Ho chi

China’s National Day observed in Hanoi

September 28, 2023 by en.qdnd.vn Leave a Comment

PANO – The Chinese Embassy in Vietnam on September 27 evening organized a party in celebration of the 67th anniversary of China’s National Day (October 1) under the chair of Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiao Young.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh; Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia; Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son; ambassadors and heads of diplomatic corps of foreign countries and international organizations in Hanoi; representatives from local press agencies; and Chinese nationals who are studying and working in Vietnam participated in the event.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiao Young speaking at the party

Addressing the party, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiao Young emphasized the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, which was founded and fostered by Chinese President Mao Zedong and Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, saying that it is the valuable treasure that the two Parties, States and peoples should continuously honor, preserve and foster.

The Ambassador also expressed his joy at the sound and stable developments in relations between the two countries and stressed that General Secretary and President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China in 2015 turned over a new leaf in the history of the two nations’ relations.

He also underscored that the recent official visit to China and the participation in the 13th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the senior official delegation of Vietnam was one of the important high-ranking visits of the two countries, serving as new driving forces for the development of China-Vietnam relationship.

Thanks to the sound leadership of the two sides’ leaders, cooperation between the two sides in economics, trade, investment, defense and law enforcement has been developed in a practical and effective manner. In the first half of this year, Vietnam, for the first time, became China’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN. This shows that the two countries still have much potential for cooperation.

At this point, the two sides are actively connecting China’s initiative “one belt-one road” and Vietnam’s plan “two corridors-one belt”.

To conclude, the Chinese Ambassador believed that with the two sides’ great efforts, the China-Vietnam relationship will further develop.

Translated by Mai Huong

Visit to further consolidate close solidarity between Vietnamese and Lao militaries

September 28, 2023 by en.qdnd.vn Leave a Comment

The Vietnam visit of Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong and the LPA’s delegation aims to maintain high-level meeting between the two sides and is an opportunity for the two militaries to exchange and agree on the direction of cooperation in Party and political work in the coming time, especially in 2024 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the foundation day of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944 – 2024) and the 75th anniversary of LPA’s foundation day (January 20, 1949 – 2024.)

As two neighboring countries with time-honored relationship and solidarity, Vietnam and Laos have together gone through countless hardships and challenges to build a special friendship and solidarity which is “deeper than the Hong Ha (Red) and Cuu Long (Mekong) rivers,” “stronger than mountains and rivers,” and “brighter than the full moon and more fragrant than the most fragrant flower in the world.”

In the national construction and defense cause, under the light of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought in Vietnam, Marxism-Leninism and Kaysone Phomvihane’s thought in Laos, the two countries have continued to stand side by side and cooperate to build independent and self-reliant economies, pro-actively integrating into the world and moving towards socialism.

Over the past years, the Vietnam – Laos and Laos – Vietnam great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation have been continuously expanded and developed, bringing about benefits for the people of both countries. Since the defense cooperation is considered an important pillar of Vietnam – Laos relations, the VPA and the LPA have determined that the Party and political work is one of the important fields in their cooperation. It has been comprehensively, intensively, practically, and effectively implemented, contributing to building politically-, ideologically-, organizationally- and ethically-strong militaries.

Over the past time, the two GDPs have worked together to disseminate information about the history, meaning, and importance of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, states, militaries and peoples. Most recently, the two sides successfully organized a series of activities within the “Vietnam – Laos, Laos – Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022” to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties (September 5, 1962 – 2022) and 45 years since the signing of the countries’ Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977 – 2022.

The two sides have accelerated sharing of practical experience in organizing Party and political work in the military in each country; carried out policy work; speeded up the process of searching, gathering, and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who laid down their lives in Laos while conducting international duties; brought into play the efficiency of exchanges and twinning models in border areas.

In addition, cooperation in building human resources has been paid special attention to by both sides. They have considered the work a long-term strategic mission which has truly become a symbol of bilateral defense cooperation in general and cooperation in Party and political work in particular. A typical example is the two sides’ collaboration in building important projects, including the LPA’s Political Theory School and the Culture School.

With the above-mentioned results, we believe that the official visit to Vietnam by Senior Lieutenant General Thongloi Silivong and the LPA’s high-level political delegation will be a success, contributing to consolidating political trust and close solidarity between the two countries in general and the two militaries in particular.

Translated by Tran Hoai

Numerous foreign firms eye stronger investment in Vietnam

September 27, 2023 by en.vietnamplus.vn Leave a Comment

Vietnamese products are increasingly gaining popularity among consumers worldwide.- Illustrative image (Photo: sggp.org.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – Nearly 1,000 foreign enterprises from 28 countries and territories, including giants such as Boeing, Walmart, and Central Retail, have entered Vietnam to explore investment opportunities and seek partners since early September.

