There were no survivors after a fishing vessel carrying 39 crew members from China, Indonesia and the Philippines capsized last week in the Indian Ocean, according to an initial government probe released on Tuesday. The Chinese vessel overturned on May 16, with 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos on board. "From an analysis of the ship's capsizing... it is preliminarily judged that there are no survivors from the ship," Beijing's transport ministry said in an official social media post. The boat capsized within Australia's vast search-and-rescue region, 5,000 kilometres (2,700 nautical miles) to the west of Perth, the state capital of Western Australia. Chinese state media reported on Monday that seven bodies had been found by Chinese and Sri Lankan rescue vessels, without specifying the nationalities of the dead. Australia had sent three aeroplanes and four ships to help in the international search-and-rescue efforts. The rescue operation has been downgraded to a … [Read more...] about No survivors in Chinese fishing vessel capsizing: initial probe
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Vietnamese bird’s nests see opportunities to enter Chinese market
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China signed a protocol on requirements for quarantine, inspection and veterinary hygiene for bird’s nests of Vietnam to be exported to China. The protocol, which took effect in November last year, is said to be a condition for Vietnamese bird’s nests to conquer the Chinese market after Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. In Central Highlands provinces, swiftlet farms have registered for production area codes and completing documents in line with the protocol. Authorities also support enterprises in registering for exporting bird’s nests to China. Nguyen Dung, Vice President of the Vietnam Farms and Agricultural Enterprises Association, said that China opening door to Vietnamese bird’s nests via official channels brings opportunities to the local bird’s nest industry. Exports to China and countries with big Chinese communities like the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand is a way to … [Read more...] about Vietnamese bird’s nests see opportunities to enter Chinese market
Vietnamese, Chinese publishing houses sign deals
At the signing ceremony (Photo: Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House and the People's Publishing House of China signed a cooperation agreement for the 2023-2028 period, and a copyright contract for the second volume of the book “Xi Jinping Tells Stories” on May 23 in Hanoi. The two publishing houses have set up and maintained cooperative ties since the 1960s. As important publishing units of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of China, the two sides have implemented effective cooperation in the field of publishing, and made positive contributions to cultural exchange between the people of Vietnam and China. Under the newly-signed agreement, the two agencies will cooperate in building a mechanism for exchange and publication consultation with the periodic provision and introduction of necessary information related to publications. They will also introduce key … [Read more...] about Vietnamese, Chinese publishing houses sign deals
ASEAN, Chinese senior officials meet on DOC implementation
Earlier, ASEAN member countries convened a meeting to coordinate their stances. Ambassador Vu Ho, Acting Head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam, led a Vietnamese delegation to the meetings. Myanmar, the coordinator of ASEAN - China ties, and China co-chaired the 20th SOM-DOC which took place after nearly two years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the meeting, delegates reaffirmed the value and importance of DOC in the region. They highly appreciated the positive results in the DOC implementation over the past time. They highlighted the effective implementation of specific cooperation activities in marine environment protection, marine scientific research, humane and fair treatment of fishermen, search and rescue operations at sea. They also noted activities in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the DOC in 2022. The delegates showed their concerns about the complex developments in the East Sea (South China Sea) which erode trust, increase tensions, and affect … [Read more...] about ASEAN, Chinese senior officials meet on DOC implementation
Measures sought to assist wood sector in promoting exports
An overview of the meeting (Photo: MoF) Hanoi (VNA) – Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu on May 22 chaired a meeting between the Steering Committee for Economic Diplomacy and representative agencies of Vietnam abroad to evaluate impacts, challenges and opportunities from new regulations of markets to wood and forestry sector of Vietnam, and seek ways to support the sector in promoting exports. Participants agreed that the world economy has seen many difficulties, affecting many sectors, including the wood and forestry sector . In the long term, Vietnam is facing challenges from new policies and regulations as well as the increasing demands from countries, especially major markets such as the EU and the US, with the EU having enacted the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and new rules in supply chain and labour. In this context, wood and forestry businesses asked for support from Vietnamese representative … [Read more...] about Measures sought to assist wood sector in promoting exports
China becomes Vietnam’s second biggest source of tourists
