Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man had a meeting with Saito Tetsuo, Chief Representative of Komeito Party, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's coalition partner, in Tokyo on December 6.

Congratulating Saito on his election as the leader of Komeito, Man expressed his confidence that the ruling coalition will continue to achieve greater success, contributing to Japan’s continued prosperity and enhancing its international reputation and standing. Read full story

- National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man received Chairman of the Presidium of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Central Committee Shii Kazuo in Tokyo on December 6 as part of his ongoing official visit to Japan.

Man congratulated the JCP on winning a significant number of seats in the recent House of Representatives election, and thanked Shii for leading a JCP delegation to the national mourning ceremony for late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in July. Read full story

- Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man and his spouse attended a ceremony in Tokyo on December 6 to mark 30 years since the opening of a direct air route between the two countries of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang said that the ministry praises the airline for fulfilling its role as an aviation bridge between Vietnam and Japan. Over the past 30 years, its record of absolutely safe flights to Japan has not only involved the transportation of goods and passengers but has also significantly contributed to fostering economic cooperation, and cultural and artistic exchanges, and enhancing mutual understanding and connections between their people. Read full story

- Rice exports are likely to hit a record high of 9 million tonnes in 2024, given a total volume of nearly 8.5 million tonnes shipped abroad in the first 11 months, according to insiders.

Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development show that Vietnam exported 700,000 tonnes in November for 444.9 million USD, bringing the total volume and value in the 11 months to nearly 8.5 million tonnes and 5.31 billion USD, up 10.6% and 22.4% respectively year-on-year. Read full story

- Prominent Japanese media outlets, including Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and Jiji news agency, have highlighted the December 5 meeting in Tokyo between Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.

The official website of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office featured a photo of Chairman Man and Prime Minister Ishiba shaking hands, accompanied by coverage of their discussions. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also published an overview of the meeting, noting Prime Minister Ishiba’s warm welcome to Chairman Man. According to the ministry, PM Ishiba recalled previous meetings with Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh in October and State President Luong Cuong in November this year, expressing his desire to continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation through high-level communications. Read full story

- Vietnam’s economic accomplishments and diplomatic efforts in 2024 have significantly contributed to building a positive image of the country both regionally and globally, commented Prof. Xu Liping, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS).

Regarding Vietnam's socio-economic development in the year, Xu said that the country’s socio-economic achievements in 2024 have exceeded expectations. Read full story

- Vietnam posted a trade surplus of 24.31 billion USD in the January-November period, according to the General Statistics Office.

In November alone, import-export turnover reached 66.4 billion USD, down 4.1% month on month but up 9% year on year. Read full story

- Total registered foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam, including new and additional investments, and capital contributions via share purchases, reached 31.4 billion USD in the first 11 months of 2024.

Nearly 17.39 billion USD was poured into 3,035 new projects, while 9.93 billion USD was added to 1,350 existing projects, and 4.06 billion USD was spent by foreign investors to purchase shares. Read full story

- US tech giant NVIDIA will develop a research centre and data centre dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) studies in Vietnam, the National Innovation Centre announced on December 5.

It is the result of an agreement between NVIDIA and the Vietnamese Government, which was signed during the second visit of Jensen Huang, NVIDIA founder and chief executive officer to Vietnam the same day./. Read full story