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Localities of Vietnam and China have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen coordination in border security and safety management and protection.

Vietnam and China strengthen border management and protection

Localities of Vietnam and China have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen coordination in border security and safety management and protection.

The signing took place following a meeting in Cao Bang province on July 9 between border guard forces of Cao Bang and Ha Giang provinces of Vietnam and the Baise border management unit of China’s Guangxi province.

The two sides agreed to further promote coordination in border inspection and control, and strengthen joint patrol coordination in order to effectively prevent all types of crime, especially smuggling and transportation of contraband goods across borders, cited VOV.

They vowed to resolutely investigate and thoroughly handle individuals and organizations that broker, transport, and pick up others illegally entering or exiting each other’s territories, to ensure stability, security, and order in border areas and border gates between the two countries.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed their cooperation in border management and protection in the second quarter of the year. Accordingly, they returned and received 483 citizens illegally entering and exiting each other’s territories, and prevented 7,785 people attempting to cross the border and illegally transport goods from China to Vietnam. They also arrested criminals organizing illegal entry for their citizens.

Vietnam promotes cooperation with WIPO

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy is attending the 65th of the Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), taking place in Geneva, Switzerland from July 9-17.

The event sees a record number of over 1,400 participants, including nearly 20 ministers and deputy ministers from 191 member countries and observers.

Addressing the event, Duy congratulated WIPO on its outstanding achievements related to institution building work, specifically the adoption of the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge in May and the upcoming convening of a diplomatic conference to ratify the Design Law Treaty (DLT) next November.

In his speech, Duy also emphasized that Vietnam has issued the National IP Strategy until 2030, which mobilizes all stakeholders in society to engage in IP activities with businesses playing a central role.

He also announced that for the first time, Vietnam has successfully built and published the 2023 local innovation index report, according to VNA.

Vietnamese delegates at the 65th of Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). (Photo: VNA)

On the sidelines of the event, Duy had a working session with WIPO Director General Daren Tang, during which he briefed on the major policies of the Vietnamese Party and State on science, technology, innovation and intellectual property.

Thanking WIPO for its valuable support to his ministry in calculating the local innovation index, developing the National Intellectual Property Strategy and other important projects, he hoped that in the coming time, the organization will expand cooperation with Vietnam to other areas such as studies on the relationship between IP protection and innovations created by artificial intelligence (AI).

For his part, the WIPO leader congratulated Vietnam on its recent socio-economic development achievements, and appreciated Vietnam's steady advancement in the global innovation index ranking. He also hailed Vietnam as one of the few countries in the world which have published the local innovation index report.

He affirmed that WIPO is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in new areas that the Vietnamese official has mentioned.

PM expects breakthroughs in Vietnam – Japan economic cooperation

Vietnam and Japan should hammer out mechanisms to effectively implement free trade agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) deal, to help make breakthroughs in bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the proposal at a reception in Hanoi on July 9 for Japanese Minister Yoshitaka Shindo in charge of economy and the CPTPP.

Chinh said both countries still have a lot of room to exploit the advantages and incentives from the cooperation frameworks of which they are members, such as the CPTPP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP), the Vietnam – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

These cooperation frameworks play an important role in promoting trade, investment and business relations between the two countries to new heights, noted the PM.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Ministser in charge of Economy and the CPTPP Yoshitaka Shindo during their meeting in Hanoi on July 9. (Photo: VGP)

At the meeting, the PM also proposed that Japan continue to open the market for Vietnamese fresh fruit products, including pomelo and passion fruit, while creating conditions for Vietnamese businesses to engage in Japanese production, supply, and import-export chains. He also vowed to facilitate Vietnamese market access for Japanese products like grapefruit and peach.

The two sides should exchange experiences and enhance cooperation in innovation, science and technology, and emerging fields such as green development, digital economy, circular economy, sharing economy, knowledge economy, as well as in labour, education, human resource training, climate change response, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, he proposed.

The PM also proposed that the two sides maintain high-level visit exchanges and strongly promote bilateral cooperation in all fields in line with the new partnership framework established late last year.

Shindo for his part briefed his host on Japan’s socio-economic development policies at present and affirmed that he personally would continue to contribute to fostering Japan-Vietnam relations.

He highly appreciated Vietnam’s quality human resources and said Japan would renew reception policies and promote training cooperation to make it an even more attractive destination for Vietnamese interns and workers in the country.

Earlier the same day, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien met with Japanese Minister Yoshitaka Shindo in Hanoi. The two sides pledged to work closely together to improve the effectiveness of the CPTPP implementation, aiming to bring greater benefits to businesses and citizens while also elevating the deal’s role in global and regional trade.

They agreed to continue close collaboration to ensure that any new member meets the high standards of the deal and the expectations of all CPTPP members.

Japan is Vietnam’s fourth largest trade partner, with two-way trade reaching US$18.3 billion in the first five months of the year, marking a 4.4% increase year on year.

Vietnam becomes most favorable destination for Koreans in summer

Vietnam has surpassed Japan to top the list of favorable foreign destinations of Korean tourists, according to the travel trend analysis for the third quarter of 2024, which was released by the Republic of Korea (RoK) travel firm Kyowon Tour Travel Easy on July 8.

Travel booking data in the third quarter of this year showed that while Vietnam and Japan are still two destinations with high demand for reservations in the period, the increase in the number of tourists choosing China has also been remarkable, it said, attributing the result to many airlines’ resumption and expansion of flights to China during the summer.

For the third quarter of 2024, for the first time, the reservation rate for Vietnam reached 13.7%, higher than that of Japan at 13.2%. China ranked third in the list with 11.7%. Thailand came fourth at 7.1%, followed by Mongolia, cited VNA.

Korean tourists at Ho Chi Minh City's book street (Photo: VNA)

The analysis also showed that short-distance travel destinations accounted for 80% of all bookings during the 2024 summer travel peak season, especially the Chuseok (Mid-Autumn) holiday, the biggest holiday of Koreans in a year, which is slated for September 14-22. During the holiday, 17% of Korean travelers have booked destinations in Japan, 14.7% chosen China and 14.4% selected Vietnam.

A leader of Kyowon Tour Travel Easy said that due to the impact of high inflation, more Koreans have chosen short-distance foreign destinations during the holiday season or for early vacation to avoid the peak season to reduce the burden of cost.

Prime Minister vows support for Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2025

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday reiterated his support for Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 during his reception for Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Pham urged Malaysia to support Vietnam's efforts in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in order for the European Commission to remove its "yellow card" against Vietnam's seafood exports to the European Union.

He reaffirmed that Malaysia remains one of Vietnam's key partners, particularly in such fields like trade and investment, calling on both countries to continue maintaining their Joint Committee on Trade Cooperation to realize the two-way trade goal of US$20 billion.

Prime Minister Pham called on Malaysian enterprises to boost investments in Vietnam, especially in such fields like digital transformation, green transition, clean energy, wind power as well as emerging fronts like innovation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, reported VGP.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) hosts a reception for Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz at the Government Office in Hanoi, July 8, 2024. Photo: VGP

Regarding multilateral cooperation, Pham suggested both sides should continue mutual support at multilateral forums, working with other ASEAN Member States to maintain ASEAN centrality, enhance ASEAN solidarity and unity, and safeguard the environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Malaysia is Vietnam's third largest trading partner in ASEAN and tenth largest trading partner globally, with two-way trade reaching US$12.7 billion in 2023 and US$6.2 billion in the first five months this year.

Malaysia is also the third biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of over US$13 billion.

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