Seoul: The Vietnamese association in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on March 31 opened a Vietnamese language class for children of multi-cultural families. With the sponsorship of the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, the class aims to preserve and promote the mother tongue and traditional cultural traits among the overseas Vietnamese. The opening ceremony saw the attendance of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV) Affairs, who spoke highly of efforts by the Vietnamese community in the RoK in cultural preservation. Vietnamese language teaching should be replicated, not only among the Vietnamese community in the RoK, but also others worldwide, said Hang, who is on a working trip to the East Asian nation. Nearly 300,000 Vietnamese are living and working in the RoK, of whom 70,000 have got married to Koreans. Over the past years, the association has organised many Vietnamese language classes for children of such multi-cultura l families, along with contests for Vietnamese there in an effort to spread the love for the mother tongue./. Source: Vietnam News Agency
Vietnam ranks first at world powerboat race
Binh Dinh: Vietnam secured the first place at the Binh Dinh Grand Prix of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, the flagship international series of single-seater inshore circuit powerboat racing, which took place in Quy Nhon city, the south central province of Binh Dinh on March 30-31. It was followed by Shajar Team and Victoria Team, both from United Arab Emirates (UAE). As many as 295 Grand Prix tournaments have been held in more than 33 countries and territories across the globe. This is the first time that the prestigious contest held by the governing body Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) has been hosted by Vietnam, with 18 leading drivers from China, Finland, France, Norway, Portugal, the UAE and Vietnam competing at Thi Nai lagoon, the largest saltwater one in the central region./. Source: Vietnam News Agency
Vietnam ranks first at world powerboat race
Binh Dinh: Vietnam secured the first place at the Binh Dinh Grand Prix of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, the flagship international series of single-seater inshore circuit powerboat racing, which took place in Quy Nhon city, the south central province of Binh Dinh on March 30-31. It was followed by Shajar Team and Victoria Team, both from United Arab Emirates (UAE). As many as 295 Grand Prix tournaments have been held in more than 33 countries and territories across the globe. This is the first time that the prestigious contest held by the governing body Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) has been hosted by Vietnam, with 18 leading drivers from China, Finland, France, Norway, Portugal, the UAE and Vietnam competing at Thi Nai lagoon, the largest saltwater one in the central region./. Source: Vietnam News Agency
Wood, furniture industry advised to make operational reforms
HCM City: Experts have suggested domestic businesses in the wood and furniture industry to quickly reform their operations, and invest more in research and development, and design to create high added values. Wood and furniture exports have faced a host of challenges, yet ample room remains for the sector to expand its market share in the time ahead, they said at a recent forum in Ho Chi Minh City. Director of the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Quang Bao said that wood and wooden products make up nearly 93% of Vietnam's forestry value every year, and export of the goods have maintained two-digit growth, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, enterprises have experienced a fall in orders as consumers have tightened their purse strings, he said, adding Vietnamese woodworks depend largely on foreign markets but purchasing power from large buyers in China, the EU, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the US decline sharply. Bao held that major export marke ts' strict regulations on product legality and sustainability, trade fraud, complicated trade competition and limited production capacity of domestic firms also put Vietnamese wood exporters in hot water. Meanwhile, Giovanna Castellina, a representative from the Italian Centre for Industrial Studies, said that global wood furniture market size is around 480 billion USD, with China being the leading exporter, followed by the US, Italy, Germany, India and Vietnam. Geopolitical tensions, conflicts and supply chain disruptions will affect the sector's growth scenario this year, she said, adding the sector is forecast to go sideways and not grow in 2023, and will rebound in 2025. She suggested Vietnamese firms diversify its market instead of a single one to reduce risks, elaborating as three fourths of Vietnamese furniture are absorbed by the US market, export value falls dramatically when demand from the market dwindles. Sharing the same viewpoint, Chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of H o Chi Minh City (HAWA) Nguyen Quoc Khanh said that although Vietnam has been in the world's top wood exporters, the country holds a small market share. Against this backdrop, businesses should outline measures to reach new and potential markets, he added. Despites short-term challenges, experts said wood enterprises should invest in R and D activities and create new designs to improve added values for the products with a view to expanding market share in the coming time. Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that the sector's export turnover reached 14.39 USD billion last year, down 15.8% year-on-year. This year, the sector targets 15 billion USD in export revenue./. Source: Vietnam News Agency
Ensuring sustainable development of Phu Quoc: PM
Kien Giang: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged the island city of Phu Quoc in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang to maximise its potential, strengths and opportunities to develop rapidly and sustainably, while addressing a conference on March 31. The conference reviewed the PM's Decision No. 178/2004/QD-TTg approving a project on Phu Quoc's development by 2010 with a vision towards 2020. Stressing the important role, position and potential of Phu Quoc, the leader said over the past years, many mechanisms and policies have been rolled out to spur its development. The locality has drawn more domestic and international attention, its reputation and position have been consolidated, and its infrastructure has been upgraded, he continued. Chinh, however, pointed to challenges to Phu Quoc's rapid, sustainable development, green economy, digital economy, knowledge-based economy and sharing economy. Given its special position in terms of economy, politics, social affairs, tourism, services, trade, and nati onal defence and security, the PM noted that developing Phu Quoc is the task of not only the island district itself and Kien Giang, but also the entire nation. He called for stronger determination to turn Phu Quoc into a centre of services, high-quality eco-tourism, and maritime tourism, and a livable place, which is expected to help promote Vietnam on the global tourism map. Priorities should be given to green economy, the application of scientific-technological advances and innovations, digital transformation and green transition, he said, adding that economic development should go in tandem with socio-cultural development, and environmental protection. He spoke of other tasks for Phu Quoc like strengthening national defence and security, stepping up the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena, and enhancing external affairs and international integration. He laid emphasised on the need to push ahead with institution and policy perfection, concerted infrastructure development, decentralisat ion, production and business, cultural development, and support of ministries, agencies and localities for Phu Quoc. To ensure its sustainable development, it is a must to focus on environmental protection, he said, urging Phu Quoc to improve its competitiveness in the region and the world to attract more foreign direct investment. The Government will devise a project and issue suitable documents and submit them to competent authorities for consideration, which are expected to facilitate Phu Quoc's rapid, sustainable development. The provincial People's Committee reported that after nearly 20 years of implementing the resolution, Phu Quoc's annual economic growth has been maintained at nearly 19.6%. Its state budget collection increased more than 113% last year as compared with that in 2004. Last year, the island district attracted 321 projects worth more than 412 trillion VND (16.61 billion USD), making up 42.8% of the total projects in Kien Giang, the committee said. The number of tourists to the local ity also rose from only 130,000 in 2004 to around 5.57 million in 2023, of them more than 560,000 international, or 4.48% of foreign holidaymakers to Vietnam./. Source: Vietnam News Agency