Unlimited demand for goods

According to Avaneesh Gupta, Senior Vice President of General Merchandise & Apparel Sourcing at Walmart – the world’s number one retailer, Vietnam is among the top five countries for exports of wood and agricultural products, and ranks 10th globally for textiles and footwear exports.

Notably, Vietnamese products are increasingly gaining popularity among consumers worldwide, Gupta said.

As part of the 2024 supplemental sourcing strategy for the Walmart network, the firm has deployed procurement teams to Vietnam to explore sourcing opportunities in the country, with the product categories including seafood, cashew nuts, soy milk, coffee, fresh fruits, and fruit-based snacks, he said.

Lionel Adenot, Director of Decathlon Vietnam Group, has mentioned that his company is expanding its textile product supply with unlimited volume.

However, to become suppliers of the firm, Vietnamese businesses need to meet specific conditions, including ensuring that factories do not use coal and have a roadmap to eliminate the use of fossil fuels by 2025, achieving self-sufficiency in raw material supply, favouring environmentally friendly, on-site material usage, and implementing digital transformation in their production processes, he said.

Decathlon Vietnam Group will prioritise businesses that meet criteria related to responsibilities towards workers and the community, he added.

Agriculture also represents an enticing industry for foreign investors.

Central Retail Group has offered technical assistance and methodologies for cultivating organic honeydew melons to Danny Green Corporation, which has successfully established and currently operates a 120-ha organic honeydew melon farm in the south-central province of Binh Thuan.

Insiders said that foreign companies are willing to collaborate with Vietnamese businesses to standardise farming and production processes in order to improve the supply capacity of these businesses, thus stabilising the supply of goods for their supply chains.

Abundant opportunities of direct investment

Besides seeking reliable supply sources, numerous businesses from the RoK, the US, and Europe are keen on directly investing in Vietnam.

Jean Jacques Bouflet, Vice-Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), said with its strategic geographical location, stable economy, young workforce, and favourable policies, Vietnam is emerging as an increasingly important destination in the global supply chain.

Since the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in 2019, European enterprises have invested in 2,250 projects worth 26 billion USD in Vietnam.

In addition, the race for investment in Vietnam has attracted numerous leading US corporations such as Apple, Qualcomm, Nike, Morgan Stanley, Intel, GE, ACORN International, General Dynamics, and Google. Recently, Boeing also explored opportunities to expand its investment in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in material supply facilities and establishing technical centres, Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper reported.

According to Maxime Dourdan, Director of Supply Chain Development for Boeing in Southeast Asia, Japan, and the RoK, compared to Japan and the RoK, Vietnam holds a significant advantage when it comes to production costs.

Additionally, the capacity of the Vietnamese supporting industry has significantly improved in recent years, with many Vietnamese businesses becoming part of the global supply chains of large corporations like Samsung, Sanyo, Intel, and others. This serves as a foundation for Boeing to explore cooperation and expand its supply chain investments in Vietnam, Dourdan said.

Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment show that foreign firms invested 18.15 billion USD in Vietnam in the first eight months of 2023, representing an increase of 8.2% compared to the same period last year.

To attract more sustainable investment inflows, there should be consistency in investment incentive policies to reassure investors about long-term business operations in the Southeast Asian nation, said Hong Sun, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam./.

VNA

Mooncake rush has people waiting in line overnight

September 27, 2023 by e.vnexpress.net Leave a Comment

When she first arrived, the 55-year-old woman saw hundreds of people already queueing, with some using blankets or newspapers to keep warm while they slept on the sidewalk.

“I need 20 boxes to give as gifts to my business partners and relatives, but the store only allows three boxes for each customer, so I brought my whole family with me,” Thuy says.

One of her acquaintances comments that they only like Dong Phuong’s traditional mooncakes, which include lotus seeds, nuts, Chinese sausage, jam, and salted egg yolk.

About ten people down the line from Thuy is Phong Hien, 75, and his wife. They’re also in line early to buy authentic Dong Phuong mooncakes for their relatives who live far away.

Seeing hundreds of people lining up in front of the bakery on Cau Dat Street is a sight that happens every year, but this is the first-time customers have had to stay up in line all night for their turn.

“Some people have to bring blankets and pillows with them to sleep on the sidewalk. It looked incredibly uncomfortable,” says Hong Lan, a 60-year-old woman who lives nearby.

According to her, the Hai Phong locals do not care too much about the brand of the mooncake, but for people from other provinces, this bakery is famous and has become an icon of traditional mooncakes.

Mooncakes are part of a mid-autumn festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. It falls on Sept. 29 this year.

