Anti-Corruption Oversight: Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm chaired a Hanoi working session with the Government Inspectorate’s Party Committee, reviewing restructuring results and pushing stronger Party leadership over inspection work to meet anti-corruption requirements, with a shift from merely detecting violations to improving institutions and governance. Party Plenum Governance Agenda: At the 14th Party Central Committee’s third plenum, leaders stressed “unified governance” as a new national strength, warning that fragmented local decision-making still shackles development; land, sea, urban areas, infrastructure, resources and data should be managed as an integrated whole. Implementation Bottleneck: In closing remarks, Lâm said the resolutions are broad and consensus-based, but implementation is the biggest bottleneck—authority must match accountability, decentralisation must align with resources and oversight, and risk prevention must keep pace with changing conditions. South China Sea Diplomacy: A new analysis highlights Vietnam’s “speak less, do more” approach, explaining why Hanoi did not sign a tribunal-related joint statement invalidating China’s claims while still maintaining its broader stance. Human Rights Crackdown: Vietnam dismissed Human Rights Watch comments as “not worth commenting on” amid deepening scrutiny over arrests tied to a book on Hồ Chí Minh’s legacy. Cybersecurity Law Terms: A separate explainer lays out key definitions in the 2025 Law on Cybersecurity, including cybersecurity, information security and data security. Foreign Policy on the Move: On the sidelines of AMM-59, Vietnam’s FM Lê Hoài Trung met the Philippines and Norway to advance action programmes and deepen strategic cooperation, while Vietnam-China talks in Manila reaffirmed momentum and solidarity. Vietnam–Thailand 50 Years: Hanoi hosted exhibitions marking 50 years of Thailand–Vietnam diplomatic relations, with the Thai ambassador pointing to high-level trust and people-to-people ties as the foundation.