Police taking a picture of a woman for her ID card. (Photo: VNA)

National Data Centre planned in draft Data Law

The Ministry of Public Security has introduced a draft proposal for the Data Law, addressing the need to include the national data center. Currently, there is a lack of infrastructure in some ministries to support essential information technology systems, leading to disparate databases with issues of standardization and uniformity. The existing data centers suffer from inadequate investment synchronization, non-compliance with standards, and insufficient security measures.

To mitigate these challenges, proposed regulations aim to establish a national data center that will serve as a central repository for data and systems, fostering interconnectivity among various databases and information systems. The Ministry of Public Security is actively working towards the completion and operation of the first national data center in Hoa Lac (Hanoi) by the end of 2025, aligning with the timelines set in Resolution No. 175/NQ-CP and the effective date of the Data Law on January 1, 2026.

The Ministry of Public Security's impact policy assessment report highlights that the construction of the national data center will lead to reduced investment costs for the state in digital transformation infrastructure and resources. This initiative ensures streamlined management and expertise for nationwide activities such as data collection, storage, management, exploitation, use and sharing. Additionally, the state benefits from cost savings in administering information systems outside the state database of political and socio-political organizations.

Organizations, businesses, and individuals are expected to register and use services from the government-provided national data center infrastructure and cloud computing services. This move reduces investment resources and addresses concerns related to data leakage.

The Ministry of Public Security estimates significant cost savings for ministries, departments, and localities in data collection and cleaning related to the population. Utilizing information available in the national population database is projected to save substantial amounts, with examples including around VND 573 billion (US$23.2 million) for the first data collection and over VND 5 trillion (US$202 million) for data cleaning costs.

Furthermore, units currently renting space for data infrastructure at a considerable annual cost could benefit from relocating to the national data center. This transition not only ensures the highest level of security and safety but also allows the state to reduce approximately 20% of total costs by minimizing expenses related to renting premises, operating costs, and business profits.

The Ministry of Public Security is also seeking input from agencies, organizations, and individuals for the draft Data Law. In recent years, legal provisions related to data have demonstrated the commitment and leadership focus of the National Assembly, the Government, and other entities to establish a legal framework, contributing to Vietnam’s rapid data development. Despite 69 laws regulating databases, the current legal framework is deemed incomplete, lacking unified standards, consistent connection mechanisms, and efficient deployment of national databases.

The proposal aims to build the Data Law, addressing key areas such as building, developing, processing, and managing data, applying technology in data processing, regulations on the national consolidated database, the national data center, and related products and services. The Data Law is intended to enhance Vietnam’s digital government, digital economy, and digital society, ensuring security, safety, and effective support for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Ministry suggests the Government review and align other relevant laws with the provisions of the Data Law.

Photo: VOV

First two months see four export items hit over US$5 billion

There were 4 products with export turnover of US$5 billion during the first two months of this year, including phones and components at US$9.58 billion; computers, electronics, and components at US$9.55 billion; other machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts at US$6.82 billion, and textiles and garments at US$5.23 billion. These items accounted for 52.5% of the country's total export turnover.

According to a report released by the General Statistics Office (GSO) throughout the reviewed period, export turnover was estimated to reach US$59.34 billion, up 19.2% over the same period from last year. Of which, the domestic economic sector brought in US$16.14 billion, an increase of 33.3%, accounting for 27.2% of total export turnover, while the foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) fetched US$43.2 billion, a rise of 14.7%, making up for 72.8%.

In the billion US$ turnover group, computers, electronics, and components recorded the highest growth rate of 6.3%. In contrast, machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts dropped by 17.5%; phones and components fell by 4.6%; textiles and garments down by 8.4% and footwear decreased by 6.8%.

An art performance at the event. (Photo: baolangson.vn)

Art exchange fosters friendship between Vietnamese, Chinese localities

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the northern border province of Lang Son has recently organized an art exchange program with the participation of local artists and those from Pingxiang county in China's Guangxi. The March 1 event demonstrated the cooperation and friendship between Lang Son and China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and allowed the localities to promote their images and cultural traits.

In his opening remarks, the director of the department Nguyen Dang An highlighted the traditional friendship between Lang Son and the cities and districts of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The two sides have co-organized various culture, sport, and tourism activities, contributing to strengthening their solidarity and friendship, the official said.

Lang Son and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region share a borderline of more than 231km, with 12 pairs of villages setting up twinning relations.

Vietnamese music professor and guitarist Dang Ngoc Long ( third from right) performs the "Suite Kieu" at the House of World Cultures in Berlin. (Photo: VNA)

“Suite Kieu” guitar piece performed in Berlin

The “Suite Kieu” (To khuc Kieu) by Vietnamese music professor and guitarist Dang Ngoc Long was one of the six works played by Zafraan Ensemble - a German group based in Berlin that is well-known for its classical concerts with a distinct crossover flair at the House of World Cultures in Berlin on March 1. The other five works are composed by artists from Algeria, Angola, Cuba, Ghana, and Chile.

"Suite Kieu" features “The Tale of Kieu” - a literary legacy left by great poet Nguyen Du. With Vietnamese materials based on European harmony, Long composed the “Suite Kieu” in 2016. He wrote it for the Zafraan Ensemble at the request of this band, playing guitar and flute, clarinet, violin, and piano. Zafraan Ensemble’s performance formed part of the cultural and artistic activities to reminisce the past between Germany and countries within the framework of the exhibition "ECHOS DER BRUDERLÄNDER", a multidisciplinary project on international relations heritage.

Professor Dang Ngoc Long is known as the person who brought Vietnamese music, from Nghe Tinh folk songs to Quan Ho folk songs, to Europe. As the art director of the International Guitar Competition & Festival Berlin, Long has turned Vietnamese folk songs into arrangements in this major music competition. To promote Vietnamese music, he composed seven suites to enhance the value of the German translation of the Tale of Kieu.

Vietnamese Ambassador Do Duc Thanh and martial artists at the event. (Photo: Nhan Dan)

Vietnamese martial arts promoted in Romania

The Kwan Ki Do Spring Cup was held on March 2 by the Romanian Martial Arts Federation, with the participation of over 300 young martial artists from clubs in Romania, especially several children with disabilities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Romania, Do Duc Thanh, expressed his joy when witnessing Kwan Ki become more and more popular in many cities in Romania, attracting a large number of students, helping to train discipline, tolerance, sharing, and health training, especially for teenagers. The Ambassador expressed his wish that the students would continue to act as a bridge, further fostering the time-honored friendship between the two countries. Ambassador Do Duc Thanh hopes that the Romanian Martial Arts Federation will continue to support the development of this martial art in Romania.

General Secretary of the Romanian Traditional Martial Arts Association, Sensei Petre Bulmaga, said that currently, the number of people practicing at centers across Romania is more than 2,000, ranking second after karate. Martial arts masters and referees are proud to contribute to popularising the martial arts spirit, discipline, respect, sharing, and qualities of Vietnamese culture. He added that classes for children with disabilities focus on teaching them discipline, behavior control, and energy.

The World Union of Kwan Ki Do was founded by master Pham Xuan Tong, in France and is currently present in 24 countries worldwide, most developed in Africa and Europe. Since 1990, Kwan Ki Do has become a member of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation.

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