A view of the 14th National Party Congress' closing ceremony. Photo: VNA   

France’s Le Monde journal has published an article noting that General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) To Lam has left a strong imprint by initiating far-reaching administrative reforms and modernising the Vietnamese economy, pledging to usher in a new era described as the “era of the nation’s rise”.

The article reported that at the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 14th Party Central Committee unanimously re-elected To Lam as General Secretary, entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Party and the nation towards the goal of becoming a prosperous and developed country by 2045.

At the heart of this strategy is the target of achieving 10% economic growth until 2030, marking the 100th founding anniversary of the CPV. This objective is to be realised through massive infrastructure projects, a large-scale technological push, and the rise of Vietnamese corporations with global stature on the international stage.

Le Monde quoted General Secretary Lam as telling congress delegates that Vietnam is committed to further improving the business environment in a more investor-friendly direction. By the end of 2026, Vietnam’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to surpass that of Thailand, positioning the country as ASEAN’s second-largest economy after Indonesia.

Speaking to Le Monde, Benoit de Tréglodé, a Vietnam specialist and Director for Africa–Asia–Middle East at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM) under France’s Military School, noted that in 2025, the CPV adopted an important document - Resolution 68-NQ/TW on the private economic sector's development, which affirms the private sector as one of the most important driving forces of the national economy.

According to the French newspaper, the leadership apparatus of the CPV is undergoing modernisation and rejuvenation. The 14th National Party Congress approved the addition to the Politburo of a new generation of officials who did not experience war in their youth. Born in the 1970s, these officials were trained during the Doi Moi (Renewal) period that began in 1986./.