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Party General Secretary and President To Lam (L) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (Photo: VNA)

Top leader’s State visit to China successful in every aspect: Foreign Minister

The State visit to China by Party General Secretary and President To Lam from August 18-20 is successful in every aspect, playing a crucial role in building the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, contributing to regional and global peace, stability, and development, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has remarked.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam paid a state visit to China from August 18-20, at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and his spouse.

Talking to the press on the outcomes of the trip on August 20, the senior diplomat said the visit is considered a diplomatic event of special significance between Vietnam and China this year.

According to the minister, the top Vietnamese leader engaged in a diverse and meaningful working program during the visit with 18 activities over the course of more than two days. In the framework of the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepening the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future. Numerous cooperation agreements were signed between ministries, sectors, and localities of both countries, covering areas such as inspection and quarantine, customs, healthcare, media, locality-to-locality cooperation, and social welfare.

FM Son stressed that in the discussions, the two sides reached overall consensus on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in accordance with the “six major orientations,” with a focus on translating their common perceptions and agreements into reality.

He said following the spirit of the joint statement and the high-level common perceptions reached during this visit, Vietnam and China will focus on promoting cooperation in the following key areas:

Firstly, top leaders of the two parties will continue to hold strategic exchanges, thus strengthening political trust and setting orientation for the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, cited VNA.

They will fully utilize the role of the Party channel, cooperative mechanisms between committees of the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and exchange mechanisms in defense, security and diplomacy. Both sides agreed to leverage the overall coordination role of the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee and to reinforce cooperation in defense and security.

Secondly, based on the “Six major orientations”, the two sides will continue to concretise high-level perceptions and signed agreements and strive for new progress in result-oriented cooperation. They will continue to facilitate trade, expand the export of Vietnamese agricultural and seafood products to the Chinese market, and promote connectivity of development strategies between the two countries. Both countries will work to implement the cooperation plan connecting the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework with the “Belt and Road Initiative”, accelerate “hard connectivity” through high-speed railways, highways, and border gate infrastructure, and upgrade “soft connectivity” in smart customs and smart border management.

Furthermore, both sides will encourage and support enterprises with strong capabilities, reputation, and advanced technology to invest in each other’s markets, particularly in agriculture and infrastructure, and expand cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, circular economy, green development, clean energy, and renewable energy

Thirdly, the two sides agreed to designate 2025 as the "Vietnam-China Humanity Exchange Year". Accordingly, the two sides will jointly organize a series of activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations; enhance cultural exchanges, cooperation in communications, news, publishing and broadcasting; strengthen cooperation in the fields of medicine, healthcare, traditional medicine, natural disasters prevention, control and mitigation; expand and improve the effectiveness of locality-to-locality cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, especially among young generations; promote tourism cooperation, open more flight routes, and encourage more and more tourists to travel to the other country.

Fourthly, the two sides will strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation; enhance coordination in mechanisms such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), and support each other's candidacy for international organizations. China supports Vietnam to host APEC 2027 and Vietnam's accession to and promotes its role in multilateral mechanisms; China supports ASEAN in building a united, unified, self-reliant and developing ASEAN Community and in maintaining its central role in the regional structure.

Fifthly, the two sides agreed to continue to effectively implement high-level common perceptions, better control and actively resolve disagreements at sea; reaffirm the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, agree to handle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two sides will continue to coordinate in effectively implementing legal documents on land borders and related agreements, strengthen cooperation in the Vietnam-China land border area, and hold celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam-China Land Border Treaty and the 15 years since the signing of three legal documents on the land border between the two countries.

FDI firms rack up trade surplus of US$24.56 billion in seven months

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) firms continued to prove their pioneering role in Vietnam’s economic growth, generating a trade surplus of US$24.56 billion in the first seven months of the year.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs reported that FDI firms raked in US$148.71 billion from exports in the period from January 1 to July 15, representing a year-on-year rise of 13.7% and making up 72% of the country’s total export turnover.

Most of the country’s key export items that brought back billions of US dollars each were manufactured by FDI firms, including computers, electronic products and components, phones and components, machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts.

Meanwhile, the total import turnover of FDI firms reached US$124.15 billion, representing an increase of 16.2% compared to the same period last year and accounting for 63.5% of the country’s total import turnover, according to VOV.

Photo: congthuong.vn

Overall, FDI firms’ total import-export turnover surged by 14.8% in the reviewed period to US$272.87 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of US$24.56 billion.

At a recent regular Government press conference, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang attributed the positive results to the recovery of industrial production and FDI attraction and disbursement.

Accordingly, Vietnam's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) kept improving at 54.7 in both June and July compared to 50.3 in May, while 60 out of 63 localities witnessed their industrial production index rise in July. Several localities recorded double digit growth such as Khanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh.

Vietnam, Japan eye stronger cooperation in sustainable agriculture production

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam has called for coordination from Japan to implement capacity-building programmes for cooperatives joining Vietnam's project on developing 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice linked with green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030, with focus on building a digitalisation system for chain management and establishing a system for monitoring and evaluating emission reductions.

