Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping presents the Friendship Medal to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022.

President Xi Jinping's visit to open up new chapter in Vietnam-China ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Vietnam takes place on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations, thus opening up a new period and a new chapter in Vietnam - China relations, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

This comment was made after the official announcement of the State visit to Vietnam by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and his spouse on December 12-13.

According to the commentary, this is the first visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping after 6 years.

The article affirms that the visit will further consolidate political trust between the two countries, promote mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, tighten the bond of friendship between the two peoples, and give added impetus to a new stage of development in China-Vietnam relations from a higher starting point.

The article reviews General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China at the end of last year, with the two Party leaders reaching an important consensus on constantly taking bilateral relations to new heights in the new era.

"Under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, China-Vietnam relations are maintained at a high level, not only bringing benefits to the two countries' people but also promoting peace and development in the region and the world," it emphasized.

According to the article, high-level exchanges between the two Parties take place regularly, which "fully demonstrates the high level and specialness" of the relationship between Vietnam and China.

The article hopes that the two countries will constantly strengthen political trust, offer mutual support in the international arena, exchange and learn from each other in national governance, while finding a path to modernization suitable to each country's national conditions, and joining hands to promote China-Vietnam relations to new heights, it went on to comment.

In the economic field, the article says that the two sides are good partners of each other as they have continuously deepened cooperation in economics, trade, investment and infrastructure construction which has obtained many good results.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for many years, while Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN, cited VOV.

Looking to the future, the article expects the two sides to strengthen the strategic connection between the "Belt and Road" and "Two Corridors, One Belt" initiative in a bid to enhance connectivity between the two countries, and take full advantage of geographical proximity and complementary industries between the two countries.

This will help step up economic and trade cooperation, connect and create a mutually beneficial and stable production and supply chain system.

Increasingly vibrant and close people-to-people exchanges have continuously tightened the bond between the two countries' people creating a solid public opinion foundation for the development of bilateral relations, it said.

Over the past 10 months of this year, the number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam reached more than 1.3 million. Notably, in the 2021 - 2022 school year, 27,000 Vietnamese students pursued their study in the neighboring nation.

The two countries also have maintained close exchanges in terms of culture and sports, with many Chinese coaches currently working in Vietnam.

The article concludes that this year marks the 15th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Vietnam and China, with the two sides reaching an important consensus on upgrading bilateral relations that will open up a new stage in the two countries' relationship.

Domestic enterprises advised to meet EU’s green, sustainable development requirements: forum

Domestic firms should transform to adapt to the green and sustainable development requirements of the EU to further enter the supply chain in this market, heard a recent trade forum.

After the pandemic and ongoing political instabilities accelerating the supply chain shift, many major partners in the world, including the EU, are actively diversifying their supply sources and choosing Vietnam as a strategic destination in the Indo-Pacific region, said Ta Hoang Linh, Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s European-American Market Department, at the Vietnam-EU trade forum held recently in Ho Chi Minh City.

He noted that the EU is currently the third-largest export market and the fifth-largest import market of Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam has surpassed Singapore to become the largest trading partner of the EU in ASEAN and ranks 11th among the biggest commodity suppliers to the bloc.

According to customs statistics, two-way trade was valued at US$62.24 billion last year, up 9.2% year-on-year, with Vietnam's exports to the EU hitting US$46.82 billion, an annual rise of 16.7%. In the third quarter of 2023, bilateral trade turnover stood at US$15.12 billion, down 1.5% year-on-year. However, this decline is considered temporary, as the slowdown has significantly eased and the EU's economy is gradually recovering.

Linh added that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has effectively supported the sides’ goods in accessing each other's markets, meeting their diversification needs.

President of EuroCham Vietnam Gabor Fluit stressed that Vietnam's strong commitment to the EU standards in sustainability will be a key driver attracting FDI, particularly from Europe, according to VNA.

An overview of the Vietnam-EU trade forum (Photo: VNA)

Compliance with new market regulations from the bloc, especially the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), requires significant investment from Vietnam in modernizing infrastructure, advancing green technology, and developing human resources, he noted.

Fluit underscored Vietnam’s appeal to European investors, citing the country’s robust sustainability standards and initiatives in renewable energy. He mentioned the significant growth in EU investment in Vietnam, particularly in high-tech manufacturing, as evidence of the effectiveness of Vietnam’s free trade agreements.

He cited a survey by EuroCham showing that 31% of its members define Vietnam as one of their three leading destinations globally, while more than a half of them plan to increase investment in Vietnam from late 2023.

Linh urged enterprises to actively renovate their businesses, enhancing their awareness and capacity to quickly adapt to and develop towards a green and sustainability roadmap.

Vinamilk CEO Nguyen Quoc Khanh asserted that despite the high cost, the benefits from green and sustainable transition following market demands will be much higher.

