Day: February 2, 2022

Vietnamese people in Brunei have marked the Lunar New Year (Tet), the biggest and most important traditional festival of their homeland, with a ceremony recently held by the Vietnamese Embassy.

Ambassador Tran Van Khoa highlighted some of Vietnam’s outstanding achievements in 2021, including those in the COVID-19 combat, maintenance of socio-economic development, and vaccine diplomacy.

He applauded efforts by the Vietnamese community in Brunei in the recent past, appreciated their precious contributions to the homeland, and encouraged them to stay united and creative to jointly surmount difficulties caused by the pandemic.

As Vietnam and Brunei will celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2022, Khoa also shared the plan to organise celebratory activities to promote the countries’ comprehensive partnership and increase people-to-people exchange.

He said he expects continued support and cooperation from the overseas Vietnamese for the coming activities.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

China will work together with Vietnam to preserve the traditional friendship, deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, protect common strategic interests and promote the bilateral relationship, Chinese Ambassador Xiong Bo has affirmed.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, the ambassador said despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership continued to be promoted strongly last year.

He highlighted that Vietnam’s cause of socialism building had overcome numerous difficulties in 2021 to advance firmly forward. He noted the successful organisation of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) which elected the country’s new leadership and set strategic goals towards the 100th founding anniversary of the CPV in 2030 and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2045.

The ambassador said following the 13th National Party Congress, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong wrote an important article emphasising the historic inevitability of the path towards socialism chosen by Vietnam.

The article helps strengthen the bond between the CPV and the army and people, and sends the clear political message of Vietnam’s persistently pursuing the path towards socialism in accordance with its situation, according to the diplomat.

Ambassador Xiong Bo stressed that facing complex developments of the pandemic, the Vietnamese Party and Government have followed the motto of putting people at the centre and worked to complete the dual goals of pandemic containment and socio-economic development.

Vietnam has quickly rolled out a large-scale vaccination programme, and launched economic and social welfare packages in a timely manner, while striving to maintain the macro-economic stability.

As a result, the country’s GDP last year grew 2.58 percent, exports rose to a new record, its trade surplus had been maintained for six consecutive years and foreign investments reached about 31 billion USD, reflecting the national economy’s resilience and potential, the ambassador said.

Vietnam has persistently pursued the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, he said, noting that the country has successfully fulfilled its non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

He underlined Vietnam’s vaccine diplomacy along with economic and people-to-people diplomacy in efforts to maintain a peaceful and stable environment to ensure socio-economic development, and raise its position in the international arena.

As Vietnam’s socialist neighbour, China is delighted at the achievements the Vietnamese Party and State recorded last year, and will continue to support Vietnam in following the path towards socialism, Xiong Bo affirmed, expressing his belief that under the Party and Government leadership, Vietnam will soon drive back the pandemic, ensure stable economic growth and firmly advance towards the goal of building a developed socialist country.

The ambassador went on to say that under the strategic direction of the top leaders of the two Parties, the Vietnam-China relationship had maintained its development pace last year, with great progress made in major fields of cooperation. He noted that during their phone talks, Chinese Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong outlined orientations to consolidate and deepen the bilateral ties in the new period.

Leaders of the two Parties and countries have maintained online exchanges and visits, he said, adding that the two sides held in-depth discussions on the materialisation of common perceptions reached by the top leaders of the two Parties, along with measures to promote mutually beneficial cooperation across spheres and protect shared strategic interests.

According to the ambassador, Vietnam and China have also supported each other in major political agendas and the two Parties have stepped up the exchange of experience in Party building and national construction. Both sides have expressed their resolve to continue on the path towards socialism.

He highlighted that during the COVID-19 combat, China has stood side by side with Vietnam and provided 5.2 million doses of vaccines for the neighbour in the forms of donation and trading. The health sectors of the two countries shared experience in pandemic fighting and set up coordination mechanisms for disease prevention in border areas.

For economic and trade ties, the ambassador cited statistics from the Chinese side showing that two-way trade surpassed 230 billion USD last year, up 19 percent. China is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner and second biggest importer. Meanwhile, Vietnam is China’s sixth largest trade partner.

Vietnam’s statistics also reveal that China is the country’s third biggest investor, he continued, adding that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway in Hanoi built with preferential loans from the Chinese Government has been officially put into operation.

Vietnamese and Chinese ministries and localities have closely coordinated to tackle obstacles in customs clearance at border gates for traded goods.

The ambassador noted that the two countries have enhanced coordination in multilateral issues, and actively worked to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN as well as to ensure the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement take effect as schedule, benefiting economic recovery in the region.

He stressed that 2022 is a year of great importance to both countries and to their relations. Vietnam will continue implementing the resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, firmly marching towards the 100th founding anniversary of the CPV in 2030 and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2045.

