Vietnam News Today (Jan. 10): Vietnamese Treasures Relations With China

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A view of the meeting in Can Tho on January 9. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam affirms leadership role in Francophonie community

Vietnam is set to host the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Executive Committee’s meeting and a parliamentary forum on Francophonie cooperation in sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho from January 21-24, reinforcing its role in the international arena.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Duc Hai made the statement at a working session on January 9 with the city People’s Committee over preparations for the events. He highlighted that the meeting will place the spotlight on the Mekong Delta region’s environmental challenges as well as Vietnam’s infrastructure development to enhance its climate change response.

Hai asked Can Tho city to join hands with NA agencies to meticulously prepare for the events while coordinating with the press to raise public awareness of their significance, adding the gathering must embody Vietnam’s cultural identity, cited VNA.

Standing Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee Duong Tan Hien reported comprehensive preparation efforts, including the selection of venues, recruitment of French-speaking volunteers from local universities, design of fact-finding tours, and measures to ensure safety, order, and food safety. Besides, decoration and communications plans have been detailed.

These events, which mark the first major APF activity following the successful 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris, France in October 2024, are expected to contribute to materialising the resolutions and strategies adopted at the summit.

Vietnam’s hosting of these high-level meetings underscores the country’s proactive engagement in multilateral parliamentary diplomacy and its leadership role in the Francophonie community in the Asia – Pacific. It also promotes the NA’s position at regional and international parliamentary cooperation events.

UOB raises Vietnamese 2025 GDP growth forecast to 7%

The Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) has revised its GDP growth forecast for Vietnam in 2025 to 7%, up from the previous projection of 6%, citing strong momentum from 2024 and factoring in potential risks from future trade conflicts under the US administration.

According to details set out in the report, Vietnamese real GDP extended its momentum further in the fourth quarter of 2024, to record an annual surge of 7.55% from a revised figure of 7.43% on-year in the third quarter of 2024.

This is well above the median consensus view of 6.7% and the bank's forecast of 5.2%. With the surprisingly strong performances over the past three quarters, the Vietnamese economy expanded by 7.09% in 2024 from 5.1% in 2023, ahead of the consensus call of 6.7% and the official target of 6.5%. This represents the best showing since the post-COVID rebound of 8.1% in 2022.

Experts analysed that both the manufacturing and services sectors continue to be the main drivers of growth, adding that growing external trade represents the main factor behind the nation’s robust performance.

Accordingly, exports have expanded over the past 10 months, rising by 12.8% on-year in December to reach a full year gain of 14%, reversing the 4.6% contraction in 2023. Imports rose by 16.1% in 2024 with the second largest trade surplus standing at about US$23.9 billion following the record high of US$28.4 billion seen back in 2023, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

This represents the ninth consecutive year that the country has registered an annual trade surplus, which will be helpful in anchoring the VND exchange rate.

Furthermore, the upswing recorded in semiconductor sales since mid-2023 suggests that momentum is likely to continue further in the first and second quarters ahead.

The report outlined that the National Assembly has set a growth target of 6.5% to 7.0% for 2025, while Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently called for hitting at least an 8% expansion rate through the help of faster public disbursement to boost infrastructure and attract more investments.

Based on the disciplined approach to its fiscal stance and the way public expenditure has been disbursed so far, the 8% goal seems overly ambitious, but there are still merits of it being reached

In view of the strong momentum carried over from last year, while also taking into account risks and potential downside from further trade frictions from the new US administration, experts are raising their forecast for Vietnamese GDP growth in the year ahead to 7.0% from the previous projection of 6.6%.

Economists anticipate positive momentum from domestic drivers such as production, consumer spending, and visitor arrivals to contribute to the activities, especially in the first half of the year.

However, uncertainty on trade outlook could represent a major risk for the nation in the second half of the year, specifically due its rising dependency on exports, which grew to record a high of more than US$400 billion in 2024, similar to the size of Vietnam’s nominal GDP of US$450 billion.

Vietnamese treasures relations with China: NA Chairman

Vietnam always treasures its friendly, traditional neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with China, considering this a top priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, and multilateralization and diversification of external relations, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man said while receiving Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei in Hanoi on January 9.

The top legislator expressed his joy at the good relations between Vietnam and China, which has recorded many remarkable results. He said that following the state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023, and the state visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and State President To Lam in August 2024, the bilateral relations have strongly developed, becoming more comprehensive and substantive.

In recent times, the relationship between the CPV and the CPC has achieved significant progress. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese NA and the National People's Congress of China have consistently supported each other in regional and international parliamentary forums, especially the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Man proposed the two sides effectively organising activities to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. He extended his invitation to Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China Zhao Leji to make an official visit to Vietnam and co-chair the first session of the cooperation committee between the Vietnamese NA and the Chinese NPC.

