Day: October 29, 2021

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha presented a report on the draft national land use planning for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, the 2021-2025 land use plan, and a verification report by the NA’s Economic Committee, during the ongoing second session of the 15th legislature on October 29.

Minister Ha said the draft planning and 2021-2025 land use plan aim to ensure enough land for the country’s socio-economic development strategy, thus laying a foundation to turn Vietnam into a high-income developed nation by 2045.

Chairman of the NA’s Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said the two drafts basically meet requirements in the Law on Planning.

He asked the Government to drastically direct ministries, agencies and localities to realise the Resolution on the national land use planning for 2021-2030 after it is approved by the legislature.

To prevent overlapping in land planning, the committee suggested the Government urge localities to promptly submit their own plans, and explain why protective forest coverage in the north central and coastal central regions and the southeastern region are reduced while they are hardest hit by disasters and flooding each year.

As illegal deforestation and use of forestry land remain rampant, the committee proposed the Government offer measures to closely control forest land, especially natural forests.

The Government was also asked to report to the legislature the use of rice farming land after they are used for other crops for 2011-2020.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam’s export turnover is estimated at 27.3 billion USD in October, bringing the figure in the first ten months of 2021 to 267.9 billion USD, up 16.6 percent against the same period last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on October 29.

In the period, there are 31 commodities with export turnover of over 1 billion USD, accounting for 92.4 percent of the total export value. Six commodities joined the 10-billion USD export club, with their combined export value accounting for 63 percent of the total.

The export turnover of the manufacturing and processing sector, fuel and minerals, and agricultural and forestry products are estimated at 238.8 billion USD, 3.03 billion USD, and 19.2 billion USD, up 17.3 percent, 16.6 percent and 15.1 percent year-on-year, respectively. Meanwhile, a slight decrease of 0.8 percent is seen in the export turnover of aquatic products, which raked in 6.89 billion USD.

During January-October, the US was Vietnam’s largest export market with a turnover of 76 billion USD, up 21.9 percent over the same period last year. It was followed by China with 44.2 billion USD (up 16.8 percent), the EU with 31.7 billion USD (up 8.9 percent) and the ASEAN market with 23 billion USD (up 21.3 percent).

The GSO also reported that Vietnam spent 26.2 billion USD on imports in October, down 1.7 percent month-on-month and up 8.1 percent year-on-year.

The figure brought the country’s total import value in the first ten months of 2021 to 269.38 billion USD, up 28.2 percent year-on-year.

China was Vietnam’s biggest import market, with 89.4 billion USD, up 36.4 percent year-on-year. It was followed by the Republic of Korea with 45.5 billion USD (up 21.4 percent), the ASEAN market with 33 billion USD (up 34.8 percent), and Japan with 18 billion USD (up 9 percent).

In October, Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. However, in the first ten months of 2021, the country posted a trade deficit of 1.45 billion USD, in which the domestic economic sector recorded a trade deficit of 22.73 billion USD.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa and received Vice-President of the Assembly of Portugal Antonio Filipe Gaiao on October 29 on the sidelines of her attendance at the 2021 Global Summit of Women in Lisbon, Portugal.

Meeting with Xuan, the Portuguese President affirmed that the bilateral meetings on this occasion are of great significance, creating an impetus for the two nations’ ties to continue to develop positively in the post-COVID-19 period.

Lauding key achievements that Vietnam has obtained during its national construction and development, he affirmed that Portugal attaches importance to and wishes to build its long-term relations with Vietnam.

Both Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Xuan expressed their delight at the growing friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Portugal since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1975. They agreed that there is a need for increasing the exchange of delegations at all levels in the time to come.

The Vietnamese Vice President praised Portugal’s role in the EU as well as in solving common problems of the international community. She wished that the two nations will strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation in order to make it a pillar of bilateral relations.

Emphasising that the sides need to continue to effectively implement the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Xuan suggested Portugal soon ratify the EU – Vietnam Investment Agreement (EVIPA) and urge the European Commission (EC) to remove a “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood.

She took the occasion to convey the invitation of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the Portuguese President to visit Vietnam soon.

At the meeting with Antonio Filipe Gaiao, who is also a member of the Portuguese Communist Party Central Committee, Xuan informed him on the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s goals and orientations for national development for 2021-2025.

She suggested the Portuguese Communist Party continue to coordinate with the CPV on multilateral activities and support the early ratification of the EVIPA.

For his part, Antonio Filipe Gaiao talked about efforts of his Party in protecting the interests of the working class in Portugal.

On the same day, Xuan had a meeting with the Vietnamese community in Portugal. She informed them about the situation in Vietnam and stressed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people are striving to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic while implementing measures to restore the economy.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese community made their donations to Vietnam’s COVID-19 prevention fund.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Binh Duong province, a major industrial hub in the southern region, has still managed to attract over 1.5 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) so far this year despite considerable impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the sum, more than 482 million USD has been poured into 44 new projects, over 799 million USD added to 23 existing projects, and 225.4 million USD spent on contributing capital to or buying stakes in 81 projects.

Notably, the province has recorded 14 million USD in FDI since September 15, when it returned to the new normal.

Up to 88 percent of the surveyed FDI firms in Binh Duong believed that their production and business situation in the fourth quarter will be stable or improve compared to Q3, while 12 percent said they will face difficulties, according to the latest survey conducted by local authorities.

Bui Minh Tri, Head of the Binh Duong Industrial Zones Authority, said as of October 28, 1,968 enterprises or over 96 percent those based in local industrial parks had resumed operations. Nearly 373,000 labourers (76 percent) have returned to work.

Companies have quickly restored production and business activities with COVID-19 prevention and control ensured, he noted.

