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At 7pm on February 11 in South Sudan, 5 time zones away from Vietnam, more than 60 officers and soldiers at a field hospital straightened their costumes, saluted the flag and sang the national anthem to see in the New Year. On the TV screen was a video of fireworks exploding over the skies of Hanoi. With hands on their chest and eyes looking towards the motherland, they offered incense to President Ho Chi Minh and listened to General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong’s New Year greetings. The soldiers, away from home, were moved upon hearing the top leader extend his wishes to all Vietnamese people both at home and abroad. Raising their glasses, giving warm hugs and making wishes of peace, Vietnamese doctors on the UN peacekeeping mission looked to the small stage and watched a home-made arts programme. “We called back home to inquire after our family members on New Year’s eve. This is the second Tet of the hospital staff in South Sudan although the tenure was expected to be just one year”, said Lieutenant Colonel Vo Van Hien, director of the field hospital, explaining the tenure has been lengthened due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, guests invited to the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations included a large number of service members on the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. But this year, the celebrations were only held internally to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Earlier Senior Colonel Nguyen Ba Hung, a military observer, and a number of officers working in the capital Juba, had managed to complete their work and returned to the Bentiu base, 900 kilometres from the capital, to celebrate Tet along with military doctors. “A shipment of supplies was dispatched from Vietnam to South Sudan at the end of the year so that soldiers here could have a warm Tet. In addition to medical supplies and protective gear, we also received essential food such as vermicelli, shiitake mushroom and cloud ear fungus”, said Senior Lieutenant Le Trong Nghia, …

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The Hanoitimes - Given Vietnam’s rapid economic growth in the past few years, opportunities for US companies spread in all fields, from healthcare, aviation, to agriculture or education. The Vietnamese government welcome US investments in fields with high added value, including energy, industry and infrastructure, that can help Vietnam further go up in the global value chain, according to Vice Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai. Overview of the conference. Source: MoIT. An unstable global trade environment as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic is putting pressure on multinationals, including US corporations, to look for the formation of new supply chains, state Mr. Hai at the Vietnam – US Trade Forum 2020 held on November 18. During this context, a growing number of enterprises are investing in backup supply chains in different locations to ensure sustainability and continuity in operation, he noted, adding many US investors consider Vietnam as a key and safe choice for the global value chains. Vice Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai speaks at the conference. Source: MoIT. According to Mr. Hai, this is the right time for Vietnam to continue pushing for greater improvements in the business environment to attract investment from the US and take a higher role in the supply chains. US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie Damour said given Vietnam’s rapid economic growth in the past few years, opportunities for US companies spread in all fields, from healthcare, aviation, to agriculture or education. Four sectors with the highest potential are energy, infrastructure, digital economy and hi-tech manufacturing, she added. Mr. Hai pointed to the complementary nature between the two economies as key factor to maintain mutual benefits in bilateral cooperation, therefore placing the US among Vietnam’s top trading partners. The vice minister also urged Vietnamese enterprises to import more …

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Thursday to do more to help cut funding streams for North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and to minimize diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. In his first ministerial meeting with all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Tillerson also called on nations with competing claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, to cease all island building and militarization while talks aimed at creating a maritime code of conduct were under way. Patrick Murphy, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Tillerson stressed Washington's security and economic commitment to the region, amid doubts raised by President Donald Trump's "America First" platform and withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact. Tillerson called on ASEAN countries to fully implement U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang, which is working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, and to show a united front on the issue, Murphy said. "We think that more can be done, not just in Southeast Asia," he told reporters. "We are encouraging continued and further steps across all of ASEAN." Last week, Tillerson called on all countries to suspend or downgrade diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, saying that North Korea abuses diplomatic privileges to help fund its arms programs. Tillerson also warned that Washington would sanction foreign firms and people conducting business with North Korea if countries did not act themselves. All ASEAN members have diplomatic relations with North Korea and five have embassies there. Murphy said Washington was not encouraging ASEAN states to formally cut ties, but to examine the North Korean presence "where it clearly exceeds diplomatic needs." He said some countries were already doing this and also looking at the presence of North Korean workers, another significant revenue earner …

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