China will also hold the 20th Party Congress, towards successfully and comprehensively building a modern socialist power, he noted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed a Global Development Initiative, with a focus on its connectivity with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, covering poverty reduction, epidemic prevention and control, green development and connectivity, matching the situation in developing countries, the diplomat said.

China is maintaining its good economic growth pace, he continued, adding that the country’s GDP grew 8.1 percent last year, fulfilling the dual goals of high growth and low inflation.

China stands ready to help Vietnam in economic recovery and development post COVID-19, and work together with Vietnam to utilise advantages in road and sea connectivity, perfect mutually beneficial cooperation frameworks, ensure the stable and smooth operation of production and supply chains, and promote development in each nation, for the sake of the two countries’ people, he affirmed./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Dong Cuu village in Dung Tien commune of Hanoi’s outlying district of Thuong Tin has long been famous for its traditional embroidery, especially the making of royal robes for kings of feudal dynasties in Vietnam, and the craft has still been upheld nowadays.

Centuries-old craft village

Dong Cuu still possesses typical features of a village in the Red River Delta such as an ancient banyan tree and an old communal house, which stay intact today.

The village is said to have come into being in 1746 under the reign of King Le Hien Tong. Local residents worship Le Cong Hanh, the founder of their traditional embroidery. Legend has it that he learned embroidery techniques during a trip he served as an envoy to a state in the north and then passed them to people in the homeland, including Dong Cuu villagers.

Embroidering royal costumes requires meticulousness and hard work. Tools necessary for this craft are simple: needles, embroidery frames, scissors, rulers, brushes, threads, and fabrics. However, to complete the work, workshops have to find suitable types of fabric and strictly comply with complex embroidery rules.

Ms Mai, an embroiderer in Dong Cuu, said it takes several months to complete a robe while some others need an entire year. Here, all steps are done by hand so meticulousness and patience are required. For example, embroidering a king’s robe needs different techniques compared to making a queen’s one.

There are even visitors from the southern region coming to the village to see the hand embroidery, she noted.

Mai added although machine embroidery generating perfect stitches is now available, hand embroidery items are still preferred. One product created with the wholehearted care and industriousness for months always holds high aesthetic value.

Determination to keep traditional craft alive

At present, there are more than 100 households running embroidery workshops with 10 – 20 workers each in Dong Cuu. They turn out a wide range of products such as royal robes, scarves, and altar curtains which are sold across the country, especially in the north region and Hanoi capital.

It takes Dong Cuu a long period of time to take shape and get established, an achievement attributable to the creativity and efforts by many generations of locals. The village is currently home to skillful and devoted workers who are ready to pass their knowledge and skills to others, especially the young.

Many young people in Dong Cuu have engaged in this craft, which is an encouraging sign now that many traditional craft villages nationwide are facing the risk of disintegration.

Nguyen The Du, Chairman of the Traditional Embroidery Association of Dong Cuu, said the village has won the trust of many customers and received a large number of orders. Its workers earn high salaries.

To uphold the traditional craft, training has continually been provided for young people, he noted, adding that embroidery has become the main source of income and help many households get out of poverty.

The scrupulousness of veteran artisans and the dynamism and creativity of the young have helped diversify embroidery products of Dong Cuu, which helps kept the craft alive.

Given such cultural values, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recognised the traditional craft of Dong Cuu as part of the national intangible cultural heritage./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The important achievements in external affairs last year affirmed the clear-sighted foreign policy of the Party and State, the support and consensus of the entire political system and people, and the close coordination among all-level authorities and sectors.

So said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son while talking to the press about the outstanding diplomatic achievements of Vietnam in the recent past, attributing those accomplishments to major contributions by agencies of external affairs, with the diplomatic sector being the core.

He pointed to the significant accomplishments, such as Vietnam promoted ties with partners to help consolidate the stability of external relations, noting that the country also worked effectively to elevate multilateral foreign relations, which continued to affirm its stature and prestige.

Efforts in external affairs continued helping firmly safeguard the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the country; economic diplomacy was implemented in a strong and increasingly practical and effective manner; while cultural diplomacy further popularised images of Vietnam’s land, people, and culture.

Besides, overseas Vietnamese affairs were handled more comprehensively and strongly, Son went on, highlighting the uniform and effective protection of citizens amid the complex COVID-19 pandemic.

The minister held that in 2021, Vietnamese people both at home and abroad brought into play the national solidarity, patriotism, and self-reliance to overcome difficulties and challenges.

He noted the attainments last year and during the past 35 years of “Doi moi” (Renewal) have created strong confidence for stepping up socio-economic recovery and development as well as integration into the world, thereby helping to successfully realise the development aspiration and vision of the Party, State, and people.

The diplomatic sector always goes along with the nation and devotes itself to the Fatherland and people, the official affirmed.

Source: Vietnam News Agency