Anti immigrants

Whilst it is natural to be wary of undergoing the quarantine process, it remains vial to not harm or undermine the efforts of the community and country, Deputy PM Dam said during an ongoing conference held between the Government and centrally-run localities in Hanoi. This comes after a group of six Vietnamese people illegally entered the nation through the border with Cambodia on December 24. Upon their detection, four of the individuals have since tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while hundreds of people who came into contact with these cases have been placed into quarantine for medical surveillance. With the source of virus infections mainly coming from outside the country, it remains vital for the nation to tighten its management of borders, according to the Deputy PM. In line with this, it is also important to set up a system so people can provide information regarding illegal entries. The Deputy PM also pointed out that concentrated quarantine work has not been carried out in a serious manner in several localities following a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection being detected at a quarantine facility in Ho Chi Minh City last month. According to the Deputy PM, those who complete their 14-day quarantine period as regulated will also have to self-isolate and undergo medical observation at home to ensure they are free of COVID-19. “Even though we have vaccines, we are unlikely to carry out a massive vaccination campaign until the summer of 2021,” Deputy PM Dam warned. “We have no other choice but to strictly implement preventative measures.” Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security To Lam admitted that hundreds of people illegally enter the country each day, thereby putting increasing pressure on local police forces. He cited statistics, indicating that approximately 70,000 Vietnamese people stranded overseas due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have been repatriated under the Prime Minister’s instructions. An additional hundreds of …

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The detaining of the suspect comes immediately after he was caught in the process of attempting to illegally smuggle four Chinese nationals into the nation at the Chi Ma border gate in Loc Binh district at approximately 11 p.m. on December 28. Once under questioning at the border post, 42-year-old Phuong Van Bac of Tu Mich commune in Loc Binh district of Lang Son province confessed to being hired by a Chinese man for the task of bringing the four Chinese men into the country. Bac added that he would have been paid VND4 million, equivalent to US$174, providing that all of the Chinese nationals had successfully entered the country. Furthermore, each of the Chinese nationals were immediately put into quarantine in Lang Son province in accordance to relevant novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic containment measures. Following the arrest, police officials began the process of bringing legal procedures against Phuong Van Bac. …

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Vietnam is currently going through a growth spurt while entering an era with more modern and people-centred considerations rising in prevalence. What role does “soft power” play in GDP growth as well as regional and global success? Vu Ba Phu, director general of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Vietnam’s soft power stems from not only the promotion of its own values such as the heroic history, rich culture and traditions, and pacifist foreign policy but also the development and optimisation of a range of new positions and advantages. Amid the difficulties of 2020, the successful dispensing of its dual role as both ASEAN chair and non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is testament to the successful application of soft power in Vietnam’s foreign policy. In 2020, the world lauded Vietnam’s rapid response and contributions to regional and international affairs thanks to its ability to grasp opportunities, taking the initiative in coping with dynamic situations and ensuring economic recovery while promoting multilateralism and international solidarity to get through the COVID-19 crisis. Vietnam not only dived deeper into the global economy and made increasing contributions to shaping the ground rules of international organisations, it also prepared for further comprehensive integration. Possibly the greatest achievements were extending Vietnam’s diplomatic relations to 187 out of 193 member states of the United Nations while completing negotiating and signing new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), making the country an integral factor in all regional and intra-regional economic links. With these steps, Vietnam is now one of the most open economies in the world, with the ratio of foreign trade to GDP increasing from 136 per cent in 2010 to approximately 200 per cent in 2019. Amid COVID-19 shutdowns in early 2020, Vietnam was among the very few countries to achieve positive GDP …

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