Councils pledge development boost after housing delivery test failures

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) New York (VNA) – Vietnam pledges to further enhance cooperation with international organisations and partners, especially countries within the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and Mekong-Lancang cooperation mechanism, to achieve sustainable cross-border water development goals, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has said. Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha meets President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon (Photo: VNA) Within the framework of the event, Deputy PM Ha met with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and suggested both nations consider boosting cooperation in climate change adaptation and water resource management in the coming time. Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha and UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem (Photo: VNA) In a meeting with Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Natalia Kanem, Ha suggested the fund offer continued support to build and launch social social welfare policies … [Read more...] about Vietnam commits to cross-border water development goals: Deputy PM

Ho Xuan Hung, Chairman of the General Council of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, said AI-based equipment and machinery are becoming popular in the technology era, including in agriculture. He noted AI can help improve crop productivity; control pests, diseases, and cultivation conditions; and promote the performance of farming-related tasks across food supply chains. Farmers around the globe are applying AI to minimize impacts of chemical use on the environment. Advances in the manufacturing of AI-controlled robots are also helping farmers use less land and manpower while still boosting production. In Vietnam, AI application to agriculture is still new but grabbing attention from the government and businesses due to its advantages over traditional farming method, Hung went on. Echoing the view, Tran Quy, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Digital Economy Development, said the importance of AI to the development of modern agriculture is undeniable, adding that AI … [Read more...] about AI to fuel development of modern agriculture: workshop

Checking the quality of durians for export to China (Photo: qdnd.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam earned 8.2 billion USD from exports to China in the first two months of 2023, posting a year-on-year increase of 4.2%, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has reported. China is the main importer of many Vietnamese products. Therefore, China's market re-opening from January 8 brings great expectations to Vietnamese businesses, especially those exporting vegetables, fruits, seafood, fiber, cement, rubber, steel, textiles, and rice. According to Vietnam Fruit Vegetables Association (VinaFruit) General Secretary Dang Phuc Nguyen, China's restoration of customs clearance is good news for Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exporters, and helps import-export activities between the two countries gradually become bustling again. However, he also reminded Vietnamese businesses to make careful preparation when resuming their exports to this important market because China has … [Read more...] about Vietnam works hard to boost exports to Chinese market

A Coca Cola factory in Viet Nam. The beverage giant was among companies joining the mission. — Photo nld.com.vn Senior executives from 52 US companies in the 'biggest-ever' US business mission to Viet Nam are discussing investment and sales opportunities in the country. Chairman of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) Ted Osius said the council was never as busy as it is now. Its services are in high demand because many US companies show great interest in the country. He also said USABC representatives from other countries told him that they must act quickly because they were competing with Viet Nam. That was a way of saying Viet Nam has become a destination for growth and opportunities. Rafael Frankel, Director of Public Policy at Meta, said the trip was the second time he had been to Viet Nam since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. He appreciates the diligence of the Vietnamese workforce and sees a bright prospect for growth in the country. As such, he revealed the … [Read more...] about US companies upbeat on investment opportunities in Viet Nam

Duy said the Vietnamese Party and State consider sci-tech and innovation one of strategic breakthroughs and a driving force of growth pace and quality, turning Vietnam into a modern industrialized nation by 2030 and a high-income and developed country by 2045. In May and June last year, the Vietnamese Government and National Assembly passed a strategy on science, technology and innovation development till 2030 and the Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Intellectual Property Law. These documents will open up increasingly favorable policy and legal corridors to promote the strong development of innovation ecosystem and intellectual property ownership in Vietnam, contributing to creating a healthy business environment and delivery of commitments in trade agreements and international conventions to which Vietnam is a member, he said. He added that the gap in science and technology between Vietnam and other countries in the region has significantly narrowed as … [Read more...] about Vietnam, U.S. cultivate sci-tech, innovation cooperation

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, but indicated it was on the verge of pausing further increases in borrowing costs after the recent collapse of two U.S. banks. Fed Chair Jerome Powell sought to reassure investors about the soundness of the banking system, saying that the management of Silicon Valley Bank "failed badly," but that the bank's collapse did not indicate wider weaknesses in the banking system. "These are not weaknesses that are running broadly through the banking system," he said, adding that the takeover of Credit Suisse seemed to have been a positive outcome. The Federal Open Market Committee policy statement also said the U.S. banking system is "sound and resilient." Even so, Wall Street ended sharply lower after Powell told a news conference that officials were still intent on fighting inflation while also eying the extent to which recent bank failures had cooled demand and slowed lending. The … [Read more...] about U.S. Fed delivers small rate hike amid global banking turmoil

The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications, at a working session on Wednesday with the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and representatives from many U.S. enterprises, called on U.S enterprises to support Vietnamese enterprises, especially SMEs, in digital transformation. Following a working session with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the USABC and U.S. enterprises, who are in Vietnam to seek cooperation, investment, and business opportunities, held a meeting with the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications. A view of the working session between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council. Photo: Duong Giang / Tuoi Tre USABC President and CEO Ted Osius took time from the meeting to share his appreciation for the potential of Vietnam’s digital economy. According to Osius, U.S. enterprises are paying attention to the Southeast Asian country’s policies aimed at boosting the digital economy, … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for U.S. support in digital transformation

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has highlighted the need to establish a social ethical standard in relations and behaviours regarding water resources, especially transboundary water, in accordance with the principles of fairness, equality, rationality, and respect for the rights and interests of other countries in river basins. He made the call when addressing the opening session of the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York on March 22. Sharing concerns about the fact that nearly one-third of the world's population are living in countries with water stress or scarcity, the Deputy PM stressed that the water agenda should be given a prominent position in sustainable development, alongside climate change, socio-economic development and environmental development. He said a global science-based legal framework is needed to orient and coordinate the sustainable exploitation, use, and restoration of … [Read more...] about Vietnam stresses importance of ethical standards in handling water resources

We are facing a challenging business environment on a global scale. How do you evaluate the support the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) has and the wider Vietnamese business community? Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of ASEAN BAC 2023 In our country we have something called Indonesia Incorporated, where the government and the private sector work together. This is very important and, at the ASEAN level, we should have an ASEAN Incorporated, where the governments and the business community work together. This is because there are multiple challenges. For instance, we have 280 million people in ASEAN. If we didn’t have the public and the private sectors working together, we would not have been able to solve issues like carrying out mass vaccinations during the pandemic. If we work together on ASEAN connectivity, on energy for example, we can maintain our security with this synergy. We are a $3.2 trillion economy. However, with more efforts towards ASEAN … [Read more...] about Vietnam can enhance its role further within ASEAN

As part of the draft national Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), Vietnam plans to generate 7GW offshore wind capacity by 2030, but the lack of an official strategy is hindering progress. At a conference organised by the Central Economic Committee last week, Mark Hutchinson, chairman of the Southeast Asia Task Force, said, “7GW of offshore wind is crucial for Vietnam for its net-zero goal and for the country’s long-term energy security. Our message has been the same for years – a clearly defined route to the market is needed.” He said that offshore wind deployment was in its early stages and the deployment of the country’s 4GW of offshore wind was not driven by a direct auction mechanism but instead arranged at a time when clear policy measures were not in place. Thus, he called for accelerating a large-scale pilot or mechanism that covers a certain volume of the target, to bypass obstacles and fast track wind power. “There are now two main options: an accelerating mechanism such … [Read more...] about No time to waste in building the offshore wind industry