seller matching.

Storm Narra batters northern Vietnam, pushing rivers above alert 3

Storm Narra brought level-11 wind gusts to Bach Long Vi on August 24 as several rivers across northeastern Vietnam remained above the country’s highest flood warning level.

Storm Narra moves slowly, expected to weaken

Storm Narra, the fourth storm to affect Vietnam this year, was over waters north of the Bach Long Vi special zone on the morning of August 24, about 120km east-southeast of Quang Ninh and 120km east of Hai Phong, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Maximum sustained winds near the storm’s center were at level 9 on Vietnam’s wind scale, with gusts reaching level 11.

Under the storm’s impact, Bach Long Vi in Hai Phong recorded level-9 winds and level-11 gusts.

Co To in Quang Ninh recorded level-6 winds with gusts at level 9, while Mong Cai experienced level-7 winds and level-9 gusts. Winds in Uong Bi reached level 6, gusting to level 7.

At Phu Lien in Hai Phong, winds reached level 7, with gusts at level 8.

Over the next 24 hours, Narra is forecast to continue moving slowly and could turn southeast while maintaining level-9 winds and level-11 gusts. It is then expected to weaken.

Heavy rain continues, with some areas exceeding 120mm

Narra’s circulation brought moderate to heavy rain, with very heavy downpours in some locations, across northeastern Vietnam, southern Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa overnight and early on August 24.

Several locations recorded more than 100mm of rain, including Tu Minh in Hai Phong with 121.6mm, Gia Vien in Ninh Binh with 124.8mm and Tan Hoa in Hung Yen with 110.8mm.

Throughout August 24, the storm’s circulation is expected to continue bringing rain to the northeast, southern Phu Tho and the north-central region.

Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa are forecast to receive 40-100mm of rain, with localized totals exceeding 200mm.

Heavy rainfall is expected to gradually ease from the night of August 24.

Several rivers exceed the highest flood warning level

Flood conditions across rivers in northeastern Vietnam remain a serious concern.

Floodwaters on the Ky Cung and Bac Giang rivers have peaked and are receding, while the Trung, Luc Nam and Thuong rivers continue to rise, all above alert level 3 - the highest level in Vietnam’s three-tier flood warning system, VNN reported.

Forecast track and intensity of Storm Narra as of 8am on August 24, 2026. Source: NCHMF

The Cau River at Dap Cau, meanwhile, remained below alert level 2.

At 6am on August 24, river levels were recorded as follows:

The Trung River at Huu Lung stood at 21.23m, 2.23m above alert level 3.

The Ky Cung River at Lang Son reached 256.52m, 0.52m above alert level 3.

The Bac Giang River at Van Mich was at 190.56m, 0.56m above alert level 3.

The Luc Nam River at Luc Nam reached 7.14m, 0.84m above alert level 3.

The Thuong River at Phu Lang Thuong stood at 6.49m, 0.19m above alert level 3.

The Cau River at Dap Cau was at 5.16m, 0.14m below alert level 2.

Forecasts indicate that during August 24 and into the night, the Trung River could reach around 21.25m, approximately 2.25m above alert level 3, before beginning to recede.

Floodwaters on the Ky Cung and Bac Giang rivers are expected to continue falling.

The Luc Nam River, however, is forecast to continue rising and could reach 7.45m, about 1.15m above alert level 3.

The Thuong River could rise to 7.1m, around 0.8m above alert level 3.

At Dap Cau, the Cau River could reach 6.05m, about 0.25m below alert level 3.

Weather authorities warned that the risk of flooding in low-lying and riverside areas would remain high throughout August 24, particularly along the lower reaches of the Luc Nam, Thuong and Cau rivers.

The danger is heightened by river levels that are still rising while heavy rain continues across many areas.

Authorities and residents in flood-prone communities have been advised to closely monitor rainfall and river conditions.

As rainfall begins to ease from the night of August 24, water levels on rivers are also expected to gradually decline.

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