Vietnam News Today (July 2): Vietnam Team in Group B of World Cup qualifiers’ third round
	Vietnam News Today (July 1): Northern region faces prolonged hot spell
	Vietnam News Today (June 30): HCM city continues social distancing measures as Covid-19 cases surge

Mong Cai International Border Gate in Quang Ninh. Photo: VNA

Quang Ninh acts as gateway for Vietnam-China cross-border economic ties

Over the past years, the northern province of Quang Ninh has been working to gradually establish itself as a “gateway” for cross-border trade between Vietnam and China, thus contributing to bilateral economic ties.

Quang Ninh, which shares more than 118km of land border and 191km of sea border with China, is located at the start of the countries’ “Two Corridors, One Belt” economic cooperation zone, in the Nanning - Singapore Economic Corridor, and the expanded Gulf of Tonkin inter-regional cooperation area under the ASEAN - China Free Trade Area, cited VOV.

It has signed 26 provincial-level agreements with Chinese localities. Via these cooperative ties, the province has gradually established itself as “a gateway, a bridge” in the Vietnam - ASEAN - China cooperation, helping to achieve major outcomes in almost all areas, especially cross-border economic and trade partnerships, road transport, border gate opening and upgrade, border management, and the fight against cross-border crimes.

In 2020, the value of goods traded through Quang Ninh’s border gates approximated US$2.79 billion, including over US$1.11 billion in exports, US$980 million in imports, and US$695 million worth of items temporarily imported for re-export or stored in bonded warehouses.

Of the total figure, Mong Cai city of the province posted over US$1.09 billion in exports, nearly US$1.04 billion in imports, and US$694 million of goods temporarily imported for re-export or stored in bonded warehouses. Hai Ha district recorded US$3.5 million in exports and US$4.5 million in imports, and Binh Lieu district had US$16.6 million in exports and US$65.9 million in imports.

On July 16, 2021, authorities of Quang Ninh and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China officially launched customs clearance through Bac Luan No 2 Bridge, which links Mong Cai International Border Gate of Vietnam with Dongxing Border Gate of China.

The two sides have also coordinated to complete infrastructure for Hoanh Mo - Dong Zhong border gate area so that this border gate pair will officially make debut in the near future.

Vietnam to receive up to 10 million Covid-19 vaccines in July

Between eight million and 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be delivered to the country in July through the COVAX facility and signed contracts, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has revealed.

During a meeting of the Steering Committee for the Covid-19 vaccination drive in the 2021 to 2022 period in Hanoi on July 2, Minister Long said additional vaccines will also be shipped to the nation in September and October.

Moving forward, the country aims to achieve herd immunity in early 2022 as it strives to inoculate roughly 70% of its population.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long chairs a meeting of the Steering Committee for the Covid-19 vaccination drive in the 2021- 2022 period. Photo: VOV

As a means of achieving this goal, a large number of vaccines will be sent to Vietnam in the near future, with the largest ever vaccination campaign to be launched in the nation's history.

Most notably, top priority will be given to vaccine storage, transportation, distribution, and organisation of mobile vaccination stations in order to ensure the safety of local people, Minister Long emphasised.

The vaccination drive is anticipated to have roughly 19,000 vaccination sites, with the use of information technology at these locations in order to strictly monitor the number of vaccine doses, registered, and vaccinated people.

As part of draft plans outlining the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, Dang Quang Tan, director general of the Preventive Medicine Department, said the drive will take place from July through to April, 2022, according to VOV.

The ultimate goal is to vaccinate at least 50% of people aged 18 and above, while 70% of the population will be injected by the end of the first quarter of next year.

The drive will be deployed on a nationwide scale, with priority given to people residing in pandemic-hit localities and industrial parks.

With flights grounded, airline caterers offer meals on the ground

With most airlines still operating far below capacity due to Covid-19, inflight caterers have started to sell their foods to restaurants, schools and hotels.

Hanoi-based Noi Bai Catering Services Joint Stock Company (NCS), Vietnam’s leading air catering company, served merely 4.6 million inflight meals in 2020, 42.5 percent down from 2019.

