🇻🇳Week of October 12

The government has set a target of GDP growth of 10 percent or more for 2027, a goal that outlets describe as posing a major challenge. Officials have paired the target with a demand to select the right breakthrough points and improve enforcement capacity to reach double-digit growth.123

The government has ordered that weak or underperforming officials be replaced immediately in service of the growth target. The push comes as nearly half a million billion dong in capital remains unallocated, still waiting for projects to absorb it.45

Growth has run high but is not yet considered firm, and Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Dong Nai are projected to fall short of their targets. The shortfalls in these major economic centers sit against the national goal of 10 percent or more.6

The government's growth push also calls for raising the economy's capacity for self-reliance by choosing the correct breakthrough stages. The 10 percent target and the enforcement measures are being presented together as the core of the plan.72

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the European Union to supply Ukraine with 300 Patriot missiles and nearly 79 billion USD in support. The request places the burden of continued backing on European allies.1

Zelensky also wants Europe to provide 70 billion euros and to make use of Russian assets, according to the request reported in Vietnamese coverage. The appeal comes as European allies hold exercises and weigh sending troops to guarantee Ukraine's security.23

Zelensky has separately asked US President Donald Trump to help end the conflict with Russia before winter. The request signals that Kiev is pressing both Washington and Brussels for a way out of the war.4

Coverage describes US-Ukraine relations as on the verge of collapse, with the relationship between the two countries' leaders at a breaking point and Kiev facing a difficult position. Zelensky praised the EU as a 'true leader' while Russia took a rare step, Tuổi Trẻ reported.567

The government has proposed raising the revenue threshold used to classify small and medium-sized enterprises to 400 billion dong. The proposal is part of a package of support policies for SMEs submitted for consideration.1234

The same package proposes cutting land rent for small and medium-sized enterprises by at least 30 percent. It also proposes raising the revenue threshold for applying the simplified tax calculation method to 10 billion dong per year.567

The draft would simplify accounting rules and tax procedures for smaller firms. It would also remove the requirement that single-member companies have a chairman and a chief accountant.89

Tax incentives are intended to help household businesses convert into registered enterprises. The approach is described as shifting from isolated support toward creating a favorable environment for businesses.1011

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm presided over the official welcome ceremony for Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who arrived on an official visit to Vietnam. Tô Lâm's spouse and the Swiss President's spouse took part in the ceremony, with both women wearing áo dài.12345

Tô Lâm and President Guy Parmelin witnessed the handover of cooperation documents between the two countries during the visit. The ceremony and the document exchange were covered by state and centrist outlets alike.67

Coverage of the visit ran across Vietnam's main editorial camps, from the state news agency and state-run outlets to centrist papers such as Tuổi Trẻ, Dân Trí and Thanh Niên, all describing the same welcome ceremony and the signing of bilateral documents.12637

Police in Hải Phòng are holding an 11th-grade student after he beat a classmate, a 16-year-old boy, who later died of his injuries. The case occurred at Trường Cao đẳng Hàng Hải và đường thủy 1, in TDP Nhân Nghĩa, phường Nam Đồng.1234

The victim was 16 years old and died following a physical altercation with a fellow student, according to accounts carried by state and centrist outlets. The detained suspect is a student in grade 11.241

Hải Phòng City Police released information about the incident at the college site in Nam Đồng ward, and the inquiry is being widened beyond the initial detention.35