Times no football 2023

High pedestal to reach for 2023’s growth ambitions Vietnam’s economic growth is projected to ease to 6.3 per cent in 2023 from a robust 8.02 per cent last year, as services growth moderates and higher prices and interest rates weigh on households and investors, according to the World Bank’s latest Taking Stock report released last week. Growth is expected to pick up to 6.5 per cent in 2024 as the economies of Vietnam’s main export markets gain strength, the report said. The outlook for Vietnam reflects heightened uncertainty in the global economy. Downside risks include weaker-than-expected growth in Vietnam’s major export markets, which include the United States, China, and the Eurozone, tightening financial conditions, higher domestic inflation, weaknesses in the balance sheets of corporate, banking and household sectors, and financial sector vulnerabilities. The Vietnamese government has set a target that GDP will increase 5.6 per cent in Q1, 6.7 per cent in Q2, 6.5 per … [Read more...] about High pedestal to reach for 2023’s growth ambitions

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (L) and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. (Photo: VNA) New York (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha had bilateral meetings with many foreign leaders on the sidelines of the UN 2023 Water Conference, which is taking place in New York from March 22-24. In a meeting with King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, Ha hailed the King's initiatives and efforts in organising and co-hosting the conference, following the first of its kind in 1977. The Deputy PM expressed his hope that the Dutch royal family and the King himself will continue supporting the development of the Vietnam-Netherlands relations, including the Netherlands’ financial support and technological transfer to Vietnam in green transition, renewable energy, water resources management and climate change response. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand. (Photo: VNA) The … [Read more...] about Deputy PM holds bilateral meetings on sidelines of UN 2023 Water Conference

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

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

Vietnam has always considered the people as the driving force of the country's development process and is committed to improving the lives and ensuring the rights of all its citizens, leaving no one behind. During a press conference today [March 23], a journalist raised questions about the 2022 U.S. Human Rights Watch report, which accuses several Asian countries, including Vietnam, of grave and systematic human rights violations. Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. Source: MoFA Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang shared Vietnam's perspective on the issue, saying that protecting and promoting human rights is a consistent policy of Vietnam. "Vietnam has always considered the people as the driving force of the country's development process and is committed to improving the lives and ensuring the rights of all citizens, leaving no one behind," Hang said. Hang added that basic human rights were enshrined in Vietnam's … [Read more...] about US human rights report gives one-sided evaluations of Vietnam: MOFA

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao, who is also head of Vietnam's Delegation to the E.U., made the statement at a workshop to review the relations between ASEAN and E.U. over the last four decades in Brussels on March 21. Speaking on behalf of ASEAN at the discussion on trade cooperation, Thao highlighted the great potential for the two sides to further step up trade cooperation, which he said is a driver of the ASEAN - E.U. relations. According to the diplomat, the two sides are now the third largest trade partners of each other. They have mutual complementarity in key export products, and at the same time have the needs and policies to diversify supply chains. The E.U. is also the second biggest foreign investor in ASEAN with more than 380 billion EUR invested in ASEAN as of 2021. He proposed that the two sides should set up a free trade agreement (FTA) on the basis of bilateral FTAs that the E.U. has signed with ASEAN member nations, including Vietnam. The … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for stronger ASEAN – E.U. relations

According to the city’s businesses, more Chinese tourist groups will arrive in the city this month and April will be the peak time marking the return of Chinese tourists to Vietnam. On the contrary, the number of Vietnamese tourists booking tours to China will also increase, helping to stimulate demand in the tourism markets of the two countries in the coming time. The forecast is based on the huge tourism demand of Chinese tourists after about three years of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Vietnam being one of the Chinese tourists’ favorite destinations. In addition, Vietnamese businesses have developed high-quality and oriented products and services for specific tourist segments. Accompanying the business community, the city’s Department of Tourism has just coordinated with the Zhangjiajie city People's Committee in China’s Hunan province and the Vietnam Global International Travel Group Joint Stock Company to organize a tourism promotion conference in Zhangjiajie … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism shows positive signs with return of Chinese visitors

Vietnam GameVerse hosts a chain of events for the gaming community including exhibitions, seminars, cosplay competitions, and game awards. Phu Tho Indoor Sport Stadium is home to many domestic and international eSport tournaments. Vietnam GameVerse is co-organized by the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information, under the Ministry of Information and Communications, VnExpress and the Vietnam Game Union. Le Quang Tu Do, Director of the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information at the Ministry of Information and Communications, speaks at the launch event. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy The event will start with Game Expo, an area for displaying game products and services. Game Expo will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. throughout the two days of the event. More than 20 partner booths will showcase at Game Expo, along with a series of sideline activities and hundreds of gifts for visitors. From 9:30 a.m. on April 1, the Game Forum … [Read more...] about Vietnam game festival to take place in April

The 33-year-old stylist said the project is part of a series of activities marking Bingbing's return this year. Kye will work as a stylist for Bingbing in photoshoots for magazine covers. Kye sent his profile to Bingbing’s agent in late 2022 and received a work invitation in February. He’s set to be in Beijing from April 15 to April 20 to work with the famous actress in photoshoots. "In addition to outfits from famous fashion houses, I want to take this chance to introduce Vietnamese designs to international stars," Kye said. Fan Bingbing in a gown designed by Tony Ward at the Oscars on March 13, 2023. Photo by Fan Bingbing Studio Currently, Kye is spending time learning basic Chinese so that he can communicate with Bingbing at work. He said he’s not under pressure because he has worked on many projects before. Bingbing caught the attention of the public when she appeared at a fashion event in the United States this month, following a five-year hiatus after being … [Read more...] about Vietnamese stylist to work with Fan Bingbing

Christanto Suryadarma, sales vice president for Southeast Asia at Zebra Technologies, told VIR at a press briefing on March 21, “There are many industries that we can participate with in Vietnam to modernise and automate. Transportation logistics is a key, and we are already gaining customers in this field. We are also starting to see some good use cases in healthcare, and we want to continue growing that." "Recently, we also saw interest from the Vietnamese government in terms of safety and security, looking at how they can equip security and police officers with our technology to improve safety and productivity,” he added. Christanto Suryadarma, sales vice president for Southeast Asia, Zebra Technologies Retail and manufacturing are now the two best performing industries for Zebra Technologies in Vietnam. For example, in retail, the company sees many retailers automating and digitalising using its solutions. Moreover, the nation is now a strategic location for … [Read more...] about Zebra Technologies eyes potential of logistics, healthcare, and public sectors in Vietnam