Philippines, Vietnam bolster defense ties at 7th Policy Dialogue
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Committee, and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Irineo C. Espino, Philippine Undersecretary of National Defense, co-chaired the 7th Vietnam-Philippines Defense Policy Dialogue on November 26 in Hanoi.
Congratulating the Philippines on assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien hailed the theme Manila has chosen for its chair year; affirmed Vietnam’s support; and expressed confidence that the Philippines will fulfil this important role as a contribution to ASEAN unity and centrality.
On behalf of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, he extended warmest congratulations to the Philippine military on the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (21/12/1935-21/12/2025).
He conveyed sympathies to the Philippine Government, people and armed forces over the heavy loss of life and property caused by recent earthquakes and storms, while expressing confidence that, under the Government’s leadership and with the active engagement of the armed forces, affected localities will soon recover.
Agreeing with the report of the 8th Vietnam-Philippines Joint Working Group on Defense Cooperation, he appreciated the substantive, comprehensive progress achieved between the two ministries since the 6th Defense Policy Dialogue in July 2024.
Key areas include strengthened delegation exchanges at all levels, notably high-level visits- sustained mechanisms for dialogue, consultations and professional exchanges from ministry level to services; cooperation in training, expertise sharing, defense industry and military medicine.
The two sides have also coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums and international events; and conducted reciprocal naval and coast guard ship visits as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.
They also worked together to assist residents affected by the October 2025 earthquake in the Philippines, demonstrating the solidarity between the two peoples and militaries.
Recognizing the Philippines’ great contributions within the frameworks of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus through active participation and practical initiatives, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien underlined Vietnam’s commitment to continuing responsible participation in ADMM and ADMM-Plus efforts for regional peace and stability.
Vietnam stands ready to work with the Philippines and other countries to deal with outstanding issues and differences in the region in line with international law, ASEAN principles, and the legitimate interests of all parties concerned.
For future cooperation, he proposed that both sides continue to deepen their trusted, comprehensive and practical defense ties, with a focus on maintaining delegation exchanges and engagements at various levels; optimizing existing cooperation mechanisms; and enhancing interactions between their navies, air forces and coast guard agencies as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties (1976-2026).
He also suggested maintaining regular communication channels to update developments and coordinate timely responses to incidents at sea; ensuring humane treatment of fishermen violating each other’s waters; sustaining effective personnel training cooperation; and exploring potential areas such as defense industry, logistics, military medicine, maritime security, search and rescue, and cyber security. He encouraged continued mutual consultations and support within ASEAN defense cooperation frameworks.
On this occasion, he invited the Philippine Ministry of National Defense and Philippine defense industry enterprises to attend the 3rd Vietnam International Defense Expo, scheduled for late 2026.
Expressing thanks for the warm reception, Philippine Undersecretary of National Defense Irineo C. Espino, on behalf of the Philippine Secretary of National Defense, congratulated Vietnam on its 80th National Day and conveyed condolences over the human and material losses caused by recent natural disasters, according to VOV.
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| At the 7th Vietnam-Philippines Defense Policy Dialogue (Photo:VNA) |
He emphasized that 2025 marks a major milestone in bilateral ties as the two countries celebrate the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership (17/11/2015-17/11/2025). He noted that Vietnam and the Philippines have worked closely across various fields, including defense cooperation.
According to Undersecretary Espino, this dialogue is significant in reaffirming the two countries’ shared vision for regional peace, security, stability and development, as well as in advancing their common approach to defense cooperation. Praising Vietnam’s contributions to ADMM and ADMM-Plus, he expressed hopes that bilateral defense ties will be further strengthened as the two countries near the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year (1976-2026).
During the dialogue, both sides discussed global and regional developments and issues of shared concern; underscored ASEAN’s role in shaping and sustaining the regional security architecture; and encouraged practical cooperation among member states and between ASEAN and its partners.
On the East Sea, they emphasized that Vietnam and the Philippines have strategic interests in preserving peace, security, and safety of navigation and aviation; and reaffirmed their intention to continue working together to promote ASEAN’s stance on resolving all differences through peaceful means, consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
They called for full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and for early conclusion of an effective, substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in line with international law.
At the dialogue, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien and Philippine Undersecretary Irineo C. Espino signed the Dialogue Minutes and witnessed the signing of the Terms of Reference (TOR) on boosting cooperation in military medicine.
Vietnam, WB advance knowledge sharing to tackle major challenges
Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and Chairman of the Central Theory Council, has urged the World Bank (WB) to continue assisting Vietnam in tapping global expertise to tackle major challenges, including climate change, water resources management in the Mekong Delta, and ecological agricultural development.
At a meeting on November 26 with Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, WB Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region, Thang highlighted that cooperation between the HCMA and the WB produced substantive outcomes, improving the academy’s training and research capacity.
He affirmed that Vietnam’s development requires not only financial resources but also knowledge, governance skills, experience, and stronger integration with the global economy. The country is currently pursuing three strategic breakthroughs: institutional reform, infrastructure development and human resources advancement.
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| Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang (right), President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and Chairman of the Central Theory Council, meets with Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, WB Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region. (Photo: VNA) |
On institutional reform, Vietnam is working to remove existing obstacles while creating new frameworks to spur innovation, circular economy development, green growth and a just energy transition. Infrastructure priorities, he said, now extend beyond transportation and energy to include social and technological infrastructure and data center development.
Thang stressed that human resources development must focus on quality, emphasising the need for a well-trained, skilled workforce that meets practical and developmental needs. He proposed deepening expert exchanges for strategic-level cadre training and jointly promoting forums linked to the Vietnam 2045 Report.
