Trade activities at Gemalink port, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam’s export revenue up 4.1% in first half of January

Vietnam had shipped US$15.08 billion worth of products overseas as of January 15, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%, the General Statistics Office announced on January 29.

Foreign firms occupied US$11.06 billion, up 1.9% against the same time last year, while the domestic sector made up US$4.02 billion of the total, a year-on-year rise of 10.4%.

During the period, the country enjoyed a trade surplus of US$0.38 billion as compared to the US$0.73 billion recorded in the same time last year.

Exports posting earnings of more than US$1 billion included telephones and components (US$2.86 billion, up 6.7% year-on-year); electronics, computers and components (over US$2.24 billion, up 22.1%), garment and textile (US$1.29 billion, down 17.8%), and machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts (US$1.63 billion, down 4.6%), cited VNA.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is eying US$377 billion in export revenue in 2024, rising 6% from 2023.

The general statistics office said the ministry should complete mechanisms and policies to create a favorable macroeconomic environment for exports, and develop a sound business climate for enterprises.

The sector should work to reduce the risks posed by trade defense investigations from importers towards sustainable export growth, enhance forecasts and give early warnings to businesses whose products are at risk of being investigated.

Besides, it is necessary for the ministry to pen additional tax incentives, especially for machinery and equipment purchased from the markets that Vietnam are running trade surplus with.

Vietnam, Cambodia pledge to support Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship 2024

Vietnam and Cambodia on January 28 pledged to provide maximum assistance to Laos to help it successfully perform the role as Chair of ASEAN 2024.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia Sok Chenda Sophea made the pledge at their meeting in Luang Prabang, Laos ahead of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat.

The two ministers agreed to coordinate closely and support Laos to promote intra-bloc solidarity and bring into play ASEAN's central role in solving regional and international issues.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (L) and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith (Photo: VNA)

The Cambodian diplomat appreciated Vietnam's initiative to organize an ASEAN forum on rapid and sustainable development, taking people as the center in Laos in April.

At their meeting, Son and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith expressed their delights at the growing special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to effectively implement high-level agreements and results of the 46th Meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee in January 2024 and continue to step up the implementation of the cooperation agreement between the two foreign ministries for the 2021-2025 period, according to VOV.

Son affirmed that Vietnam supports Laos in assuming the role of ASEAN Chairman in 2024 and it will closely coordinate with the neighboring country in promoting the Strategic Plan of the ASEAN Community Vision to 2045.

The two ministers agreed to strengthen coordination and support each other at international, regional and sub-regional forums, and work with other member countries to maintain solidarity and strengthen ASEAN's central role in regional and international issues, including the East Sea issue.

Cancer screening model using AI to be deployed in Vietnam

An agreement signing ceremony to deploy the Nura general health check model, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, took place on Saturday afternoon in Hanoi.

The signing ceremony was held by the T-Matsuoka Medical Center – a Japanese medical system in Vietnam, and the Fujifilm Corporation from Japan.

The model, which applies artificial intelligence (AI) technology, helps accurately screen and detect common diseases and cancers early at a reasonable cost for Vietnamese people.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, deputy chairman of the National Medical Council and also director of the Department of Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health (MoH), said that during a working visit in Japan recently, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan visited the Matsuoka clinic chain.

Khue highly appreciated the criteria, standards and activities of the T-Matsuoka Medical Center in Vietnam recently.

Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue gives a speech at the signing ceremony. Photo: VNS

He also recognized Fujifilm's efforts, especially applying AI in image diagnosis, helping doctors screen and detect cancer at an early stage.

He said that along with science and technology development, medical examination and treatment facilities across the country were applying many new techniques.

The cooperation of the two medical units in Vietnam and Japan to apply new technology, including early cancer screening and detection model using AI, will help Vietnamese people be diagnosed and receive early treatment, VNS reported.

Vietnam now has more than 100 million people, about 1,400 public hospitals, more than 350 private hospitals, and more than 50,000 clinics, according to the MoH.

Khue thus hoped that the T-Matsuoka Medical Center would always maintain the same service quality as in Japan while working with the Vietnamese health sector and do a good job of protecting and taking care of people's health.

T-Matsuoka and Fujifilm determined that their cooperation would focus on the Nura periodic health check model.

With intelligent AI-integrated imaging technology and support from remote diagnostic imaging experts, health checks are performed conveniently and quickly.

In just 120 minutes, customers will receive a medical report with 32 indicators assessing the risk of 10 common cancers such as lung cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer and breast cancer; and 22 common diseases including common hyperlipidemia, diabetes and fatty liver.

Airplane, train tickets almost sold out, bus seats available as Tet nears

Just 10 days left until the Lunar New Year (Tet) – the biggest and longest festival in a year of Vietnamese people, almost all airplane and train tickets on key routes for this occasion have been sold out, while there is not a lack of means of road transport.

This year, the Tet holiday lasts seven days from February 8 – 14 (from the 29th day of the last lunar month of the Year of the Cat to the fifth day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Dragon).

To meet increasing travel demand, airlines have proactively added aircraft, increased transport capacity on many routes, and organized more flights in the early morning and at night, cited VNA.

Noi Bai international airport strengthens security during the Tet holiday (Photo: hanoimoi.vn)

In particular, Vietnam Airlines Group, including Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and VASCO, provides a total of 2.64 million seats during the Tet peak on both domestic and international flights.

Vietravel Airlines has planned to supply more than 100,000 seats on its domestic and international flight networks, while Vietjet Air has just brought four new aircraft to serve passengers, and Bamboo Airways added two aircraft.

Notably, tickets of high-demand routes have been almost fully booked or sold out. For example, the Ho Chi Minh City - Thanh Hoa/Vinh/Hai Phong/ Hue/Quy Nhon routes have booking rates of 98-100%.

Meanwhile, the railway sector initially planned to provide more than 200,000 seats, with 390 trains. However, in response to rising demand, it has continuously added plans to increase trains. Most recently, the Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company opened ticket sales for 14 additional trains on routes to northern localities, while the Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company has also organized six more trains from HCM City to Hanoi, Vinh and Phan Thiet, and more carriages, with more than 7,000 seats.

Director of the Hanoi Bus Station Joint Stock Company Pham Manh Hung said that the number of passengers passing through the stations during the peak period will increase by about 300-350% compared to normal days. With the current situation, the number of vehicles at the stations still basically meets the travel needs.

Some bus companies have announced ticket price increases of at least 17%, depending on the routes, during the Tet holiday.

Vietnam, China to establish railway connection next year

Vietnam Railway Authority is working with its Chinese counterpart to create a standard gauge rail link between the two nations in Lao Cai Province.

The project is scheduled for implementation in 2025. Both countries are expediting an intergovernmental agreement outlining the establishment of the standard gauge railway connection between Lao Cai station in Vietnam and Hekou North Railway Station in China.

This is a crucial part of Vietnam’s broader Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong Railway project, currently in the preparatory phase, Saigon Times reported.

Intermodal ships transport export goods between Vietnam and China. Photo: SVN

Construction work on the railway connection between Lao Cai Railway Station and Hekou North Railway Station is planned for the period of 2021-2025, at a total cost of VND2.2 trillion.

According to the proposed project, a dual-gauge railway will be constructed, starting at Lao Cai station on Vietnam Railways’ existing gauge railway and ending at the middle of Ho Kieu bridge in China.

China will also invest in the construction of a broad-gauge railway from Hekou North Railway Station to Ho Kieu bridge to connect with the Vietnamese railway.

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