“People that love mooncakes with traditional fillings are especially particular about this brand, and so every year there’s always a lot of people in line,” Lan says.

Customers forming two lines in front of Dong Phuong Bakery to receive their number on the morning of Sept. 19, 2023. Photo by Lien Hau

However, not everyone has the time to queue from midnight. Thus, an army of professional buyers also enters the scene.

Bui Lien is a 45-year-old who buys mooncakes on behalf of her customers and doesn’t mind queueing at midnight.

“If you’re late, all the mooncakes my customers want will be gone. Every 5 to 10 minutes another 30 to 40 people line up, so I might as well come early,” Lien says.

Buyers like Lien usually charge VND40.000-80.000 (US$1.64-3.27) for each box of cakes.

“No matter how much they make, all of the cakes will always sell out. Sometimes my customers want me to buy more, but I’m unable to accept their requests,” Lien says.

In order to fulfill her customer’s orders, she has to enlist two to three more of her relatives to line up with her.

Also on the scene is Nguyen Tung, a 32-year-old man who also buys on behalf of his customers. He recalls one time he fell asleep and when he got to the bakery at 4 a.m., there were over a hundred people in front of him.

After learning his lesson, he arrives at 1 or 2 a.m. now to purchase the type of cakes his customers want.

A local police officer says that from July to before mid-August of the lunar calendar, the number of people coming to the store shot up dramatically, whether it be day or night.

He adds that part of the reason for this is because the store is limiting the amount of cakes they are selling. This has led to an excessive number of vehicles parking in the street causing traffic jams. An officer was deployed to direct traffic to ensure the safety of the citizens.

“This store receives hundreds of customers even if it is unbearably hot or if there is a storm,” the police officer says.

To explain why so many people are choosing to buy mooncakes from Dong Phuong, Bach Duc Tung, a representative from the bakery, says that most of the customers are people who want to keep old traditions.

Consequently, the mooncakes from Dong Phuong are able to preserve the traditional flavor and are also distinct enough that they can hold onto their customers’ trust and loyalty.

According to Tung, another reason is that the bakery does not use preservatives in their mooncakes, which means that the cakes have a short shelf life. Regular mooncakes have to be eaten in 20 days, and snow skin mooncakes must be consumed in 10 days.

Due to this, customers cannot buy them too long ahead of time, leading to an exorbitant number of people lining up in front of the bakery as the Mid-Autumn Festival draws closer.

“During the other months of the year, we’ll sell our cakes on social media, but once August of the lunar month rolls around, we’ll only sell at the store because we’re afraid of the cakes expiring in the middle of transport,” Tung says.

The bakery is planning on researching selling through e-commerce channels to make it more convenient for customers.

Le Quy Duc, former Vice Director of the Center for Culture and Development of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, says that the reason so many people are lining up just to buy mooncakes is because they are nostalgic about the Mid-Autumn Festival of their youth.

He says this also shows their determination to have a delicious mooncake for themselves or to give to their loved ones.

“There will be opinions saying that lining up that early is too much and that wealth changes manners, however, the person buying may see it as a joy to receive something valuable after the effort they put in.

Not only that, but the Mid-Autumn Festival also only comes once a year, and if there’s demand there will definitely be supply. As long as everyone is aware of their own situation, then everything will be fine,” Duc says.

Foreign companies explore Vietnam’s printing and packaging sector

September 27, 2023 by vir.com.vn Leave a Comment

According to market research from Mordor Intelligence, Vitenam’s printing and packaging sector is estimated to be valued at $2.37 billion and is expected to grow significantly in the next few years.

However, one significant challenge facing the industry is the shortage of suppliers providing high-quality products. VietnamPrintPack – The Vietnam International Printing and Packaging Industry Exhibition – has created a platform for businesses to find solutions to their needs.

This year, VietnamPrintPack is taking place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, from September 27 to 30. The exhibition is host to 411 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions, including China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, and Japan.

In particular, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG from Germany, the world’s largest manufacturer of offset printing presses, will present their cutting-edge technologies. Meanwhile, other exhibitors from Japan such as Fujifilm, Uchida, Epson, and Konica Minolta will also showcase their latest advancements in digital printing and printing equipment.

Meanwhile, Judy Wang, president of Yorkers, the organiser of the exhibition, said, “With the growth of e-commerce and the expansion of the domestic market, companies are becoming increasingly aware of the need to impress customers with improved packaging and high-quality products. The printing and packaging industry is expected to increase by more than 13 per cent a year, indicating significant growth potential. This expo is a valuable opportunity for both foreign and local firms to enhance their technological capabilities and discover a wealth of business opportunities.”

By Thanh Van