Hanoi, October 6, 2025 – The Europe Today: Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on Monday chaired the 13th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee, emphasizing that virtue, capability, reputation, integrity, and effectiveness, along with the courage to think, act, and serve the national and public interest, are the core criteria for personnel selection.
Describing personnel work as “of utmost importance” and “the key of all keys,” Lâm highlighted that it will determine the success of the 14th National Party Congress and shape the country’s future development. He urged members to base their nominations on established standards, structures, and regulations, prioritizing the interests of the Party, the nation, and the people.
“In the current stage, special attention must be paid to ‘virtue, health, and talent’, resolutely preventing those who seek personal gain, factionalism, or the purchase of positions from entering the Party Central Committee,” Lâm said.
Regarding the Party’s Central Inspection Commission, he stressed the need for steadfast, impartial, legally knowledgeable, and professionally proficient individuals who can serve as the Party’s “sword and shield” in upholding discipline.
At the plenum, the Politburo presented reports on personnel nominations for the 14th Party Central Committee and the 14th Central Inspection Commission, conducted ballots to recommend candidates, and finalized the list of re-elected and new members following comprehensive discussions, verifications, and assessments.
Lâm also spoke on the draft documents for the 14th National Party Congress, noting that they had been carefully prepared and revised, incorporating key elements from seven recently issued Politburo resolutions. The documents aim to review the country’s development over the past five years, set goals for the next five, and shape strategic vision and development orientation toward the mid-21st century.
Economic Outlook and Targets
The Party General Secretary highlighted the bright socio-economic indicators for the current year. Despite global fluctuations, natural disasters, and severe storms, Vietnam has maintained stability and steady growth. In the third quarter, GDP grew by 8.22 per cent, bringing growth for the first nine months to 7.84 per cent. Budget revenue reached nearly VNĐ2 quadrillion ($75.8 billion), or 97.9 per cent of the annual target, while the trade surplus approached $17 billion.
All 15 key targets for the year are expected to be met or exceeded, with projected annual GDP growth of 8.1–8.5 per cent. Lâm attributed the results to the collective efforts of the Party, Government, National Assembly, local authorities, businesses, and citizens, while cautioning that underlying economic weaknesses must be addressed for sustainable growth.
Looking ahead to 2026, marking the start of a new term, Lâm outlined ambitious objectives, including GDP growth above 10 per cent, per capita income of $5,400–5,500, and CPI growth around 4.5 per cent. He called on the Party Central Committee to provide strategic guidance to enable the National Assembly and Government to finalize the socio-economic development plan and state budget estimates, under the guiding spirit of “enhancing strategic autonomy and national self-reliance for development” with the motto: “stability, discipline, acceleration, breakthrough, and sustainability.”
