| Vietnam News Today (Sep. 13) notable headlines Vietnam views US as strategic partner: Acting FM Vietnam posts 21% growth in inbound tourism in January-June period Vietnam affirms role as active, responsible member of AIPA: Ambassador Vietnam among top-performing tourism destinations: UN Tourism First cold spell of 2025 expected in Northern Vietnam by late September Vietnam honors Swedish director with insignia for cultural contributions Italy hails Vietnam’s economic stability, pledges support for market integration Breakthrough solutions introduced to boost the development of the state economy Australian Governor-General hails Vietnam’s breakthrough development |
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| Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (right) and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper at their meeting in Hanoi on September 12 (Photo: VNA) |
Vietnam views US as strategic partner: Acting FM
Vietnam always regards the US as a partner of strategic importance and highly values the substantive progress in bilateral relations since the two countries upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper at their meeting in Hanoi on September 12.
He noted that the two sides have maintained regular exchanges and visits at all levels, while economic, trade, and investment cooperation continues to develop steadily. Dialogue on tariff-related issues has also been maintained, alongside positive developments in security–defense cooperation and war legacy remediation.
Trung acknowledged the close coordination between the US Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Ambassador Knapper’s role in advancing Vietnam–US relations in a substantive and practical manner, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. He proposed that the two sides continue to work closely to effectively implement the agenda agreed upon by their high-ranking leaders and various working-level mechanisms, cited VNA.
For his part, Knapper expressed his pleasure at the robust development of bilateral relations as the two countries mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties. He welcomed the outcomes of recent exchanges between Party General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump, and thanked the Vietnamese Government and ministries for promoting bilateral cooperation, committing to fully implementing international trade agreements and fostering a favorable investment environment for American businesses in Vietnam.
The ambassador stressed that the US will continue to accompany Vietnam in realising its strategic development goals, particularly in science and high technology, while further strengthening cooperation in other areas such as war legacy remediation, education, health, and the fight against transnational crime.
Vietnam posts 21% growth in inbound tourism in January-June period
Vietnam’s tourism has shown strong recovery post-pandemic. In 2024, international arrivals reached 17.5 million, up about 39.5 percent year-on-year. That number is almost back to pre-pandemic levels — about 97.6 percent of 2019’s (~18 million) arrivals. The country targets to welcome 22-23 million foreign visitors and 120-130 million domestic tourists.
UN Tourism reported that nearly 690 million tourists traveled internationally between January and June 2025, an increase of about 33 million compared to the same period in 2024.
The organization reported mixed results across regions, with Africa recording the strongest performance and Asia-Pacific continuing its rebound toward pre-pandemic levels.
Asia and the Pacific recorded an 11 percent increase, reaching 92 percent of pre-pandemic levels. North-East Asia grew 20 percent compared to 2024 but remained 8 percent below 2019 levels.
Japan and Vietnam posted 21 percent growth, South Korea 15 percent, and Morocco 19 percent. Mexico and the Netherlands each recorded 7 percent growth, while Malaysia and Indonesia both rose 9 percent. France and Spain, the world's top destinations, each grew 5 percent, according to VGP.
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| Vietnam targets to welcome 22-23 million foreign visitors and 120-130 million domestic tourists. |
Data from IATA showed international air traffic and capacity grew 7 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024.
In 2024, international tourism receipts grew 11 percent to a record US$1.734 trillion, 14 percent above pre-pandemic levels in real terms, reflecting strong visitor spending worldwide.
Economic pressures and geopolitical uncertainty remain the main risks for global tourism. High transport and accommodation costs were identified as the top challenge in the September 2025 survey of UN Tourism’s Panel of Experts. Tourism inflation is projected to ease from 8.0 percent in 2024 to 6.8 percent in 2025, still above pre-pandemic levels of 3.1 percent.
Vietnam affirms role as active, responsible member of AIPA: Ambassador
National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s attendance in the 46th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter‑Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) demonstrates Vietnam’s proactive, responsible participation in AIPA alongside other member parliaments, and the country’s commitment to broadening its parliamentary relations with nations beyond the region, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh.
In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Kuala Lumpur ahead of NA Chairman Man’s trip for an official visit to Malaysia and the AIPA-46, Ambassador Linh hailed the event’s theme of “Parliament at the Forefront for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable ASEAN” chosen by Malaysia, the Chair of AIPA‑46.
The setting is meant to emphasize the role of AIPA in enhancing regional linkage and connectivity, elevating people’s voices, and encouraging people‑to‑people exchange. Key areas will include the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, cooperation in sub‑regional bodies, balancing food, energy, water security with environmental protection, and tackling non‑traditional security challenges, according to Linh.
The Vietnamese NA leader’s participation reflects Vietnam’s responsible and constructive contribution to AIPA, he said.
He noted that Vietnam has in recent years taken an active role in AIPA’s initiatives to deepen inter‑parliamentary cooperation and enhance ties among ASEAN legislatures. He expressed confidence that Vietnam will again shape the outcomes of AIPA‑46 through active contributions.
Amid the changing world situation, the ambassador said that both ASEAN and AIPA must maintain centrality, unity, collective action, and resilience, while identifying new growth drivers for the region’s common benefit. He noted that, following ASEAN’s adoption of its Community Vision 2045, AIPA has strongly committed to supporting governments and populations in achieving its objectives.
Vietnam will continue to be an active, proactive and responsible member of AIPA, stand ready to walk side by side to help shape a strong, prosperous ASEAN, the diplomat stated.
He said he is confident that Vietnam’s NA will make positive contributions in parliamentary cooperation, supporting policy and legal frameworks that advance sustainable socio‑economic development in the region. At AIPA‑46, Vietnam will bring forward initiatives to promote inclusivity and sustainability across ASEAN, and engage intensively in drafting resolutions and the joint communiqué of the Assembly, he said.
