Vietnam Economic Times June, 22 2026

Dear readers,

On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - 2026), Party General Secretary and State President To Lam penned an article entitled “Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism in the Digital Era,” affirming the key role and responsibility of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism in the current era, with its mission of being “a place where the public turns for reliable verification” and “a trusted source” for society “to understand the truth accurately.” Vietnam’s leader also provides guidance on revolutionary journalism continuing to develop and maintain its dominant role in the flow of information in the digital space, thus becoming the main force to “protect national information sovereignty.”

Vietnam Economic Times respectfully introduces a translation of this important article.

Meanwhile, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on analyzing the national housing development strategy, with a focus on finding solutions for the “rental housing problem.”

Developing rental housing is a major policy of the Party and State, as reflected in Directive No. 34-CT/TW, dated May 24, 2024, from the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and the conclusion of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam at a working session on May 19 with several agencies on the implementation of the Directive. Accordingly, alongside housing for sale, priority will be given to developing rental housing, especially rental apartment models in major urban areas, industrial parks, economic zones, dynamic regions, and important economic corridors.

Chairing a working session with leaders from the northern port city of Hai Phong and the nearby provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, and Hung Yen on developing rental housing, as directed by the Party General Secretary and State President, in Hai Phong on June 1, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stated that there is a need to strongly shift the mindset on housing, from primarily developing housing for sale to simultaneously developing both commercial housing and rental housing. The Prime Minister also identified the “first bottleneck” in implementing a rental housing development policy: high demand while supply is severely lacking, especially for long-term rentals at affordable prices.

To resolve this “first bottleneck,” it is clear that all resources need to be focused, with concerted and synchronized efforts from the central government to localities, to quickly develop rental housing and gradually bridge the “mismatch” between supply and demand in the segment, which is now considered the top priority in the real estate market.

Developing rental housing in a fast, transparent, well-planned, and sustainable manner is the right direction to take to turn a major policy from the Party and State into reality, so that people, especially poor and near-poor households, and workers in industrial parks can soon benefit from a socially-humane policy, helping to narrow inequality and ensuring the right to safe housing for all social classes. This will also help alleviate many other bottlenecks in Vietnam’s real estate market, ease the pressure from rising real estate prices, limit real estate speculation, and ensure that the market develops healthily, thus attracting investment capital from the private sector and foreign investors for building, developing, and operating the real estate market in a transparent, professional, and modern manner.

Solutions for developing rental housing, with the leading and enabling role of the State affirmed, as introduced in our Cover Story, include forming a rental housing ecosystem to mobilize long-term and sustainable capital, identifying a harmonious real estate market structure, and boosting the supply of rental housing, among others.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD