Vietnam News Agency (VNA) presents its selection of leading domestic events for the year just ended.
1. Resolutely protesting China'sillegal acts in the EastSea
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On May 2, Chinaillegally placed its Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf,seriously violating international law, running counter to high-level agreementsbetween the two countries, and threatening peace, security, safety and freedomof navigation in the EastSea. With theinternational community's support, the entire Party, army and people of Vietnam strongly protested China's illegalacts and resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty by peaceful means.
2. A number of important laws promulgated
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In 2014, 29 laws are approved by the National Assembly,improving economic institutions, the State apparatus and administrative andjudicial reforms, ensuring human rights and citizens' fundamental obligationsand accelerate international integration. Lawmakers also conducted votes ofconfidence on key officials in the State system elected or approved by theNational Assembly, and passed a resolution on confidence voting.
3. Economic growth surpasses target
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Amidst global economic difficulties, Vietnam'sgross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 is estimated to have expanded by 5.98 percent over the previous year, exceeding the target of 5.8 percent set by theNational Assembly. The average consumer price index (CPI) has shown ayear-on-year rise of 4.09 percent, and export turnover is estimated at USD 150billion, up 13.6 percent from a year ago. However, State budget overspendingremains high while difficulties resolving public debts and bad debts still lieahead.
4. Resolution on cultural and human developmentadopted
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A new resolution on the building and development ofVietnamese culture and people was approved in the ninth meeting of the PartyCentral Committee (11th tenure) to match requirement for thecountry's sustainable development, following a resolution adopted at the fifthmeeting of the committee (8th tenure) on promoting the uniqueculture of Vietnam.
5. Policies on education-training renewal
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In order to implement the eighth Party Central Committee’sresolution on basic and comprehensive education and training renewal, a number ofpolicies were adopted including the organization of the 2015 national highschool exam and the renewal of circulars and textbooks from the 2018-2019academic year.
6. Fierce struggle against corruption, negativephenomena
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An array of serious economic violations such as the cases ofNguyen Duc Kien, former vice chairman of the Asia Commercial Bank FoundingCouncil, and Huynh Thi Huyen Nhu, former deputy chief of the Risk ManagementDepartment at a Vietinbank branch, were brought to trial, along with housingpolicy violations by former Government Chief Inspector Tran Van Truyen,demonstrating the Party and State's resolve to combat corruption and negativephenomena, thus consolidating public confidence.
7. Successful rescue of victims after hydropower planttunnel collapse in LamDong Province
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At 4:30pm on December 19, 12 workers were rescued from acollapsed tunnel at the Da Dang-Da Chomo Hydropower Plant in the CentralHighland provinceof Lam Dong after beingtrapped for 81 hours.
8. Progress made in economic integration
In 2014, Vietnamconcluded negotiations on bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with the Republic of Korea and the Customs Union ofRussia-Belarus-Kazakhstan, and reached a consensus on orientations for finishingFTA talks with the European Union. Additionally, the country also took part innegotiations on regional FTAs, including the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP) agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement,and another deal with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
9. Construction of numerous important structurescompleted
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A number of structures vital for socio-economic developmentand security-defence were put into use in 2014, including Southeast Asia'slongest undersea power cable from the mainland to PhuQuoc Island,the Ho Chi Minh City-LongThanh-Dau Giay Highway, the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway and the Nhat TanBridge.
10. Three more heritages honored
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The Trang An Landscape Complex in the north of Ninh Binh province was recognized as a world heritage meetingboth cultural and natural criteria by UNESCO, becoming the first mixed heritagein Vietnam.Vi giam folk singing from the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh waslisted as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, while a collection ofofficial administrative documents from the Nguyen Dynasty was named adocumentary heritage of the Memory of the World Program in Asia-Pacific.-