The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) transits through South China Sea while conducting routine underway operations, February 5, 2021. — Photo from the US Department of Defense HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is a responsible member of the international community and always upholds provisions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS 1982), spokesperson for the foreign ministry Lê Thị Thu Hằng said. She made the statement on Thursday in the regular press briefing, held virtually this time due to COVID-19 in Hà Nội, when asked for Việt Nam’s reaction to the US Navy’s first freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) held under the Biden administration in February. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain reportedly conducted the FONOP near the Trường Sa (Spratly) and Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea by Việt Nam) over which Việt Nam has repeatedly claimed sovereignty, but contested by mainland China and China’s Taiwan. “By engaging in innocent passage without giving prior notification to or asking permission from any of the claimants,” the US Navy noted in a statement. Also regarding the recent statement by French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly that France had sent the nuclear submarine, SNA Emeraude, to patrol the South China Sea, together with the naval support ship BSAM Seine, the said spokesperson said: “As a responsible member of the international community and a signatory of the UNCLOS 1982, Việt Nam always upholds the provisions of the UNCLOS, including items related to maritime and flight activities over the sea regions set up in accordance with UNCLOS 1982.” “The maintenance of peace, stability, security and order, safety, maritime and overflight freedom, the rule of law, with respect to sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the littoral countries in the South China Sea, in a manner that is consistent with the UNCLOS 1982, is …
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‘Hello Ho Chi Minh City’ communication campaign launched
The campaign will take place from October 2020 to the end of January 2021 and is aiming to promote images of Ho Chi Minh City and encourage every Vietnamese person to travel within Vietnam and every citizen of Ho Chi Minh City to discover the beauty of where they live. The campaign has been divided into two main phases. The first phase will focus on introducing the image of Ho Chi Minh City - a safe, lively and friendly city. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism HAS also implemented many activities such as organising an Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) Festival, and signing a cooperation agreement on safe,attractive tourism between Ho Chi Minh City and provinces in the Southeast region as well as Binh Thuan province. In the second phase, the campaign is expected to promote the official identity of Ho Chi Minh City tourism and organise activities to link and promote tourism. Some typical activities will include: Conferences linking Ho Chi Minh City region with provinces in the Northwest, Northeast and Central regions; and the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon. In addition, the tourism industry of Ho Chi Minh City will continue to boost the promotional activities and communication channels of international tourism organisations such as the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asian-Pacific Cities (TPO), the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations and the International Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), of which Ho Chi Minh City is a member. According to Vo Thi Ngoc Thuy, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in order to restore tourism activities in the city after the "hit" of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Hello Ho Chi Minh City" is considered as the pioneering activity in a series of events and programmes to promote the city's tourism brand as identified in the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Development Strategy to 2025 and vision to 2030. In addition, "Hello Ho Chi Minh City" will be one of the …
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Cambodia reports 65 new COVID-19 infections
People in Cambodia are asked not to enter and leave COVID-19-hit areas (Photo: VNA) Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia logged 65 new COVID-19 infections on February 25 morning, including 58 cases in the community with links to the “February 20 community infection outbreak”, announced the Ministry of Health. Of the locally-transmitted cases, there were 41 Chinese nationals, nine Vietnamese, five Cambodian and three from the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Japan. As of February 25, the country’s COVID-19 count had risen to 697, including 477 recoveries. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen recently called on Cambodians nationwide, especially those in Phnom Penh, to intensify preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic as the new community infection outbreak was announced. All social activities can remain as usual, but preventive measures must be reinforced, he added./. VNA …
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