Day: August 5, 2021

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue held an online meeting with 5,000 voters in the northern port city of Hai Phong on August 5.

The NA Chairman informed the voters about the reforms in the organization and operation of the legislative body in the 15th tenure, particularly in the first session.

He took time to talk to voters about an urban development strategy for Hai Phong, which draws many voters’ interest.

The top legislator noted that the Prime Minister issued a decision on September 2020 approving the task of building a master plan for Hai Phong in 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050.

The city must quickly implement the task, he said, noting that without a master plan, there will be many obstacles for socio-economic development.

According to Hue, several districts in Hai Phong have been designated to become urban districts, so their plans on new-style rural area building should include urban development.

The city also needs to make plans for the environment in industrial parks and export processing zones, water supply and waste collection and treatment in urban and rural areas, he said.

Regarding the building of Bach Long Vy into a fishery logistics centre for the northern region, Chairman Hue said the Bach Long Vi island district authority should coordinate with the municipal People’s Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop a scheme to this purpose to submit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He pledged that the delegation of NA deputies of Hai Phong will help promote the idea.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese and US competent agencies are coordinating to prepare for the visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris to Vietnam, which is scheduled for August, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang at the ministry’ virtual press conference held on August 5.

She noted the arrangement for the visit is made in the spirit of the Vietnam – US comprehensive partnership, which has been growing robustly and practically across all fields in contribution to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and around the world. She added that the specific programme of the US Vice President’s visit will be announced at an appropriate time

The diplomat unveiled that Vietnam will conduct a series of diplomatic activities and delegation exchanges in the time to come. Vietnam welcomes leaders of nations, including the US, to visit the country, she said.

Hang stated that Vietnam follows a consistent external relations policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification. The country is stepping up efforts to deepen relations with partners, especially important ones, toward effectiveness and sustainability, she said, stressing that Vietnam does not align with one country to fight against another.

The diplomat continued to affirm that Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening relations with China and the US – its two top partners in multiple fields – for the sake of the people as well as for peace and development in the region and across the globe.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Travellers are set to have an opportunity to experience Vietnam’s beauty on trains with steam locomotives.

The Ministry of Transport has approved in principle a project on the renovation and building of such tourist trains on the Hue-Da Nang route, a section of Hanoi- Ho Chi Minh railway route. The Vietnam Railways Corporations (VNR) will collaborate with the Dong Duong Rail Tourist Service Co.Ltd in carrying out the project.

The Ministry of Transport asked the VNR to collaborate with the Indochina Rail Tourist Service Company Limited to allocate funds to invest in the items of the project, ensuring compliance with current standards and technical regulations.

In addition, the VNR should develop a train schedule to ensure the safety for the transportation of passengers and goods.

Units must pay a fee for using railway infrastructure from the project’s revenue as required.

To effectively exploit the steam locomotive, transportation experts said it is necessary to build auxiliary works such as coal and water supply systems and they must be licensed by the competent authority.

A steam locomotive is a rail vehicle that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles utilising the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material – usually coal and oil – to heat water in the locomotive’s boiler to the point when it becomes gaseous and its volume increases 1700 times. Functionally, it is a steam engine on wheels. Fuel and water supplies are usually carried with the locomotive, either on the locomotive itself or in a tender coupled to it.

This type of locomotive was widely used in the world from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century.

Vietnam’s railway sector gradually replaced steam locomotives with electric and diesel locomotives in the 1990s.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Social network Zalo on August 3 launched tool Zalo Connect which aims to support its users that are facing difficulties amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, Zalo users in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Long An can easily seek emergency support from the community for foods, medicines, and other essential goods, or quickly connect with doctors and medical experts for remote medical advice.

Through the application, individuals and charitable organisations will quickly detect and support those facing difficulties surrounding their residential areas, but still strictly follow COVID-19 prevention and social distancing regulations.

Users should activate the feature to allow strangers to communicate on Zalo to ensure that the relief force can connect with them quickly.

Zalo Connect was completed in five days with the coordination of the national technology centre for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Users in the four above-mentioned localities can easily access this feature right at the top of Zalo’s browser and select “I need help” or “I want to help”, depending on their need.

Zalo is expected to have more tools that allow donors to update the list of those who have received support, thus properly distributing donations from the community.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

China’s military exercise in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago area violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands and went counter to the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), Spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has said.

China’s move complicated the situation and hampered current negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as well as the maintenance of a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment in the East Sea, Hang told the ministry’s online press briefing on August 5.

Vietnam requests China to respect its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, stop and not repeat similar violations that further complicate the situation in the East Sea.

“As constantly reiterated, Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal grounds to prove its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law,” Hang stressed.

Commenting on vaccine diplomacy of major countries in Southeast Asia, the spokeswoman said that all the help of other countries, partners and the international community in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is valuable and appreciated.

Vietnam thanks and hopes to continue receiving support from other countries, partners and international organisations in this fight, Hang said.

She also revealed that due to complex developments of the pandemic, the ASEAN flag hoisting ceremony to mark the bloc’s founding anniversary will be organised in an online format on August 8.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on August 5 chaired the 20th meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control.

The meeting, the first since the CPV convened its 13th National Congress earlier this year, aimed at reviewing the fight against corruption in the first half of 2021, defining key tasks for the second half and making decisions on several important issues.

During the January-June period, Party Committees and Inspection Commissions at all levels imposed disciplinary measures against over 70 Party organisations and more than 8,000 Party members. The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission proposed the imposition of disciplinary measures against one Party organisation and seven officials managed by the Party Central Committee, and many officials and leaders of state-owned enterprises who committed violations.

