Vietnam News Today (Aug. 17): Vietnam Puts Forth Proposals at 9th Mekong – Lancang Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
	Vietnam News Today (Aug. 18): Party General Secretary And President To Lam Begins State Visit to China

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam (left) has a meeting with Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong province Huang Kunming on August 18. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese top leader meets with Guangdong Party Committee Secretary

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam had a meeting with Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong province Huang Kunming and the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Committee in Guangzhou on August 18, the first day of his ongoing visit to China.

Lam congratulated the province on its development achievements, especially on economics, urban management, special economic models, and expressed his hope that Guangdong will continue reaping greater attainments.

He took the occasion to thank again for the sentiments and deep condolences of the Party, State and people of China, and Chinese Party General Secretary and State of China Xi Jinping over the passing of Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong.

Lam emphasized that his first state visit to China after assuming the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) leadership role is, together with Party General Secretary and President Xi and other key leaders of China, to discuss measures to continue deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, meeting the interests of the two countries, and for the sake of peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world, according to VNA.

Vietnam always attaches importance and gives top priority to developing ties with China, he affirmed.

Expressing his emotions when paying tribute to martyr Pham Hong Thai at the Huang Hua Gang Memorial Park and visiting the relic site of the headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League, he thanked the Party Committee, administration and people of Guangdong province and Quangzhou city in particular for preserving and conserving important historical evidence in Vietnam’s revolutionary process. They have become a symbol of traditional friendship, solidarity and close-nit bonds between the two Party, two countries and two peoples, he said.

Welcoming General Secretary and State President To Lam and the Vietnamese delegation, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong province Huang Kunming, who is also a Politburo member, expressed the honor of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province as it is chosen as the first stop in Lam’s first state visit to China in capacity as the head of the Party and State of Vietnam, especially on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh coming to Guangzhou for his revolutionary activities. This demonstrates the high regard of the Party and State of Vietnam for the long-standing traditional friendship between the two Parties and the two countries, he added.

Huang congratulated Lam on his election as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

The Guangdong leader expressed his impression of Vietnam's outstanding socio-economic development achievements and increasingly enhanced international position under the leadership of the CPV, while affirming his belief that under the leadership of General Secretary and President To Lam, Vietnam will continue to gain greater achievements, successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, and make preparations for and successfully organize the 14th National Party Congress.

General Secretary and President To Lam highly appreciated the good cooperation results between Guangdong and Vietnamese localities, contributing to the development of Vietnam - China relations.

Affirming the common perception of the senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries on supporting the two sides' localities to enhance exchanges and cooperation, Lam suggested that Guangdong and Vietnamese localities promote regular exchanges and cooperation; strengthen substantive cooperation in all fields, especially in trade, investment and strategic connectivity; welcome enterprises of Guangdong province to expand high-quality investment in Vietnam in the fields of digital transformation, green growth, and infrastructure.

In addition, the two sides are urged to promote people-to-people exchanges and enhance cooperation in personnel training, strengthen friendship between the two countries' people from the grassroots level and from localities, contributing to the development of Vietnam - China relations.

Huang affirmed that the Party Committee and administration of Guangdong province attach great importance to relations with Vietnam and its localities.

He also affirmed the determination and desire of Guangdong province in working with potential localities of Vietnam to enhance friendship exchanges and substantive cooperation in fields, contributing to implementing the common perception between the highest leaders of the two Parties and two countries, and elevating the Vietnam - China relations to a new height.

First super moon of the year to be observed in Vietnam early August 20

Astronomy enthusiasts in Vietnam are counting down to the time when the first super moon of the year, a rare astronomical phenomenon, will rise to the fullest in the night sky early on August 20.

Astronomers say the first super moon of 2024 will light up the night sky on August 19 (UTC time) or early on August 20 morning in Vietnam, starting at 01:25a.m., and the moon will appear full for three days.

Super moons typically occur about 3-4 times a year and this August astronomy enthusiasts have the chance to watch a relatively rare astronomical phenomenon where a super moon and blue moon will coincide - a combination that happens only once every few decades.

NASA says although it will not look blue, as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, this will be a blue moon. The last blue moon came on August 30-31, 2023. The moon carries the name Blue because it was the second full moon in a single month, according to VOV.

The super moon will coincide with the blue moon, rising late on August 19, 2024 of UTC time and early on August 20 of Vietnam time. (Photo: space.com))

But the blue moon of August 19, 2024, is different. It’s the third of four full moons in a season. And the August 19, 2024 blue moon is more - it’s also a super moon, in fact, the first of four full super moons in a row.

Experts say the blue moon was a purely cultural matter of many Western countries in the past. There are two different definitions of a blue moon, and both involve the inclusion of the full moon in the present-day calendar.

Accordingly, the seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in an astronomical season of four full moons. A monthly blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month with two full moons.

The August 2024 blue moon in Vietnam is the seasonal blue moon, and Vietnamese people have to wait until May 31, 2026 to be able to admire the blue moon by month.

Golden opportunity in online exports via international branding

Vietnam is on the cusp of an online export revolution, buoyed by supportive government policies and abundant production capacity, according to industry experts. However, a significant obstacle stands in the way: the lack of international brand recognition for many Vietnamese products.

Vietnam is on the cusp of an online export revolution, buoyed by supportive government policies and abundant production capacity, according to industry experts. However, a significant obstacle stands in the way: the lack of international brand recognition for many Vietnamese products, VNA reported.

