Vietnamese Communists close their 13th National Congress

The Communist Party of Vietnam has ended its 13^th National Congress. The National Congress which is the highest governing body of the CPV meets every five years to decide on a direction for the country and to elect new party leadership.

Among the more important decisions to come out of the 13^th Congress was the re-election of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng for an extraordinary third term. Trọng has received praise over the past 10 years for the economic and diplomatic successes that Vietnam has had under his leadership and most recently for how the Vietnamese government has managed the COVID-19 pandemic. In a post-congress press conference, Trọng stated that he had considered retiring, but was convinced to stay on for another term.

Trọng and other CPV leaders spoke often during the gathering about the open character of the event. A press center was set up in the building, and local and foreign press were invited to follow the congress. For journalists that could not enter Vietnam due to the pandemic, online feeds were set up so they could follow the proceedings and submit questions.

There was also a website created for the congress that featured articles and videos in six languages. Before the Congress even began, the documents to be discussed by the CPV delegates were released to the general public in Vietnam and citizens were free to give feedback and share their opinions on how they felt the CPV should proceed.

Vietnam has found itself increasingly under the international spotlight, as the world has taken notice of its economic successes as well as its effective handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnamese people appear to remain resolute on their path of building socialism in their country.