Vietnam News Today (Jul. 23): Vietnam Becomes Ideal Destination for RoK Investors in Hi-tech Industry

A boy gets vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: VNA

Covid-19: Vietnam confirms 1,142 new cases on July 22

The national caseload of Covid-19 reached 10,766,128 on July 22 with 1,142 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health.

A total 4,531 Covid-19 patients were given the all clear on the day, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 9,842,176. There are 51 patients in serious conditions needing breathing support, cited VNA.

One death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours, raising the total fatalities to 43,092.

On July 21, 457,727 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected to 241,480,787.

Vietnam, China seek to facilitate customs clearance of goods

Vietnam and China recently convened their fourth meeting of the Trade Facilitation Working Group aiming to resolve the congestion of goods at Vietnam’s northern border gates.

Both sides applauded drastic measures recently implemented by their relevant agencies to facilitate the customs clearance of goods, mostly farm produce, through border gates, and to reduce congestion of vehicles at border gates, according to VOV.

Director General of the Asia - Africa Market Department Le Hoang Oanh co-chairs the fourth meeting of the Trade Facilitation Working Group. Photo: congthuong.vn

They proposed maintaining a hot line in order to timely tackle problems arising at border gates, creating the optimal conditions possible for the operation of the Ma Lu Thang - Kim Thuy Ha and Lao Cai – Hekou border gates in the near future.

They also suggested the expansion of the pilot model of importing Vietnamese fresh fruits through border gates in Guangxi, co-ordinating to improve the capacity of railway transport, and accelerating the signing of agreements to boost bilateral economic and trade co-operation.

Concluding the meeting, both sides agreed to continue regularly maintaining bilateral co-operation mechanisms and closely work together to handle arising issues in an attempt to prevent the backlog of fruit trucks at border gates.

Vietnam becomes ideal destination for RoK investors in hi-tech industry

Vietnam is rapidly developing into the preferred destination for businesses from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to invest in the hi-tech industry, said experts at the Vietnam - Korea Cooperation Forum in Ho Chi Minh City on July 22.

At the forum, Nguyen Phu Binh, chairman of the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese, revealed that after 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and the RoK have recorded a range of major economic, social, and cultural achievements.

Most notably, the RoK has become one of the country’s largest investment partners for several years, making a significant contribution to its economic development.

Delegates share their viewpoints at the event. Photo: VNA

Sharing this perspective, Kwon Sung-taek, vice chairman of the Korea-Vietnam Economic and Cultural Association (KOVECA), also emphasized that these achievements can be attributed to similarities in the culture and development goals of the two countries.

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and the RoK is equivalent to the RoK’s total bilateral trade turnover with the remaining nine countries in the ASEAN region, while RoK enterprises contribute approximately 25% to total Vietnamese export turnover, he said.

The KOVECA representative noted that there will be significant changes in the RoK’s investment in Vietnam, with priority given to the manufacturing, high-tech, and environment sectors instead of labour - intensive industries as had been the case in the past, reported VOV.

Vietnam is anticipated to become a destination for technology transfer and human resource training by investors from the RoK, particularly as it is one of the countries with the fastest digital transformation pace in the world.

He pointed out that aside from advantages of a young population and being an attractive investment destination, there remains hurdles in terms of investment attraction policies for financiers.

Nguyen Minh Lam, vice chairman of the Long An Provincial People's Committee, said the RoK has injected US$900 million into 209 investment projects in Long An, ranking second among countries investing in the locality.

To attract greater foreign direct investment (FDI), the province focuses on improving the investment climate and simplifying administrative formalities in a bid to facilitate investors’ operations.

Pham Huu Thang, vice chairman cum general secretary of the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese, said Vietnam is ready to welcome Korean financiers to seek investment opportunities, adding that both sides must provide updated information on each their respective needs to ramp up effective co-operation in the coming time.

Hanoi recognizes nearly 600 OCOP products

The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on July 22 announced a decision to recognize OCOP (One Commune, One Product) products of 2021.

As many as 595 products managed by 171 subjects in 26 districts were recognised as OCOP products, including 367 four-star OCOP products and 228 three-star OCOP products, raising the total number of OCOP products to 1,649.

Hanoi currently leads the country in the number of certified OCOP products, cited NDO.

Visitors buy OCOP products at the fair. Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn

Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vice Chairman of the city OCOP Council Chu Phu My asked owners of OCOP products to continue to maintain and improve the quality, design and packaging of OCOP products for sustainable development.

My noted that Hanoi aimed to have an additional 2,000 OCOP products certified as three-star products or more by 2025.

On this occasion, the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is holding a trade fair showcasing Hanoi OCOP products at Royal City, No.72 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan district.

The event will run until July 24, displaying hundreds of recognized OCOP products.

Coach Park Hang-seo on mission to promote young Vietnamese players

Coach Park Hang-seo has said he and the Vietnam men’s football squad will make efforts to meet their goals this year, and work to promote young Vietnamese footballers.

During his visit to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on July 22, Park expressed his belief that relations between Vietnam and the RoK will grow stronger, VNA reported.

Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tung (left, behind) and coach Park Hang-seo (centre, behind) in a photo with Vietnamese children. Photo: VNA

Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tung congratulated the coach on the achievements he and the Vietnam national football team have recorded, significantly contributing to enhancing understanding between Vietnamese and Korean people, especially in 2022 when the two countries mark the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The diplomat noted his hope that Park will make more contributions to Vietnamese football, and pay more heed to training young footballers.

At the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) last May, Park helped Vietnam beat Thailand to become champions at the biggest regional tournament for the second time in a row.

Vietnam News Today (Jul. 20): Vietnam Has One of Asia’s Most Dynamic Start-up Scenes Vietnam News Today (Jul. 20): Covid-19: national caseload rises to 10,762,532 on July 19; Vietnam has one of Asia’s most dynamic start-up scenes; Hanoi capital ...

Vietnam News Today (Jul. 21): Hoi An, Phu Quoc Listed Among World’s Leading Destinations by US Magazine Vietnam News Today (Jul. 21): Vietnam records 1,162 new Covid-19 cases on July 20; Vietnam, Indonesia set sights on US$15 billion trade by 2028; Hoi ...

Vietnam News Today (Jul. 22): Vietnam Makes Responsible Contributions to ASEAN Vietnam News Today (Jul. 22): Covid-19: national caseload rises to 10,764,986 on July 21; Vietnam places great importance on strategic partnership with Japan; Vietnam makes ...