He expressed his belief that the Chinese diplomat will work to further strengthen the political and diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as cooperation in investment, economy, trade, tourism, especially expanding cooperation in science-technology, digital technology, education - training, healthcare, cultural tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, creating momentum for stepping up the bilateral relations in the coming time.

Man said he hoped the ambassador will pay attention to further deepening the relationship between the Vietnamese and Chinese legislative bodies, and promoting exchanges between friendship and young parliamentarians groups of the two countries, VNA reported.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) receives Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei. (Photo: VNA)

For his part, He conveyed warm regards and best wishes from Zhao to Man, and showed gratitude to the Vietnamese top legislator for sending his message of sympathy to China following a recent major earthquake in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The diplomat expressed his deep appreciation for the important contributions of Man to promoting the relationship between China and Vietnam, as well as exchanges and cooperation between their legislative bodies. He affirmed that, in his position, he will make every effort to elevate the bilateral relations to new heights.

He hoped that in the coming time, the two countries' legislatures will continue to play their important roles in strengthening the social foundation and supervising the implementation of key cooperation agreements that the two sides have signed.

With the support of the Vietnamese top legislator, the cooperation between the NPC and the Vietnamese NA will grow stronger in the future, He stressed.

Uruguay, Vietnam strengthen cooperation with key diplomatic moves

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina, concurrently accredited to Uruguay, Ngo Minh Nguyet, recently presented the Letter of Credence from Vietnamese President Luong Cuong to the President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou.

Acting Foreign Minister Nicolas Albertoni also attended the ceremony, which was held at the official residence of the President, the Estevez Palace. Speaking before 23 ambassadors who were presenting their credentials on this occasion, President Lacalle Pou expressed his hope that the newly appointed government, set to take office on March 1, would continue strengthening cooperation with Vietnam across a variety of fields.

Vietnam and Uruguay established diplomatic relations on August 11, 1993. Over the past three decades, the relationship between the two countries has developed solidly, demonstrated through exchanges of high-level visits between governments, legislative bodies, and localities. In particular, in 2023, both countries launched a string of important events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

According to Vietnam's statistics, trade turnover between Vietnam and Uruguay reached more than US$125 million over the past 11 months of this year, an increase of 29.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Vietnamese exports to the South American country totaled US$85.16 million, up 25.4%, while imports from Uruguay amounted to US$40.08 million, up 39.8% year-on-year.

As part of his activities in Uruguay, Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet also held a working session with Speaker of the House of Representatives Ana Olivera, representatives of the Communist Party of Uruguay, and officials of Montevideo capital, cited VOV.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina, concurrently accredited to Uruguay Ngo Minh Nguyet presents the Letter of Credence from Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, to the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou.

During the meeting with Olivera, Nguyet praised Uruguay’s economic achievements in recent years, particularly its efforts to maintain political and social stability, and expressed confidence that President-elect Yamado Orsi’s government would continue to lead the country and the people of Uruguay to further successes in the next term.

The Vietnamese diplomat expressed her hope that the two countries would establish a parliamentary friendship group to further boost bilateral ties, expand cooperation, and serve the interests of both peoples, particularly in parliamentary exchanges.

On this occasion, Nguyet also expressed gratitude for Uruguay’s solidarity and friendship towards President Ho Chi Minh, as well as for the support given to the Vietnamese people's past struggle for national liberation and reunification. She voiced her hope that the two sides would cooperate to complete the construction of a statue of President Ho Chi Minh at the Vietnam Park in Montevideo, a meaningful symbol of the enduring solidarity and friendship between both nations’ governments and peoples.

Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet also announced that in 2025, Vietnam will celebrate several major events, including the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930), the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975), and the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890).

Olivera hailed Vietnam’s economic development achievements in recent years, as well as the country’s role and position on the international stage. She also expressed confidence that, in her capacity, Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet would make positive contributions to the further development of the sound relations between Uruguay and Vietnam.

She committed to fast-tracking the establishment of the Uruguay-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group and supporting the completion of the Ho Chi Minh statue project in Montevideo.

Vietnam looks to welcome 22-23 million international visitors in 2025

Vietnam targets to attract 22-23 million international tourists this year, surpassing the pre-pandemic levels, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

To fulfill this goal, the tourism sector will focus on potential markets such as India and open more direct air routes while spurring tourism promotion activities.

In 2024, international arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 17.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 39.5 percent, cited VGP.

Photo: VGP

The South Korea remained the biggest tourist source market in 2024 with 4.5 million visitors, accounting for 26 percent of the total number of foreign arrivals, followed by China with 3.7 million (21.3 percent).

Also in 2024, Vietnam was recognized by the World Travel Awards as "Asia's Leading Destination," "Asia's Leading Heritage Destination," and "Asia's Leading Nature Destination".

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