The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been a hot topic among media outlets throughout Southeast Asia in recent times, with the major political event running from January 25 to February 2.

Singapore-based The Straits Times outlined how the nine-day event will be running with the attendance of approximately 1,600 delegates, with the purpose of the function to select new leaders and shape policy for the next five years and beyond. The outlet also highlighted Vietnamese success in containing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), stating that this has helped its economy exceed much of Asia over the past year, adding that the coutnry is already eyeing an average annual gross domestic product growth of 7% over the next five years.

Elsewhere, Malaysian publisher The Star has reported that the 1,587 delegates representing more than 5.1 million Party members nationwide at the congress means this will be the largest number of delegates ever in the history of the nation’s Party congresses.

It quotes Mai Van Chinh, deputy head of the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, as saying that women and members of ethnic minority groups account for 13.99% and 11.03% of delegates, respectively.

Guests present at the event will include former Party and State leaders, ambassadors, and heads of international organisations in Hanoi. They will be joined by representatives from the intelligentsia and arts community, outstanding youth union members, and religious officials, among others, it said.

Nguyen Xuan Thang, director of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, is quoted by The Star as saying that among the documents submitted to the Congress, there are “numerous new items, especially in terms of approach.”

The agenda of the congress will largely focus on reviewing the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress associated with the evaluation of 35 years since the implementation of “Doi moi” (Renewal) policies. This is in addition to the 10-year socio-economic development strategy from 2011 to 2020, whilst outlining the socio-economic development orientations and tasks for the 2021 to 2025 period. Along with goals and orientations to 2030 and the national development vision to 2045, it added.

According to the Malaysian news outlet, all preparations for the congress have been completed, ranging from security to logistics and reception.

Most notably, the country has gone through 53 consecutive days without any fresh COVID-19 cases among the community, with the total number of confirmed cases standing at 1,548 and 35 deaths, as of January 23.