During the first nine months of this year, the index of industrial production in Binh Duong grew 2.9 percent year on year while total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue rose 1.9 percent, compared to the respective increases of 6.7 percent and 10.9 percent in the same period of 2020.

The province posted a trade surplus of 4.62 billion USD in the nine-month period, compared to a surplus of 4.48 billion USD during January – September last year.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung presented a report on economic restructuring scheme for the 2021-2025 period and an examination report by the National Assembly’s Economic Committee during the ongoing second session of the 15th NA in Hanoi on October 29.

Minister Dung said the scheme offers six target groups, including restructuring credit organisations and public administrative units, improving the allocation and use of resources, as well as businesses to raise their competitiveness, internal capacity and self-resilience of the economy; strengthening regional connectivity, upgrading value chains of sectors based on technological advances and digital transformation, among others.

It also defines 130 specific tasks to be assigned to ministries, agencies and localities for the effort, he said.

Chairman of the NA’s Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said the committee basically agreed with the report and spoke highly of the Government’s efforts in directing the 2016-2020 economic restructuring plan.

He asked the Government to assess the COVID-19’s impacts on the possibility of achieving set targets in the restructuring of credit organisations, deal with slow public investment disbursement, pay attention to developing venture capital, derivatives and consumption credit markets, attract investment in agriculture and new-model cooperatives.

The committee suggested the Government add several targets in the scheme, including developing urban economy into the national pillar, making the best use of advantages from new-generation free trade agreements to promote domestic economic reform, ensuring green growth in combination with environment protection and effective response to climate change.

Basically, the committee agreed with measures set in the scheme and proposed the legislature offer opinions on the necessity of issuing the scheme, the list of programmes and projects, and other issues of deputies’ concern.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s attendance and remarks at the open debate on cooperation between the UN and African Union (AU) on October 28 are of remarkable significance, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu told reporters.

It shows Vietnam’s sense of responsibility towards the UN and UN Security Council (UNSC)’s activities as well as the international community’s common concerns, Hieu said, adding that it also demonstrates Vietnam’s strong interest in Africa and the AU, and the country’s will to share difficulties and step up cooperation with African countries.

The president’s speech and proposals were held in high regard by participating heads of UN member states and organisations, he stated.

According to the Deputy Minister, through the event, Vietnam has further promoted its active role and contribution as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, following its successful performance as rotating president of the UNSC in April, 2021.

He went on to say that Vietnam has maintained good friendship with all African countries, built on the solidarity among their liberation movements during the 1950s – 1960s. Entering the 21st century, Vietnam and African countries have constantly consolidated and expanded their win-win partnerships in various areas, he continued.

Good political ties have provided a push for cooperation between the two sides in economics, trade and other major fields; and both sides have closely coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums, like the UN, he said.

There is plenty of room for the partnership between the two sides to thrive further, he noted, voicing his hope that the multifaceted ties will be further deepened, contributing to peace, cooperation and development of each side and region.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 28 attended the virtual high-level open debate on UN-AU cooperation at the invitation of his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta, who holds the rotating Presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in October 2021.

The debate took the theme “Renewing solidarity to successfully deliver peace and security in a changing conflict environment”.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on October 29 chaired a meeting with representatives of the Government, ministries, sectors and NA agencies on handling acts of infringing upon industrial property rights regarding geographical indication.

The matter is one of the contents of the draft law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Criminal Procedure Code that the legislature is considering.

Speaking at the working session, Hue stressed that because there are many different opinions on this content, the NA Standing Committee, in principle, will consult the deputies.

He said it is necessary to revise regulations related to geographical indications in line with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement and Vietnam’s intellectual property strategy until 2030 to protect the interests of the country, consumers and the community.

The amendment will not only burden the State (because the right to prosecute or not prosecute still belongs to the competent authority), but also better the State management in this area, he noted.

The NA Chairman stated that, after this meeting, the NA Standing Committee will make a proposal to the legislature seeking its decision on a plan for regulations related to geographical indications, ensuring the principles of democracy and objectivity, and NA deputies will make the final decision.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam has made it a point to participate in the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits with an active, proactive and responsible spirit, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung told the press after the series of events ended.

Vietnam engaged in all discussions of the meetings which took place over a course of three days from October 26-28, said Dung, who is also head SOM ASEAN Vietnam. He added that many initiatives raised by Vietnam won support from other countries.

According to the official, since the beginning of 2021, Vietnam has made responsible contributions to the compilation of about 100 documents submitted to regional leaders for approval.

As for the COVID-19 combat, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s remarks on the new strategy with an all-people approach were welcomed by other participating countries. Vietnam’s proposals regarding sustainable recovery has also drew attention of the delegates.

Vietnam’s candid, sincere and transparent approach to regional and international matters, including the East Sea issue and the enhancement of regional connectivity, has been fully reflected in documents of the meetings, Dung said.

The official emphasised that Vietnam’s contributions have helped to affirm the country’s role and prestige. Amid a range of difficulties, both in and outside the region, the organisation of the series of meetings with the participation of leaders from all ASEAN member countries has affirmed the ten-member grouping’s spirit and values, the Deputy Minister said.

Outcomes of the events mirror what the bloc and its partners are interested in and wish to take part in actively, proactively and responsibly, Dung noted.

He highlighted the solidarity and consensus in ASEAN Community building as an outstanding result of the meetings. In addition, partners have continued to attach great importance to the grouping and committed to working together with it to effectively contain the pandemic and cope with emerging challenges.

The leaders also had in-depth discussions on issues affecting regional peace, stability and development, including those regarding the East Sea and Myanmar and how to narrow development gaps, Dung said.

Source: Vietnam News Agency