Over 146,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Vietnam this month, up 23% from the previous month, according to a report by the General Statistics Office. Since China began reopening its border in mid-January, the country welcomed a total of 398,000 Chinese arrivals. South Korea continued to be the largest source of tourist arrivals with over 1.3 million in the first five months. The U.S. ranked third with 307,000 arrivals. Vietnam received over 916,000 foreign tourist arrivals in May, down 6.9% from the previous month. In the first five months of this year, the country welcomed 4.6 million international visitors, more than half this year's target of 8 million but just 63% of pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the year before the onset of the pandemic, China was Vietnam's biggest source of foreign arrivals with 5.5 million arrivals. Earlier, HSBC predicted Vietnam could receive 3 to 4.5 million visitors from China this year, equivalent to 50%-80% of pre-pandemic levels. … [Read more...] about China becomes Vietnam’s second biggest source of tourists
Markets advance ahead of US debt talks
Most markets rose Monday ahead of US debt talks between President Joe Biden and congressional leaders, with both sides still apart but also confident a deal can be reached to avert a catastrophic default. Sentiment was also being supported by hopes the Federal Reserve will stand pat on interest rates at its next gathering, and Biden saying China-US relations should see a thaw "very shortly". After returning from the G7 summit in Japan, Biden will meet Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House, with a warning that the government could run out of cash as soon as June 1. But while there is a broad expectation that an agreement will be found, Biden insisted he would not give in to demands for spending cuts, saying they were "frankly unacceptable". "It's time for the other side to move from their extreme positions," he said. For his part, McCarthy said his position remained unchanged, tweeting: "Washington cannot continue to spend money we do not have at the … [Read more...] about Markets advance ahead of US debt talks
Farmers look to capitalise on increased agricultural product exports to China
Vehicles at Kim Thanh International Border Gate in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai.(Photo chinhphu.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The quantity of Vietnamese agricultural goods exported to China via border gates in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has witnessed a significant upswing this year, surpassing figures from previous years. The newfound export surge can be attributed to China's recent modifications in its COVID-19 prevention policies, leaving farmers in a state of anticipation. Vang Kim Sinh, a farmer of Tan Tien Hamlet, Trinh Tuong commune, Bat Xat district said he and his neighbours have shifted to plant bananas instead of cassava to earn a living in recent years. The technique of growing bananas is simple, bringing higher income than growing cassava, he said. He said since the beginning of this year he has sent several containers of bananas through Kim Thanh International Border Gate. One container contains about 3,300 boxes of bananas, he … [Read more...] about Farmers look to capitalise on increased agricultural product exports to China
Farmers look to capitalize on increased agricultural product exports to China
The newfound export surge can be attributed to China's recent modifications in its COVID-19 prevention policies, leaving farmers in a state of anticipation. Vang Kim Sinh, a farmer of Tan Tien hamlet, Trinh Tuong commune, Bat Xat district said he and his neighbors have shifted to plant bananas instead of cassava to earn a living in recent years. The technique of growing bananas is simple, bringing higher income than growing cassava, he said. He said since the beginning of this year he has sent several containers of bananas through Kim Thanh International Border Gate. One container contains about 3,300 boxes of bananas, he said. He said that the price of bananas, which are exported to China, is more than doubled that of bananas he sells to the domestic market. When China closed its door due to the pandemic, he said that bananas from the commune were only sold domestically with the highest price of VND 3,000 (USD 0.12) per kg. Now, he said the bananas had been exported to … [Read more...] about Farmers look to capitalize on increased agricultural product exports to China
Vietnam buys electricity from China to ease shortage
The People’s Committee of Mong Cai City in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Monday cut off power in the entire city for three hours to complete the installation of a 110kV power transmission line from China, adding to the domestic power supply. Mong Cai will start using electricity bought from Shengou, Guangxi, China from Wednesday after the Northern Power Corporation, under state utility Vietnam Electricity Group, and Guangxi Power Grid Co. Ltd. signed a power purchase agreement on Tuesday. As per the agreement, the Chinese side has been committed to providing Vietnam with a maximum power capacity of 70 MW and a monthly output of 30 million kWh of electricity. The electricity obtained from the Chinese supplier will be distributed to the Mong Cai station, located in Mong Cai City, and the Quang Ha station, situated in Hai Ha District, both of which operate at a voltage of 110kV in Quang Ninh Province, between May and July -- the hot season in northern Vietnam. The deal … [Read more...] about Vietnam buys electricity from China to ease shortage