A processing line for export in Vietnam. (Photo: Smart)

Staples like cashew nuts, black pepper, and other spices are often sold on e-commerce platforms under foreign brands, concealing their Vietnamese origins. This deprives local businesses of valuable opportunities to promote their products and enhance their values, industry insiders said.

Organic Viet Food (OVF) is one of the companies that are trying to change this. The firm has launched its own cashew brand, Newbam, on Amazon, targeting the US and Canadian markets. By investing in packaging, design, and adhering to Amazon's strict guidelines, OVF aims to establish a strong brand identity for its products.

Ta Hoang Linh, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s European and American Market Department, believed that online platforms can help Vietnamese businesses expand their reach and improve product quality. Free trade agreements, coupled with e-commerce integration, offer immense potential for growth, Linh said.

To empower Vietnamese brands to compete globally, the Centre for Information Technology and Digital Technology under the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency has launched the Go Export program. This initiative, in collaboration with major global e-commerce platforms and partners, equips Vietnamese firms with resources, training, and support to build their brands and conquer international markets.

Nguyen Van Thanh, director of the center, highlighted the rapid growth of online retail e-commerce, with rates soaring between 16-30% over the past 4-5 years.Thanh said this is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world, noting that Vietnam currently ranks third in online retail value in Southeast Asia, behind Indonesia and Thailand.

Vietnam – China trade on the road to US$200 billion ambitious goal this year

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and China fetched US$112.2 billion in the past seven months, up 25% year on year, and if the steady growth is maintained in the coming months, the total trade value is likely to hit US$200 billion by the end of the year, say industry insiders.

Of the seven-month figure, Vietnamese exports brought back US$32.6 billion, representing a year-on-year rise of 5%, while its imports were valued at US$79.6 billion, up 35.6%.

Notably, China was the first market with two-way trade with Vietnam exceeding US$100 billion in the seven-month span.

Vietnam exports to China products such as mobile phones, components, electronic equipment, rubber, agricultural products, and seafood. It imports from the Chinese market products such as machinery, equipment, raw materials for garment and leather shoe making, iron and steel, construction materials and other household utensils.

Among exported agricultural products, durian is the major export item that is preferred by Chinese consumers. After fresh Vietnamese durian was officially allowed to enter the Chinese market in 2022, the export value of this fruit to China last year rose to US$2.2 billion. The first half of this year alone also saw the export of this fruit to China bring back US$1.1 billion, cited VOV.

Alongside fresh durian, Vietnamese fresh lychee is also preferred by Chinese consumers.

China is still the largest consumer of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, with its import value hitting US$2.1 billion in the first half of this year, accounting for 64% of Vietnam’s total export turnover of the products and representing a year-on-year rise of 22%, says Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit).

Alongside fresh durian, fresh coconut is also another potential export item that China needs. If China soon approves a document paving the way for Vietnamese fresh coconut to enter its market, coconut businesses are likely to earn between US$300-400 million.

This is a potential export item of Vietnam because China meets just 10% of local demand for fresh coconut, says the Vinafruit official.

As China is increasingly opening its doors for more official Vietnamese agricultural products, many types of Vietnamese fruits will find it easy to make inroads into this market.

According to Nong Duc Lai, trade councilor of the Vietnamese Embassy in China, Chinese Customs is coordinating with relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade in speeding up the signing of protocols for fresh coconuts, frozen durians, wild caught aquatic products, and crocodiles to enter the Chinese market.

Alongside agricultural products, businesses are effectively taking advantage of preferential tariffs from free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the ASEAN-China free trade agreement (ACFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement to increase their exports to China.

The 2024 China International Fair For Trade In Service (CIFTIS) is scheduled to take place in Beijing from September 12 to 16, with the goal of promoting service - trade cooperation with Vietnamese businesses. This is an important opportunity to help increase import-export turnover between the two sides toward the US$200 billion trade target this year.

Malaysia-Vietnam festival showcases culinary delights, business opportunities

The Malaysia-Vietnam Trade, Tourism & Investment Promotion and Cultural Food Festival concluded its four-day run in Kuala Lumpur on August 18, drawing hundreds of eager visitors exploring the rich cultural and business ties between the two nations.

Co-hosted by the Vietnam Malaysia Business Association (VMBIZ) and Malaysian event management powerhouse DANG Production Bhd, the event was a vibrant mix of food, tourism and trade, VNA reported.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Over 40 food booths, primarily run by long-established Vietnamese enterprises in Kuala Lumpur like Vinh City, Viet-Thai-Cambodia Mart, and Mini Nguyen Café, tempted visitors with a diverse range of traditional dishes from all three regions of Vietnam. Popular dishes of the northern region like pho, fried spring rolls, and banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) were on offer, alongside specialties of the central region such as fresh summer rolls, banh xeo (crispy pancake) and banh bot loc (rice dumpling cake). The southern region's cuisine was represented by beef sausage and broken rice.

Among the trade exhibitors, Suca AgriFood and Joho Botanical stood out as the sole representatives from Vietnam. Hailing from Dak Lak province and Ho Chi Minh City, they showcased premium natural herbal beauty products, including macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, black soybeans, skincare, hair care, and body oils, all meeting requirements of Muslim consumers.

The festival also highlighted stunning beaches of Da Nang and Hoi An through Muslim-friendly tour packages, featuring hotels with prayer facilities and Halal-certified food. Meanwhile, mosque tour packages in Malaysia also piqued the interest of young Vietnamese travelers.

As of August 18 afternoon, the organizing board recorded over 1,000 visitors to the event.

This achievement was made possible with support from the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the ASEAN Retail-Chains and Franchise Federation (ARFF), the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia.

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