Vietnam's Communists tout pandemic, economic successes at Party congress

By James Pearson and Phuong Nguyen
HANOI, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Vietnam's ruling Communist Party
chief Nguyen Phu Trong hailed booming economic development and
containment of the COVID-19 pandemic as major achievements on
Tuesday as he presided over the opening of a key party congress
in Hanoi.
Over nine days of meetings, mostly behind closed doors,
delegates will pick a new leadership team, aiming to bolster
Vietnam's ongoing economic success - and the legitimacy of the
Party's rule. Party congresses take place once every five years.
"Our country has been developing rapidly and sustainably,
consolidating people's confidence in the Party, the state and
the socialist regime," said Trong, reflecting on the Party's
record since 2016.
"Growth quality has improved, the economy has been stable,
inflation has been kept under control," said Trong, 76, speaking
in an expansive, 75-minute address to 1,600 delegates from
across Vietnam.
Trong has suffered from health complications over the last
few years, but if - as observers expect - he continues as Party
chief, he will become the longest-serving General Secretary
since Le Duan, the leader who took control and ruled with an
iron fist after the death of Vietnam's founding revolutionary,
Ho Chi Minh.
A feature of the last five years has been a crackdown on
corruption spearheaded by Trong - officially dubbed a "blazing
furnace". Trong said on Tuesday many cases of corruption cases
had been detected, investigated and prosecuted, boosting
people's support for the campaign: "Corruption has been
gradually contained and prevented," he said.
Government critics have described the crackdown as
politically motivated.
In the months running up to the meeting there has been
intense competition for the limited number of top posts in the
country's government. Vietnam officially has four 'pillars' of
leadership: the Party chief; the state president; the prime
minister and the National Assembly Chair. AHEAD
The country has seen its economy outstrip much of Asia in
the past year, keeping the coronavirus pandemic at bay thanks to
stringent quarantine measures, testing and tracing: it has
reported just over 1,500 COVID-19 infections and 35 deaths in
total, far fewer than most other countries.
Referring to the pandemic, Trong said, "In the context of
rapid and complicated global evolution, we have been focusing on
consolidating national defence and security,"
One of the last five Communist-ruled countries in the world
besides China, Cuba, Laos and North Korea, Vietnam is already
eyeing average annual gross domestic product growth of 7.0% over
the next five years.
Despite the buoyant expansion - Vietnam's economy grew 2.9%
last year even as regional peers buckled under the pandemic -
Trong acknowledged issues to be resolved for future prosperity.
"Our country is still facing several difficulties,
challenges and shortcomings," Trong said, looking ahead to the
next five years and beyond.
"The economy is not yet highly resilient and self-reliant,
the efficiency of many state-owned enterprises is low and the
growth of the private and foreign-invested sectors is not yet
sustainable," Trong said.
Without mentioning them by name, Trong also addressed
tensions with China over the latter's increasing aggressiveness
in claiming vast, potentially energy-rich, swathes of the South
China Sea which overlap with Vietnam's exclusive economic zone.
Vietnam is "determined and persistent to protect its
independence and sovereignty ... rightly and effectively
handling relations with large countries and neighbouring
countries," said Trong.
"Thank you, and apologies for going on for a bit long,"
Trong said, concluding his speech.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Vietnam steps up 'chilling' crackdown on dissent ahead of key
Communist Party congress people: What happens at Vietnam's Communist
congress? candidates for Vietnam's leadership transition
China Sea tension flares again as Biden takes
charge news from the Super League!': How Vietnam skirts Party
speculation ban on social media ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>