During his meeting with Senator Maitachi Shoji, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, in Tokyo on August 20, Nam underlined the need to mobilize resources to support capacity building for cooperatives and farming households to effectively implement the project.

The two sides discussed issues related to strengthening cooperation in agricultural projects, training, experience exchange, and market access, VNA reported.

Participants at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Maitachi applauded Vietnam's initiative for sustainable transformation of the rice industry, adding that Japan's electronic agricultural extension system facilitates the fastest and most efficient exchange of information between agricultural extension agencies, extension officials, and farmers.

He showed his interest in supporting Vietnam in improving and upgrading its training programmes on agriculture towards a multifunctional approach. He took note of the proposal to support Vietnam to improve its capacity in the agricultural extension work, firstly to implement the project and then in the standard raw material areas that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is directing.

The Vietnamese official said he hopes that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries will support and facilitate the involvement of relevant agencies such as the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japanese non-governmental organizations in supporting the MARD's training institutions.

The two sides also discussed promoting and creating favorable conditions for joint venture and investment collaboration between Japanese and Vietnamese businesses in the fields of organic agriculture, digital technology in agriculture development, logistics, and agro-forestry-aquaculture trade.

Meanwhile, the Japanese official proposed strengthening high-quality agricultural cooperation through attracting investment, technology, and knowledge transfer based on agreements between the two sides.

Nam requested the Japanese side to expedite the completion of procedures for Vietnamese pomelo to be exported to the Japanese market and to continue assessing the risks and pests associated with passion fruit and butter from cow's milk. They said that MARD has also instructed its relevant units to complete procedures for Japanese grapes to be exported to Vietnam and to continue evaluating the export needs for Japanese peaches and puffer fish.

The technical agencies of the two ministries are reviewing relevant documents and expect that the “Medium- to Long-Term Vision for Japan-Vietnam Agricultural Cooperation in 2025 - 2029 will be signed between the two sides in the first quarter of 2025.

Japan is currently one of the important markets for Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic exports, accounting for about 7.5% of the total annual export turnover of these items. The average export growth over the past 10 years has expanded 6.35% per year.

Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate National Day 2024 with joyful festivities

Two firework displays will be set off at the Thu Thiem Tunnel in Thu Duc city, as well as in the Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11. The 15-minute shows are due to begin at 9 p.m. on September 2.

The administration of Ho Chi Minh City has also devised plans to hold various art programmes to celebrate the event, including a boat race on the Saigon River on September 2 and a special music gala which is scheduled to take place on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the same day.

Furthermore, the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will organize a photo exhibition from August 16 to September 6, featuring the history of the southern city and its development achievements in many fields, cited VOV.

Photo: VOV

A delegation of municipal leaders will pay a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh and President Ton Duc Thang at the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Ton Duc Thang Museum on August 30.

Main streets around the southern metropolis will be colorfully decorated in celebration of National Day.

Local residents will enjoy a four-day holiday from August 31 to September 3 to celebrate National Day 2024.

Vietnam viewed as attractive tourist destination for Indian arrivals

India is the 7th largest tourist source market of Vietnam in the first seven months of this year, making Vietnam an attractive tourist destination for Indian tourists.

Indian billionaire Dilip Shanghvi is planning to bring 4,500 employees to Vietnam for a holiday in late August. They will visit Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Ha Long Bay for nearly two weeks.

The guests are employees of the largest pharmaceuticals company in India, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, and are mainly Indians. Shanghvi, the group's billionaire founder, who is one of the wealthiest men in India, will also join the tour.

The arrangements for this trip were made three months in advance, and it is the first time that the travel agency has received such a large group.

A report from Mastercard's Economics Institute, titled Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries, said Indian outbound travel to Vietnam skyrocketed by 248 percent compared to 2019 levels.

The report affirmed that the Indian tourism market is vibrant, especially the proportion of Indians traveling abroad has increased dramatically recently, in which Vietnam has emerged as a popular international destination.

These emerging trends promise to benefit the tourism sector as India is expected to add nearly 20 million people to the middle class over the next five years, added the report.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the nation received 392,000 Indian visitors in 2023, a 231 percent increase compared to 2019.

In the first half of this year, Vietnam welcomed over 231,000 Indian visitors, a 164 percent increase compared to the same period last year, VGP reported.

Indian tourists visit Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam Province.

The Southeast Asian nation has many advantages to attract Indian guests, such as convenient connectivity, with only a 4-5 hour direct flight.

General Director of Vietnam Airlines Le Hong Ha said, since the launch of direct flights between the two nations in June 2022, the national carrier has transported more than 240,000 passengers. The seat utilization ratio is always near 80 percent in 2024, 1.5 times higher than in 2022. This proves the growing travel demand of tourists and businessmen between the two countries.

In addition, Vietnam has competitive service prices, about 10-15 percent cheaper than those in other countries in the region. Moreover, for many Indians, Vietnam is still a new destination with diverse culture, cuisine, and rich natural resources which inspire them to explore.

This helps explain why the number of Indian visitors to Vietnam has increased sharply in recent times, especially in places with rich tourism resources and high-quality infrastructure such as Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Ha Long, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

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