Day: August 9, 2021

SCG, a cement and building material conglomerate in the ASEAN region, has announced a revenue from sales in Vietnam at over 9.85 trillion VND (428 million USD) in the second quarter of this year, up 41 percent year-on-year.

The positive performance was mainly attributable to new partnership of packaging (SOVI, GOPAK), chemicals (TPC, Chemtech) and export sales from Thailand to Vietnam, according to the company.

In the second quarter, SCG’s total assets in Vietnam surpassed 122 trillion VND, an increase of 37 percent year-on-year, mainly from the chemicals business.

Amid the pandemic, SCG has actively contributed to the national vaccine fund while its subsidiaries have supported nationwide pandemic curbing attempts.

In southern provinces, SCGP – the packaging business of SCG – has donated 2,000 field hospital beds to alleviate frontline pressure in HCM City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Long An, while Long Son Petrochemicals has contributed 10 billion VND for vaccination purposes.

In the central region, Song Gianh Cement has supported the vaccination programme in Quang Binh. Meanwhile, in the northern areas, SCGP has accompanied Hai Duong and Bac Giang in the fight against the pandemic.

Overall, SCG revenue from sales for the first half of 2021 rose 27 percent year-on-year to over 8.29 billion USD thanks to higher chemical prices. Profit for the period saw a yearly hike of 99 per cent to over 1 billion USD on the back of improved chemical product spreads and equity income./

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam exported 9.58 billion USD worth of wood and wood products in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 55 percent, according to the General Department of Customs.

Of the figure, wood products raked in 7.44 billion USD, posting a 64-percent rise compared with the same period last year.

Local experts contributed the impressive growth of wood export to the fact that the demand for furniture increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Dien Quang Hiep, chairman of Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA), shipments to the main export markets of the Binh Duong wood processing industry surge considerably.

The US market accounted for more than 65 percent of Binh Duong’s total wood product export turnover, with an increase of 81 percent over the same period last year while Hong Kong (China) market made up 8.5 percent, with an increase of more than 47 percent, and Taiwan (China) market picked up 43 percent.

A similar situation is also reported in the central province of Binh Dinh.

Ngo Van Tong, director of Binh Dinh Department of Industry and Trade said local wood products have been exported to countries in Europe, Oceania, America, Asia, and Africa. The province’s furniture exporters have received orders until the end of the third quarter of this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many difficulties for trade and transportation activities, resulting in changes in working and living lifestyle of people, with consumers purchasing more furniture to maintain work and life at home. Thus, Hiep said, the province’s export turnover of living room and dining room furniture is forecast to rise rapidly in the coming time.

To be able to meet the orders of wood products, wood processing enterprises in Binh Duong have quickly adapted and changed their production methods accordingly, he said, adding that some businesses are renting more land to open factories.

Bui Chinh Nghia, deputy general director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said along with the US, Japan, and Hong Kong (China) markets, Vietnam’s export turnover of wood and wood products to the European market would increase sharply in the last months of 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control and the prevention measures are gradually eased.

Although Vietnam’s wood processing and export industry has gained a momentum given the context that the whole country is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges still lie ahead.

According to Nguyen Liem, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lam Viet Company in Binh Duong province, the high growth in export value of the wood industry in the past two years contains potential risks because the United States would increase defensive measures for imports with sudden growth.

Therefore, enterprises that export furniture for living and dining rooms should be careful to avoid becoming a transit point for goods to a third country, he said, adding that if the US imposes sanctions on Vietnam’s wood industry, the whole sector would be seriously affected.

Another problem for the sector is the lack of empty containers for shipments, which has pushed transport cost up by twice, thrice and even 10 times in the past two-three years.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Lao counterpart, Saleumxay Kommasith, agreed to enhance the bilateral cooperation during their meeting in Vientiane on August 9.

The two sides will prepare for the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022 to celebrate the 60th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and 45 years of the signing of the Vietnam-Lao Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

They shared the view that the two countries have fruitfully cooperated both bilaterally, and at regional and international forums, especially within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Vietnam and Laos, and other ASEAN member nations have made efforts in building the ASEAN Community that plays a central role in evolving regional mechanisms, while joining hands to combat COVID-19 and handle emerging issues.

The ministers agreed to enhance coordination between agencies of the two ministries, and organise the sixth political consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level at the end of this year.

The two sides will also prepare for in-person political consultations and exchanges between the two ministries after the pandemic is put under control to discuss the bilateral cooperation specifically and pragmatically.

They will also further exchange experience in different fields and promote economic diplomacy.

The meeting took place within the framework of the official friendly visit to Laos by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The same day, Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung had a working session with Chairman of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Thongsavanh Phomvihane.

The officials briefed each other on the situation of each Party and country, and discussed regional and global issues of shared concern.

They also looked at collaboration between the two Parties and countries, including coordination in organising visits by high-ranking leaders.

They affirmed their determination to closely coordinate to effectively implement agreements reached by senior leaders of the two Parties and countries, as well as the cooperation agreement between the two commissions for 2021-2025, and working harder to promote the Vietnam-Laos relationship./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), one of the top 10 universities in Asia, has announced that it will offer 15 full scholarships to outstanding Vietnamese high school students each year.

The CUHK ranks 39th in the world according to the QS World University Ranking, and cooperates with more than 330 research institutes and centres. It is hosting more than 4,000 international students from 50 different countries.

At a working session with Pham Binh Dam, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong (China) on August 6, Prof. Suk-Ying Wong, Associate Vice-President and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at CUHK, said that Vietnam is one of the prioritised countries in the university’s student admission policy, expressing her hope that the Vietnamese Consulate General will help connect the university and Vietnamese students.

