(VOVworld) – 2013 Spring newspapers highlight the Party and government’s Lunar New Year's messages, the Party’s founding anniversary, and the country’s socio-economic progress, make forecasts for the New Year, and promote festivals.

-  In a New Year message delivered to the public in the newspapers, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his wish for the entire Party, army, and people to be united to overcome all challenges and continue steady development.

Mr. Trong wished every family and Vietnamese citizen a new year of joy, happiness, and success. In interviews granted to the country’s major newspapers, President Truong Tan Sang affirmed that last year Vietnam integrated deeply into the world and was lauded by the global community. Mr. Sang sent wishes for a life of comfort, happiness, peace, and prosperity and that by 2020 Vietnam will become an industrialized nation.

-  Spring newspapers set aside many pages covering socio- economic achievements last year and prospects for this year.

The Vietnam Economic Times ran a series of articles featuring the country’s economic highlights against last year’s difficulties with the focus being inflation under control at 6.81%, lower than the 10% target set by the NA resolution. The foreign exchange rate was stabilized. Foreign currency reserves doubled last year. And Vietnam saw record exports, earning 115 billion USD in revenue. The Investment newspaper ran an article entitled ‘Stabilization and acceleration’ that pointed out this year’s top priorities: to further stabilize the macro economy, keep the inflation rate below 8%, increase the country’s GDP growth to 5.5%, and increase export turnover 10%. The print newspaper of Radio the Voice of Vietnam had a story ‘Stabilization for development’ affirming that last year Vietnam overcame many challenges that were due to the global economic downturn, but still needs to build on the achievements so far and extend current sound policies to maintain economic stability, control inflation, and guarantee social welfare.

- Commentaries by the People’s newspaper, the People’s Army newspaper, and the Vanguard newspaper said that 2013 will be a difficult year which will test the Vietnamese people’s spirit and intellect. But efforts by the Party, army, and people will help Vietnam attain the targets set in this year’s socio-economic development plan, making the country a more prosperous nation.

- The News newspaper published an article entitled ‘A green testament’ saying that in the year of the Rat in 1959 President Ho Chi Minh launched Vietnam’s first-ever tree planting festival.

Since then, it has become a cultural tradition each spring. The People’s Army newspaper cited predictions about President Ho Chi Minh by a number of Vietnamese and foreign personalities. Phan Chau Trinh, one of Vietnam’s great patriots of the 20^th century, foretold before he died that the country’s independence would depend on Nguyen Ai Quoc – who became President Ho Chi Minh. Lawyer Francis Henry Loseby, a progressive British lawyer who saved Nguyen Ai Quoc from the French colonialists, said he believed Vietnam would achieve a special position in the world under the leadership of the talented Ho Chi Minh.

-  As 2013 is the year of snake, spring newspapers have been talking about the image of this animal. In the Orient, the snake is the symbol of supernatural power, ambition, and earthly power.

-  Other spring articles have been about Tet customs such as Chung and Giay cake wrapping, inviting a lucky person to be the first visitor to your home in the new year, lucky money, Tet feasts, and visiting pagodas to pray for good health, and good luck.

Composing parallel sentences for Tet and writing spring poems are another way of welcoming the Lunar New Year. The Young Age newspaper reported a joyful Tet atmosphere in Truong Sa archipelago.