Its revenues fell nearly 60 percent to VND275.2 billion (US$12 million), and so, after years of growing profits, the company racked up losses of more than VND38 billion (US$1.6 million).

Most airline caterers faced a similar plight last year.

To survive, NCS has started to develop new sales channels targeting customers other than just airlines. It is recruiting distributors and agents to sell breads, cakes and convenience foods to retail stores and restaurants.

NCS milk tea sold at a retail store in Hanoi. Photo: VNA.

It has begun to distribute milk tea to some retail stores in Hanoi. It is also selling fried pies, fried rice, sticky rice with chicken, spaghetti, and other dishes on its website called "Bep tren may" (Kitchen on the cloud).

It plans to sell more food on the ground, and expand both direct and indirect distribution channels in the next five years, cited VnExpress.

A leading inflight catering service provider in HCMC, Vietnam Airlines Caterers, is launching new products aimed at non-aviation customers with the slogan ‘Both Cloud and Ground.’

Another inflight catering service provider, VINACS Cam Ranh in the central province of Khanh Hoa, recently decided to supply meals to hotels used for quarantine.

It also plans to supply schools, hospitals, companies, and travel agencies in future.

But despite their efforts, inflight catering service providers face a big challenge because their distribution channels are limited and there is little room for growth in the retail market, insiders said.

Vietnamese export turnover enjoys 28.4% surge in first half

The first half of the year witnessed the country’s export turnover rake in US$157.63 billion, representing an annual increase of 28.4%, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The nation’s export value throughout June hit US$26.5 billion, up 1.2% compared to the previous month and 17.3% over the same period from last year.

Most notably, five groups of products reported export turnover of over US$10 billion between January and June, accounting for 58% of the total export value.

Photo: VOV

Throughout the reviewed period, the nation spent US$159.1 billion on imports, marking an increase of 36.1% on-year, reported VOV.

As a result, the country endured a trade deficit of US$1.47 billion in the first half of the year, in comparison to a trade surplus of US$5.86 billion recorded during the same period from last year, according to the GSO.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) have stated that when the third wave of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreaks hit the country at the beginning of the year, it closely followed the market situation and proactively implemented a range of solutions. This was done in an effort to remove the difficulties facing firms and to promote production and business to meet growth goals.

Vu Ba Phu, director of the MoIT’s Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, said the Ministry has paid special attention to boosting trade promotion through business-matching events. This is along with taking measures to fully tap into the benefits from various free trade agreements (FTAs) that the country has signed with partners, thereby boosting its exports.

Cultural village reopens, featuring a variety of cultural activities

A series of activities showcasing the unique features of rural markets in the north of Vietnam has kicked off the reopening of Vietnam National Villages for Ethnic Culture and Tourism on the outskirts of Hanoi.

The tourist attraction has been reopened as the Covid-19 pandemic has been basically controlled in the capital in recent days.

Visitors to the village from July 1-31 can experience daily activities of Vietnamese ethnic minorities, including traditional craft demonstrations, culinary introductions, folk games and dances.

A number of traditional activities will be held in Vietnam National Villages for Ethnic Culture and Tourism this July, including children's traditional games. Photo: VNS

According to Trinh Ngoc Chung, acting head of the management board of Vietnam National Villages for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, the highlight of the activities in July is the 'Rural Market-Children's Memory' event that will take place on July 23-25.

“The space of the rural market will recreate ancient cultural features, taking visitors on a journey back to a humble and rustic memory via trading scenes, folk games and dances that are typical of northern Vietnam,” he said.

Other traditional items are also sold at the market like traditional toys and craft products. The organisation board has also invited 20 ethnic artisans to introduce and make traditional handicrafts, cited VNS.

An integral part of 'Rural Market-Children's Memory' event is an abundance of folk games inviting tourists to take part in, such as rope jumping, tug of war and stilts walking.

Chung said the management board of the village is still making great efforts to introduce and recreate the rituals of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups through a variety of activities.

For example, traditional rituals of the Khmer and E De ethnic minorities will be held in the village on July 25 and 31, respectively.

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