For his part, Dam held that Hong Kong is among top choices of Vietnamese high school students. He suggested the CUHK set up direct partnership with about six high schools in northern and central regions of Vietnam initially.

He pledged that the Vietnamese Consul General will help connect the university and a professional agency of the Ministry of Education and Training to support the university during the admission process.

Besides, the Consulate General will seek sponsorships for different sources to help CUHK form more scholarship funds, thus giving more flexible support to students in tuition fees, enabling more Vietnamese students to afford studying in the university, he said.

Both sides also agreed to foster research cooperation by connecting collabbetween the university and Vietnamese facilities in hospitality, tourism and public health sectors.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thai Binh province – one of the localities with a large number of Agent Orange/dioxin victims in northern Vietnam – held a ceremony on August 9 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the dioxin disaster in Vietnam and respond to the Day for AO/dioxin victims (August 10).

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Thi Bich Hang praised AO victims who have overcome difficulties.

She asked relevant localities and agencies continue to fully implement the Party and State policies for local dioxin victims, and step up public awareness campaigns to mobilise more social resources to help them reduce difficulties.

Head of the provincial Association for AO/dioxin Victims Nguyen Duc Hanh said that Thai Binh is home to nearly 20,000 AO victims, one of the largest numbers in the northern region.

He noted that Thai Binh is the first locality in the country to establish a provincial-level association for dioxin victims in 2004 and also the first to build a detoxification centre for them.

Over the past 17 years, the province has mobilised nearly 100 billion VND (4.3 million USD) to the fund for AO victims, thus helping build nearly 400 charitable houses and presenting 300,000 gifts to local victims.

On this occasion, 27 individuals with outstanding contributions to the care of AO victims received a certificate of merits of the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/dioxin (VAVA).

At the event, 10 units and collectives also contributed nearly 900 million VND to the provincial fund for AO victims./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, his spouse Tran Nguyet Thu, and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State arrived in Vientiane on August 9 morning, begining a two-day official friendship visit to Laos at the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith.

Welcoming the Vietnamese State leader at Wattay International Airport were Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment of Laos Sonexay Siphandone; Minister-Chairman of the Presidential Officice Khemmany Pholsena; head of the LPRP’s Commission for External Relations Thongsavanh Phomvihane; Vientiane Governor Atsaphangthong Siphandone; Vietnamese Ambassador to Lao Nguyen Ba Hung, along with representatives from a number of Lao agencies and the Vietnamese community in Laos.

During the visit, President Phuc is scheduled to hold talks with LPRP General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, following which the leaders will witness the signing of many important cooperation document in the areas of justice, anti-drug, search and rescue, along with deals among localities and businesses.

The Vietnamese State leader will have meetings with the Lao Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairman, and a number of former Party and State leaders of the neighbouring country.

He will deliver an important speech at the 9th National Assembly of Laos during its ongoing first plenary session, and attend a ceremony to hand over the NA House – a gift of the Party, State and people of Vietnam – to Laos.

As scheduled, President Phuc will also receive the head of the Lao Front for National Construction and the President of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association, and visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane where he will meet Vietnamese people and businesses in the country.

Such “milestone” visits are expected to continue making the traditional friendship and special solidarity deeper, more practical and effective, while opening up new prospects and goals in the bilateral cooperation./

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Cellist Dinh Hoai Xuan in coordination with a number of famous artists in Vietnam has organised an online concert that aims to encourage the people to surmount the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show, which took place from 8pm-9pm on August 8, was live streamed on Youtube and Facebook platforms.

Xuan said through the musical activity, she and her team wanted to contribute to the country’s battle against COVID-19, liven up people’s spirit with pure and genuine music and give them more strength to overcome the pandemic.

“The concert is a word of encouragement and our sincere thanks we want to send to medical workers and other forces on the frontline, as well as the audience who always love and support the team,” she said, adding that it was also an opportunity for artists from the north and south of the country to gather and convey messages of solidarity and belief in the soul-supporting power of music and art.

The show also marked the appointment of Xuan as Honorary Representative of Romanian Music in Vietnam with the recognition of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Xuan started studying music at the age of 10, with organ and piano at first, before embarking on a career as a cellist. She has performed in countries including Italy, Spain, Greece, Russia and Australia.

She launched the Cello Fundamento Concert series in 2016, aiming to bring a harmony performance of Vietnamese and foreign artists to spread a passion for cello, bring classical music closer to the public and engage more young artists in playing cello.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Sixteen units and 41 officers of the Lao Ministry of Public Security were honoured with noble orders of the Vietnamese State on August 9.

Minister of Public Security General To Lam, on behalf of Vietnamese Party and State leaders, presented the orders, including 18 first-, second- and third-class Independence Orders and 39 first-, second- and third-class Labour Orders, to the Lao units and officers when he has been accompanying President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his official friendly visit to the neighbouring country.

The orders have showed the acknowledgement and appreciation of the Vietnamese Party, State and people of achievements the Lao public security forces have recorded over the past six decades, Lam said.

Such achievements have actively and effectively contributed to consolidating and fostering cooperation between the two ministries in safeguarding national security, and ensuring social order and safety in each country, he added.

The Vietnamese public security forces always stand side by side, and fruitfully cooperate with their Lao counterparts in any circumstances to complete tasks entrusted the Parties, States and people of the two nations.

On behalf of the awardees, Lao Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Vilay Lakhamphong attributed achievements of the Lao public security forces to the wholehearted support and assistance of the Vietnamese side.

He suggested the Lao and Vietnamese public security forces raise vigilance against plots of hostile forces that aim to undermine the solidarity between the two countries, while strengthening coordination to perform their tasks.

Source: Vietnam News Agency