Cambodian PM's Vietnam visit to open a new history of cooperative relations

Prime Minister of Cambodia Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet is scheduled to pay an official visit to Vietnam from December 11 to December 12 at the invitation of Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh.

On this occasion, So Naro, special envoy of Prime Minister Hun Manet, had a discussion with a VOV reporter about the activities during the visit, which is considered "Opening a new page in history in Cambodia - Vietnam relations".

The visit, which takes place more than 3 months after the 7th term Cambodian Government officially came into operation, will contribute to deepening the relationship of "good neighbors, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability" between Cambodia and Cambodia on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, effective cooperation, respect for each other's interests, thus bringing Vietnam - Cambodia relations to new heights.

According to special envoy So Naro, this business trip of PM Hun Manet is very important, opening a new page in the history of Cambodia-Vietnam relations, VOV reported.

Prime Minister of Cambodia Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet (L) and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh

This is the first trip of the head of the new Government, affirming the continuity of foreign policy from the previous one and it is also the first visit among 10 ASEAN member state of new Cambodian PM Hun Manet.

“I also believe that this visit will be a great success, with the two sides signing a number of cooperation agreements on economics, politics, and security, thereby contributing to promoting development and stability in each country as well as in the region and the world,” he said.

The Royal Government of Cambodia, term VII, has officially announced the focus on implementing the Pentagon Strategy -phase 1 with a view to promoting socio-economic development, turning Cambodia into a country with gradually increasing income in the coming years. Talking about how this strategy will impact the relationship between the two countries in the time to come, So Naro said that the Cambodian Government is carrying out phase 01 of the Pentagonal Strategy and there are many subsequent phases.

“Currently, we are focusing on a number of key areas such as human resources, electricity, roads, water and science and technology. All of these fields have direct relationships with Vietnam. For example, in the field of human resource training, Vietnam has supported human resource training for Cambodia since the 80s and up to now, thousands of Cambodian students have been trained in Vietnam.

Regarding roads, we are building a highway connecting Phnom Penh - Bavet - Moc Bai - Ho Chi Minh City. This not only contributes to connecting the two cities- Phnom Penh with Ho Chi Minh City but also connects Bangkok of Thailand,” he continued.

In terms of science and technology, Vietnam is seeing numerous outstanding developments, with many of the world's major investors looking to the nation and then Vietnam can continue to invest and develop in Cambodia.

Recently, the State Bank of Vietnam and Cambodia signed a cross-border QR Code payment agreement. This contributes to boosting trade activities and exchange of goods between the two countries, the special enjoy said, while displaying his confidence that the Vietnamese economy will develop dramatically over the next 10 years which will also have impacts on the Cambodian economy.

Hanoi named world’s leading city break destination 2023

Hanoi has been honored as the world’s leading city break destination 2023 by the World Travel Awards at a ceremony recently held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, this is the second consecutive year the capital city has been honored with this title and the recognition once again affirms the potential and attractiveness of Hanoi’s tourism on the world travel map.

Hanoi boasts rich tourism resources, including 5,922 historical and cultural relic sites, and 1,793 intangible cultural heritage elements. It is also home to the country’s largest number of craft villages, cited VOV.

Photo: vietnam.travel

This year, Hanoi had 48 restaurants among the 103 across Vietnam selected by Michelin Guide, including three granted one Michelin star.

The latest World’s Leading City Break Destination award is another demonstration of the local tourism sector’s efforts and achievements, as well as Hanoi’s firm foothold on the global tourism map.

Hanoi welcomed 22.6 million tourists in the first 11 months of 2023, an increase of 32.4 per cent year on year.

Event marks 10th anniversary of Don Ca Tai Tu’s UNESCO recognition

Ho Chi Minh City held a program on December 8 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of UNESCO’s inscription of Don Ca Tai Tu on the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Don Ca Tai Tu is a form of folk singing and music developed in southern Vietnam since the late 19th century based on royal ceremonial music.

The art is characteristic of the hardworking, independent and honest southern people, with the elaborate combination of lovely melodies, beautiful lyrics and pleasing sounds of instruments.

In the past ten years, Ho Chi Minh City has made ceaseless efforts to protect and promote the value of this unique art form, NDO reported.

A performance at the event. (Photo: NDO)

Speaking at the program, Ho Chi Minh City Vice Chairman Duong Anh Duc said the city has implemented many contests, festivals, and programs as playgrounds for Don Ca Tai Tu enthusiasts and to look for young talents.

The city also organized activities to teach the art form in schools and the community and promote it in the mass media to raise public awareness of Don Ca Tai Tu’s value.

On the occasion, Ho Chi Minh City presented certificates of merit to the individuals with significant contributions to the protection of Don Ca Tai Tu in the past ten years.

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