Sustainable port development

In the updated draft national master plan for the rest of the decade and with orientations to 2050 that was released last week, the section on the nation’s urban and rural network highlighted that Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are continuing to promote their effectiveness and spillover effects. It is hoped that they will develop dynamically and creatively in order to compete internationally. Vietnam’s planning orientation for the next few years aims to push development of satellite towns, Le Toan At last week’s conference on the national master plan held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hanoi, Tran Hong Quang, director general of the ministry’s Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies (VIDS), revealed that the two biggest cities will focus on developing high-quality and high-value-added services in sci-tech, health, training, and IT, as well as restricting processing and manufacturing industries that use a lot of land and labour. “We should push the … [Read more...] about Modern slant found through key planning

Kenneth Chan, senior director of Market Development at Renze Textile JSC, under Texhong Group, has unveiled a new process to monitor origin-tracing. A tracing system is slated to be put into operation in August for the subsidiaries of Texhong Group, after Chan informed the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association and the American Cotton Association (CCI) at a meeting earlier in June. This US has made major decisions on cotton origin-tracing that affects Vietnam and beyond, Duc Thanh Renze, one of eight Texhong member companies, is using American cotton for its products to ensure product quality and comply with strict requirements for export to the United States and EU. From March, customers were able to access the Texhong cotton tracing system to trace the details of their orders. Chan noted that Renze is focusing on sustainability and transparency. He also informed the company’s partners about key development trends as well as viable solutions for Vietnamese suppliers to … [Read more...] about US ratchets up origin-tracing on cotton materials

As Vietnam steps into the post-pandemic era, experiences and learnings from the pandemic serve as a reminder of the importance of digital transformation and its crucial technology component. Eunjung Han, consultant at Rouse Legal Vietnam and vice chair of the Digital Sector Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam Despite COVID-19’s negative economic and social impact, Vietnam remains an attractive destination to European investors. According to the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) 2021 White Book, Vietnam’s stable macro-economic climate, with inflation in the single digits, continues to increase investor confidence in the country’s trade and investment environment. Only adding to that, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is paving the way for continued foreign direct investment (FDI) from the EU and is viewed as a means for shared recovery and economic rebound. As the first comprehensive FTA between the EU and a developing country in … [Read more...] about EVFTA underpinning growth in Vietnamese tech market

The victory in the first battle of the air defense troops also left invaluable lessons, of which the most remarkable one is the art of employing combined arms in air defense operations. To prepare for the war of destruction against North Vietnam then, from February 1964, U.S. air force used recce aircraft and paratroops to intrude the territory of North Vietnam from the sea so as to sabotage coastal economic and military facilities. At the beginning of April 1964, with the plan to air-raid 94 targets in the North, the U.S. “invented” the Gulf of Tonkin incident to legalize its war of destruction. Closely following the developments and learning the plot as well as activities in preparation for the war of destruction of the U.S. troops, in June 1964, the Politburo issued a resolution on enhancing combat capabilities and staying ready to foil the plot of the U.S. invaders. Party committees and governments of localities were to enhance their civil air defense alert and strengthen air … [Read more...] about The art of combined-arms operations in victory of air defense troops’ first battle

Digital payment service provider Visa announced earlier this week the launch of Visa Eco Benefits in the Asia-Pacific region in order to meet increasing demand for sustainable financial services. Eco Benefits is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments, the multinational company said in a press release on Wednesday. They can calculate the carbon footprint generated by their Visa transactions, and access options for carbon offsetting or charitable donations from their bank’s website or app. Banks in Asia Pacific that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet a growing demand for sustainable financial services. Sixty-six percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions, according to a new Visa/YouGov survey. Over half (52 percent) would switch … [Read more...] about Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific

Vietnamese and international viewers will enjoy the unique works of worldwide cinema industries. The sixth Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) will make a comeback and is scheduled to take place in Hanoi between November 8 and 12, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After a two-year hiatus due to the Covíd-19 outbreak, the new context of safe and flexible adaptation to the pandemic makes its 6th edition this year a special one, the ministry said, authorizing the Vietnam Cinematography Department and relevant agencies to organize the event. The biennial festival aims to honor outstanding international and Vietnamese film works with high artistic value, rich in humanism and creativity. Foreign filmmakers at the fifth HANIFF held in Hanoi. Photo: Lai Tan The film festival also aims to encourage new talents in the movie industry in Vietnam and worldwide while promoting cooperation among filmmakers for the development of cinema. … [Read more...] about Hanoi International Film Festival to return in Q4

Vietnamese Students in Australia (SVAU) convenes its second congress in Canberra on August 6. (Photo: VNA) Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Students in Australia (SVAU) convened its second congress in Canberra on August 6 to review its performance during the 2020-2022 tenure and map out plans for the next term from 2022 – 2024. The hybrid event was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh and some 40 outstanding Vietnamese students across Australia. It also saw the online attendance by representatives from the Central Committees of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Vietnam Students' Association and leaders of student associations from Vietnam. Addressing the congress, SVAU Vice President Huynh Tan Dat said during the past term, the association has hosted a variety of activities to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among students, including a series of talks with experts in innovation for students and an annual global contest for innovative … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Students in Australia holds second congress

Banking services have also made quick progress, catching up with the development of the international market, according to the PM, who is also head of the committee. However, shortcomings still remain during the implementation of comprehensive finance, he said, adding that residents in rural and remote areas still find it hard to access financial sources. Black credit has remained public concern and agencies and organizations have yet to coordinate concertedly and effectively in the implementation of comprehensive finance, the leader pointed out. He noted that the Government issued Decision No.149/QD-TTg on the approval of a national strategy on comprehensive finance by 2025 with a vision towards 2030. The strategy sets out viewpoints, targets, tasks and solutions to accelerate the access and use of financial products and services for all people and businesses, he continued. The issuance of the strategy reflects the Party’s and the State’s consistent policy on boosting … [Read more...] about PM chairs meeting of National Steering Committee for Comprehensive Finance

A picutre of District 7 in HCM City where located many office buildings. The hybrid working in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region is accelerating. — Photo Courtesy Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam The popularity of hybrid working in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region is likely to accelerate as Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – accounts for a larger percentage of the working-age population, experts said. Gen Z, which will reach one billion by 2030, is the first generation of digital natives. They expect a seamless connection between the physical and the digital, which is also what allows hybrid working to flourish. A report by Cushman & Wakefield titled “Asia Pacific Office of the Future Revisited” revealed that the majority of office workers in Asia Pacific, including Viet Nam, want to be more flexible in the way they work. Hybrid working is not a new concept, but it was relatively foreign to the masses before the COVID-19 virus hit. A hybrid office is … [Read more...] about Hybrid working grows in popularity in Asia

What are the concerns surrounding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) implementation among Vietnamese garment exporters to the US? Association chairman Vu Duc Giang Some of the concerns are real. Since the UFLPA became effective in June, Vietnam has witnessed certain impacts on its garment exports to the US. Vietnam has maintained its position as the world’s third-largest cotton importer with a volume of 1.5 million tonnes per year. This includes 800,000 tonnes of cotton imported from the US, accounting for 60 per cent of the total imports. In January 2021, US Customs and Border Protection announced a ban on raw fibres, apparel, and textiles made from Xinjiang-grown cotton, which also covers cotton products made in third countries. Customs will detain imported merchandise unless the importer can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the goods were not from Xinjiang. What is the status of the recommendations from the US on Chinese cotton? Vietnam … [Read more...] about Facilitating recovery of Vietnam’s yarn sector in midst of US policy enforcement