Jaramillo commended Vietnam’s development achievements, particularly the Vietnam 2035 Report, which has been used as a reference in the bank’s advisory work with other countries. While Vietnam’s loan demand has eased, he said the WB’s role remains pivotal in providing knowledge, technical expertise and support, reported VNA.
He suggested that future cooperation prioritize two areas where the WB can make strong contributions: human capital development and financial mobilization for complex projects such as high-speed rail, urban infrastructure and climate-resilience initiatives.
Jaramillo also noted the bank’s interest in supporting Vietnam's transition to a modern, future-oriented education system aligned with trends such as artificial intelligence and automation. He affirmed the bank’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the HCMA to expand the dissemination of governance and policymaking expertise across the political system.
Both sides agreed to further enhance cooperation in research, policy consultancy, cadre training and the organization of international conferences and seminars in the near future.
Vietnam, NZ sign action plan to advance comprehensive strategic partnership
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters co-chaired the third Vietnam - New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM-3) and signed an Action Plan to realize the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2025-2030 in Hanoi on November 26.
On this occasion, Peters presented a diplomatic note announcing a 3 million NZD (1.7 million USD) aid package from the New Zealand Government to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of recent storms and floods.
Trung thanked the Government and people of New Zealand for their timely assistance, describing it as a meaningful gesture that reflects the close solidarity between the two countries.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the extensive progress in the bilateral ties since the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in February 2025, noting comprehensive and effective cooperation across five pillars: politics, national defense–security and maritime cooperation; economy, trade and investment; science-technology, agriculture and climate change response; and education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
The two ministers agreed to maintain the positive momentum by strengthening political trust, expanding high-level and all-level exchanges, making full use of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and effectively deploying the newly-signed Action Plan, cited VNA.
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| Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (R) and his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters (Photo: VNA) |
Highlighting the complementary nature of the two economies, the officials affirmed that economic, trade and investment ties hold ample potential. They agreed on the need for stronger, groundbreaking measures to raise two-way trade to 3 billion USD in 2026, with a focus on business connectivity and effective implementation of free trade agreements to which both countries are members. Trung also encouraged New Zealand enterprises to step up investment in Vietnam.
Peters thanked Vietnam for opening its market to several New Zealand agricultural products and urged further access for other items.
The two sides pledged to further broaden coordination in education, people-to-people exchanges, aviation connectivity, tourism, sci-tech, green and digital economy, agriculture, and climate change response.
Discussing global and regional issues, both ministers noted that Vietnam and New Zealand share a common vision of a rules-based international and regional order, respect for the voices of small and medium-sized nations; and promotion of free trade, multilateralism, dialogue, cooperation, and connectivity.
Peters affirmed that New Zealand considers Southeast Asia a priority in its foreign policy, supports ASEAN's centrality, and called for continued coordination from Vietnam, as coordinator for ASEAN – New Zealand relations, to further advance the newly-established ASEAN–New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He also congratulated Vietnam on its upcoming 2026 chairmanship of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission's ministerial meeting and confirmed New Zealand’s support to help Vietnam fulfill the role, thereby promoting free trade and regional connectivity.
Trung spoke highly of New Zealand’s cooperation with Vietnam and ASEAN, wishing that New Zealand would continue its constructive stance and assist Vietnam and ASEAN in regional strategic issues, including the East Sea, and consider deeper engagement in the Greater Mekong sub-region, particularly in climate change response and rising sea level.
The host and guest also held in-depth and straightforward discussions on other issues of mutual concern and reached a high degree of consensus, thereby strengthening trust and common understanding, and making active contributions to advancing the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new phase.
Vietnam ranks among top 10 Asia–Pacific countries for highest digital revenue
According to the 2025 Global Collections Report released by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), Vietnam is among the top 10 countries in the Asia–Pacific region with the highest digital revenue, reaching 12 million EUR in 2024 and ranking eighth in the region.
The Global Collections Report provides a comprehensive analysis of copyright revenue data for 2024, drawn from a network of 228 collective management organizations across 111 countries and territories. The report shows that global royalty collections reached 13.97 billion EUR, an increase of 6.6% compared with 2024, with digital revenue continuing to lead global growth trends.
Although Vietnam is still in the process of digital transformation, the Vietnam Centre for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) has adopted an active and flexible approach, seizing opportunities and leveraging available resources while strengthening international cooperation. This has enabled the organization to pursue tailored solutions aimed at optimizing revenue.
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| Dinh Trung Can, Director General of the Vietnam Music Copyright Protection Centre (second from right), at a CISAC meeting held in Beijing, China, in October 2025. |
According to the report, Vietnam’s digital revenue grew by 15.7%, reflecting the strong expansion of the copyright market in the online environment. Digital Weight reached 86.6%, one of the highest in the region, indicating that the majority of Vietnam’s royalty income comes from the digital sector.
The CISAC report also provides a global ranking of copyright revenue, with Vietnam placed 47th among the world’s top 50 music copyright markets. The country recorded total copyright collections of 14 million EUR, representing growth of 12.7% compared with 2024. This notable increase highlights the strong development of Vietnam’s copyright market, particularly in the digital segment—which accounts for 86.6% of total collections.
In recent years, the VCPMC has made significant strides across multiple areas of operation and has been highly regarded by the CISAC.
With the determination and intellectual capacity of the Vietnamese people, the VCPMC continues to affirm its pivotal role in promoting Vietnamese works internationally, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of its member authors, and fostering creativity within a civilized and progressive environment.
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