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Defence Minister Phan Van Giang speaks at the meeting. Photo: VNA

Vietnam suggests restraining actions in East Sea

While attending an ASEAN – China Defence Ministers’ Meeting Informal Meeting on June 15, Vietnamese Defence Minister Phan Van Giang requested parties concerned to refrain from actions and avoid complicating the situation in the East Sea.

At the virtually held meeting, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Giang emphasized the importance of ASEAN - China cooperation for peace and stability in the region. He highly appreciated China’s role as well as defense and security cooperation between ASEAN and China over the past time, especially within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting plus (ADMM+) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), cited VOV.

The Vietnamese official expressed Vietnam’s support for China’s initiatives aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and confidence building, particularly through personnel exchange between research institutes of ASEAN and China. He also supported the establishment of a hotline between the Defense Ministers of ASEAN countries and China on the basis of the ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure.

With regard to the East Sea issue, General Giang suggested that the concerned parties create a favourable environment for the negotiation of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), especially through confidence building measures. He also asked the parties to refrain from actions, avoid complicating the situation, and settle disputes peacefully on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

The ministers of participating countries reviewed achievements in China - ASEAN defense cooperation and proposed orientations for defense cooperation. They also exchanged views on the international and regional issues of common interest.

The meeting was held as part of activities to celebrate 30 years of the China - ASEAN dialogue relations.

The 8th ADMM+ is scheduled to take place on June 16.

Vietnam to receive a million Covid vaccine doses by July

Vietnam may receive a million more Covid-19 vaccine doses through Covax by early next month, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology said Tuesday.

Dang Duc Anh, director of the Institute, said the doses may come either at the end of June or early July, with the government planning to allow more groups to be vaccinated like workers in industrial parks.

A medical worker extracts the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from a vial for inoculation in HCMC, May 11, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Around two million vaccine doses by AstraZeneca may arrive in Vietnam within the third quarter, along with three million doses by Pfizer. However, that timeline may change in future, Anh said.

Vietnam has received around three million Covid-19 vaccine doses so far, with global vaccine access mechanism Covax providing 2.5 million, all produced by AstraZeneca, VnExpress reported.

The national Covid-19 vaccination program has inoculated over 1.5 million people with the AstraZeneca vaccine, mainly frontline workers of the Covid-19 fight. Over 59,000 people have received two shots.

The country is expected to receive over 120 million doses within this year, either through contracts or Covax. It seeks around 150 million doses in total to cover 70 percent of its population.

Seven weeks into Vietnam's new coronavirus wave, the nation has recorded 7,787 local Covid-19 cases in 40 cities and provinces.

Bac Giang and Bac Ninh continued to lead in the number of infections, with 4,263 and 1,394 cases, followed by Ho Chi Minh City with 923.

Vietnam issues first e-government development strategy towards digital government

On June 15, 2021, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 942/QD-TTg approving the e-government development strategy towards the digital government in the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030.

This is the very first time that Vietnam has issued a strategy on developing e-government and moving towards the digital government.

Six major viewpoints have been highlighted in the strategy, which serves as directions and orientations for the development of the digital government, as well as the digital economy and society in the new period. The first and most important among them is: Developing a Digital Government with all safe operations in the digital environment, a redesigned operating model, and operations based on data and digital technology, in order to deliver better quality services, make more timely decisions, formulate better policies, use resources more optimally, facilitate development, lead the country's digital transformation, effectively address major problems in socio-economic development and management.

The strategy sets out a vision to 2030 that Vietnam would be ranked among the top 30 countries in the world in terms of e-government and digital government according to the United Nations ranking. Photo: VNN

The strategy sets out a vision to 2030 that Vietnam would be ranked among the top 30 countries in the world in terms of e-government and digital government according to the United Nations ranking, cited VNN.

It also identifies five key target groups, including: Providing high-quality services to society; Broadening public engagement; Improving state agency operations; Effectively addressing important issues in socioeconomic growth; Having a breakthrough change in the national ranking for e-government, digital government, e-participation and open data as assessed by the United Nations.

The strategy also outlines the roles and responsibilities of ministries, industries, and local governments in leveraging new digital technologies such as Cloud Computing, Big Data, Mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, social media, to save time and costs of building and operating information systems and automating, intelligentizing, and optimizing work processes.

Vietnam's e-government development strategy towards the digital government in the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030 shall undoubtedly create a breakthrough in the development of e-government and digital government in the new period, contributing to the successful implementation of Vietnam's digital transformation goals, which are based on three pillars of Digital Government, Digital Economy, and Digital Society; in line with the development trend of the world.

Vietnam likely to rank third in global rice exports in 2022

Vietnam is anticipated to become the world’s third largest rice exporter next year with an estimated export volume reaching 6.3 million tonnes, according to the projection made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The latest forecast has recently been released as part of the USDA’s May 2021 Report about the Global Rice Outlook for 2022.

The report details that the global rice output in the 2021 - 2022 crop will hit a record high of 505.4 million tonnes of milled rice, an increase of 1.9 million tonnes compared to the 2020 - 2021 crop, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

Most notably, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, the Ivory Coast, the Republic of Korea, Paraguay, Taiwan (China), and Thailand will all witness rises in their respective rice output.

In contrast, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Iraq, Madagascar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the US, and Vietnam are all projected to record a lower output.

After two consecutive years of maintaining its position as the world’s second largest rice exporter, Vietnam will rank third in terms of global rice exports next year, behind India and Thailand.

In line with the rice industry restructuring scheme until 2025, Vietnam is aiming to export approximately five million tonnes annually.

Rice exporters have gradually begun to shift their proportion of white rice varieties to high-quality fragrant rice, while simultaneously focusing on high-end markets such as the EU, the US, and Japan.

Ca Mau tourism works to adapt to “new normal” situation

The tourism sector of the southernmost province of Ca Mau is taking measures to adapt to the “new normal” situation amid complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the fact that it had remained free of Covid-19 so far.

Tourist destinations pay great attention to following the “5K message” of khau trang (facemasks), khu khuan (disinfectant), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations).

Ca Mau Cape seen from above. Photo: VNA

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tieu Minh Tien said the province has issued a set of criteria to assess safety in Covid-19 prevention and control in the tourism sector, including specific regulations in each category and destination.

The local tourism sector is ready with measures to record new development progress in the near future, he said.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Hong Quan said the province has set tourism as one of its economic pillars and identified measures for sustainable development.

The Prime Minister has approved the master plan for Ca Mau Cape national tourism site and the province already has planning for tourist areas such as Khai Long and Hon Da Bac and ecological tourism sites in Tran Van Thoi and U Minh districts, cited NhanDan.

It has upgraded infrastructure, diversified products at destinations, and actively sought investment in various fields, including tourism.

According to Tien, Ca Mau will step up tourism marketing at home and abroad to promote its land, culture, and people.

It is due to link up with cities and provinces to form tourism product chains in the Mekong Delta and on an inter-regional scale.

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