Regarding the Vietnam-Malaysia relations, the ambassador regarded NA Chairman Man’s visit as especially significant. It is his first official visit to Malaysia in the role of NA Chairman. The trip comes amid strengthened and comprehensive strategic partnership across many fields of politics, diplomacy, security‑defence, economy, tourism, culture, and people‑to‑people ties.
The visit intends to reaffirm Vietnam’s foreign policy priority of friendly neighboring relations and strategic partnership with Malaysia, and assess recent cooperation and explore practical measures to enhance collaboration, particularly between the two parliaments, reported VNA.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh (Photo: VNA) |
Ambassador Linh indicated that during the visit, NA Chairman Man will hold talks and meetings with key Malaysian figures, including the President of Malaysian Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, in light of Malaysia’s role as AIPA Chair in 2025. He viewed the timing as ideal for building strategic trust, widening parliamentary cooperation, and reaffirming Vietnam’s commitment to comprehensive and deep international integration and the country’s role in multilateral forums.
On the economic front, Ambassador Linh observed that the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024 laid a firm foundation for deeper bilateral cooperation. Key pillars include political and security cooperation, sustainable economic links, and new arenas such as digital transformation, clean energy, and emerging technologies. Shared positions in international multilateral issues also reinforce the partnership.
He reported that Malaysia is now Vietnam’s second largest trade partner within ASEAN and ranks among its top three foreign investors. Bilateral trade rose to 14.2 billion USD in 2024, up by around 20% from 2023, and had reached 10.66 billion USD in the first eight months of 2025, about 10.3% higher than the same period in 2024.
Given these trends, he assessed that reaching the trade target of 18 billion USD is feasible. He noted untapped potential in sectors such as Halal industry, green economy, innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, and clean energy.
Vietnam among top-performing tourism destinations: UN Tourism
UN Tourism has identified Vietnam as one of the strongest-performing major destinations worldwide, according to the latest Tourism Barometer released on September 9.
The report says Vietnam saw a 21% increase in international arrivals in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. This placed Vietnam alongside Japan (+21%) as one of the fastest-growing destinations globally.
The strong growth reflects Vietnam’s continued rebound and rising appeal in Asia and the Pacific, a region that overall grew 11% in January–June 2025, cited VOV.
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| Vietnam is one of the standout destinations worldwide with 21% growth in international tourist arrivals in the first six months of 2025, according to UN Tourism. |
Meanwhile, data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism shows, the country welcomed nearly 11 million international visitors in the first half of the year, up 17% from the same period in 2024 and 1.3 times higher than in 2019. The first eight months of the year alone saw almost 14 million international arrivals, a year-on-year increase of nearly 22%.
Experts attribute the recovery to more relaxed visa policies, enhanced promotion campaigns, and the launch of new flight routes to popular destinations such as Khanh Hoa and Da Nang.
According to UN Tourism, almost 690 million tourists traveled internationally between January and June 2025, about 33 million more than in the same period of 2024, though results were mixed among regions and subregions.
Alongside Vietnam and Japan, other markets achieving the highest growth include the Republic of Korea (+15%), Morocco (+19%), and Mexico and the Netherlands (+7%). Malaysia and Indonesia both recorded 9% growth and Hong Kong (China) 7%, though arrivals remained somewhat below pre-pandemic levels in these destinations.
Across continents and regions, tourist arrivals grew by 12% in Africa, 11% in Asia and the Pacific, 4% in Europe, and 3% in the Americas during the period.
“In the face of global challenges, international tourism continues to see strong momentum and resilience. The first half of 2025 brought growing arrival numbers and revenues for most destinations around the world, which contribute to local economies, jobs and livelihoods. Yet, this also reminds us of our great responsibility to ensure this growth is sustainable and inclusive and to work with all local stakeholders in that sense,” said UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
The latest UN Tourism Confidence Index indicates a modest rise in optimism for the final four months of 2025, with a score of 120 for September–December, up from 114 in May–August. Despite global uncertainties, travel demand is expected to stay robust, with international arrivals projected to grow by 3% to 5% for the year as a whole.
First cold spell of 2025 expected in Northern Vietnam by late September
The first cold waves of this year’s winter are projected to hit Northern Vietnam by late September, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).
NCHMF meteorologists said these early waves will be weak, bringing thunderstorms and slightly lower temperatures, creating the characteristic cool autumn weather of the North.
Notably, this year’s cold air is forecast to arrive earlier than usual. Experts warned that in a year with high storm activity, the combined impact of cold air could also trigger complex flooding in central provinces toward the end of the year.
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| The first cold waves of this year’s winter are anticipated to hit Northern Vietnam by late September. |
Recent monitoring shows that between August 11 and September 10, Vietnam experienced highly unusual weather with three storms and one tropical depression forming in the East Sea. Typhoon Kajiki brought record-breaking rainfall to Thanh Hoa, while Typhoons Nongfa and Tapah prolonged flooding in the North. At the same time, the Northern and Central regions faced extreme heat, with Hanoi recording over 38°C.
NCHMF experts said average temperatures nationwide next month are forecast to remain close to the long-term average, though the Northern and North-central provinces may see increases of 0.5–1°C. Since the first cold waves will be weak and unstable, they are not expected to cause significant drops in northern temperatures by late September, VOV reported.
From now until mid-October, around two tropical storms or depressions are likely to form in the East Sea, with one potentially making landfall in Vietnam. The Red River Delta and provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Ngai could experience widespread heavy rain, with total precipitation exceeding the long-term average by 5–15%.
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