Key Events

• Vietnam Plans to Streamline Governance While Increasing Number of Deputy Prime Ministers to Seven
• Public Scramble for License Renewals in Vietnam Ahead of Administrative Shift
• Analysts Warn of Debt Trap as Vietnam Expands Railway Network
• China Protests Vietnam’s Construction in Disputed Spratly Islands
• Proposed Tariffs Threaten Jobs at U.S. Manufacturing Firms in Vietnam

Vietnam Increases Number of Deputy Prime Ministers to Seven Amid Government Restructuring

Vietnam’s National Assembly concluded its ninth extraordinary session on Feb. 19, approving significant changes to the government structure, including the appointment of two new deputy prime ministers, bringing the total to seven.

The appointments of Mai Van Chinh and Nguyen Chi Dung, proposed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, come as Vietnam restructures its governance system. On Feb. 18, the National Assembly passed a resolution reducing the number of government departments from 19 to 14 while maintaining 11 ministries and creating six new ones.