The inspection and audit sectors discovered economic violations with a total sum of over 54.47 trillion VND (2.37 billion USD) and 1,760 hectares of land, while proposing financial settlements totalling 23.5 trillion VND, and suggesting the withdrawal of over 7 trillion VND and 644 hectares of land.

Attention was paid to investigation, prosecution and trial of economic corruption cases involving many high-ranking officials.

Relevant agencies seized, distrained assets, blocked accounts, and prevented asset transactions in economic corruption cases with a total amount of 14.41 trillion VND. Civil judgment enforcement agencies also recovered nearly 2 trillion VND.

Regarding the key tasks for the last six months of 2021, the steering committee requested Party Committees, Party organisations and authorised agencies to focus on COVID-19 prevention and control, protection of public health, and fulfilment of the tasks set in the 2021 Work Programme.

It will speed up the progress of verification, investigation, prosecution and judgment of cases under its supervision; and strives to finish the investigation of two cases, issue indictments to prosecute six cases, conduct first-instance trials of nine cases and appeal trials of seven cases, and finish verification and settlement of five cases as planned by the end of 2021.

Party General Secretary Trong, who is also head of the steering committee, requested it to direct relevant agencies to make greater efforts, bring into full play the strength of the entire people and the entire political system.

The steering committee should do better, achieve higher quality, and pay more attention to self-inspection and self-settlement, he said.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc island have been listed among the world’s 100 greatest places to explore on Earth in 2021 as voted by US-based Time Magazine (Time).

Time said that Phu Quoc island of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will be an ideal destination for foreign tourists to explore after it becomes the first tourist site in Vietnam to re-open for those who have COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

Known as the “jewel of Vietnam,” this teardrop-shaped resort and fishing island has become one of the fastest-growing destinations in Southeast Asia.

The island is expected to reopen to international travelers with vaccine passports for six months beginning in October this year, and continues to entice tourists with visa-free stays for up to 30 days.

Hanoi – the 1,000-year-old capital of Vietnam is embracing changes while maintaining a strong sense of identity”, the newspaper wrote.

This character is evident at Capella Hanoi, a 47-room hotel where architect Bill Bensley recreates the heyday of opera art.

Hanoi is one of the most ancient cities in Asia, offering great examples of both contemporary and classical architecture right in the city centre.

According to the magazine, Hanoi’s incredible street-food culture is another source of fierce civic pride.

“Lovers of pho, the city’s signature dish, were gratified when Pho Gia Truyen – one of Hanoi’s most legendary vendors – was recognised in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants “Essence of Asia” list in 2020, a collection of storied venues that represent the spirit of gastronomy in the region”, it wrote.

Meanwhile, HCM City is described as a centre of incredible foods that have never been short of admirers.

“Even so, it felt like a watershed moment when Anan—helmed by Vietnamese-­American chef Peter Cuong Franklin—became the first venue in the country’s southern hub to earn a berth in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants”, it said.

Franklin’s inspired take on classics like pho and banh nhung is indicative of the culinary creativity at play in the city.

Notable recent additions to the local dining scene include Monkey Gallery, where chef Viet Hong merges Vietnamese, French and Japanese techniques and flavors, and Esta, a self-described “modern Asian eatery” with an ever changing, expansive menu that runs the gamut from smoked-eel pâté to veal sweetbreads, it added.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam-Thailand relations have been upheld and strengthened in all fields by the countries’ leaders and people despite uncertainties in the region and in each nation.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (August 6, 1976 – 2021), Dr Nakorn Serirak, a lecturer at the College of Local Administration of Thailand’s Khon Kaen University, underlined that the relationship between people of the two nations is the most crucial and key to the reality of international relations.

He said the clearest proof of progress is in the establishment of the Thailand-Vietnam strategic partnership which benefits bilateral trade and investment for both sides.

In addition, working on the consultation mechanisms in both countries may facilitate business negotiations and investment promotion between the countries.

Both sides are to work to increase the value of bilateral trade and reduce trade impediments, and will promote cooperation in the digital economy, he added.

The scholar pointed out four outstanding factors in the countries’ ties, notably the good relations between the Thai Royal family and Vietnamese leaders and the diplomatic relations between political leaders.

Meetings and discussions at diplomatic forums and exchanges of diplomatic officials between the two countries; as well as cooperation between high-ranking officials in both governmental and business sectors, are also among the factors.

Serirak affirmed that all these reflect in the exchanges of diplomatic missions and official visits by both the members of the Thai Royal family and political leaders as well as senior officials of ministries or major corporations of the two countries.

The political movement of the people and students during 1975-76 in protesting against the US air force in Thailand is the most evident incident that explained the feeling of Thai people who did not want the US army to bomb and kill Vietnamese friends.

Furthermore, a joint agreement on the grant of Thai citizenship to Vietnamese who lived in the country for a long time is to show the way the people of the two countries have a close-knit friendship and can live together peacefully and happily.

Therefore, it is important and necessary to promote future activities and cooperation between people of the two countries, the scholar emphasised.

More activities should be stepped up such as the cooperation between academicians and researchers at universities, establishment of joint research institutes in universities, exchanges of experts and personnel in new areas, teaching of Thai language in Vietnam and vice versa, and socio-cultural exchange activities, among others.

He believed that facilitation of travel between the countries at the local level should be bolstered.

Starting from the flight between Chiang Mai and Hanoi, routes linking other cities should be considered, he said, adding that it helps entrepreneurs in both countries be more comfortable when travelling, and brings people of two countries closer through tourism together with technical cooperation at the local level.

As members of ASEAN, Thailand and Vietnam should cooperate with each other in strengthening their role to secure and support peace and cooperation among ASEAN members, Serirak said.

Source: Vietnam News Agency