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In the hypothetical scenario, the Vietnamese and Indonesian coast guard ships receive an SOS signal from a vessel on fire while on a joint patrol (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese, Indonesian coast guards hold joint exercise

The coast guard forces of Vietnam and Indonesia conducted a joint exercise on search and rescue, firefighting and explosion prevention at sea in the waters off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 11.

Participating in the joint exercise were officers, soldiers, and crew members from vessel CSB 8001 of Vietnam's Coast Guard Region 3 Command and Indonesia's coast guard ship KN.Pulau Dana-323.

In the hypothetical scenario, the Vietnamese and Indonesian coast guard ships received an SOS signal from a vessel on fire while on a joint patrol. They quickly identified the coordinates, communicated with each other via a common frequency system, and urgently accelerated to the scene to approach the distressed ship. Then they coordinated in using water cannons to extinguish the fire.

After the fire was successfully extinguished, both ships discovered that a person had fallen into the sea. They quickly deployed high-speed rescue boats to approach the victim, brought him onboard and provided first aid to stabilize his health, cited VNA.

Thanks to the close coordination and high determination of the officers and crew members from both forces, the missions were successfully executed, contributing to the excellent completion of the joint exercise.

Col. Nguyen Minh Khanh, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Coast Guard Region 3 Command, said that this was a meaningful activity for the two forces to exchange and learn from each other in handling incidents related to search and rescue, firefighting, and explosion prevention at sea.

He went on to say that it was also an opportunity for the officers and crews of both countries to gain more experience in ensuring maritime security and safety, responding to incidents at sea, and improving their creativity, practical skills and command capabilities when carrying out assigned tasks.

Premier Li Qiang’s Vietnam visit helps promote building of community with shared future

The official visit to Vietnam from October 12 to October 14 by Chinese Premier Li Qiang not only continues the high-level exchanges between both sides, but also marks a new starting point for future ties, according to journalist Qiao Jun, an expert on Vietnam at China Media Group (CMG).

Premier Li’s visit takes place amid both countries set to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties next year, as well as the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future which carries strategic significance and will be elevated to a new level, Qiao said.

It is therefore of important significance in further deepening the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future, as this is the first visit to Vietnam by the premier since he assumed office in March, 2023, according to VOV.

journalist Qiao Jun, an expert on Vietnam at China Media Group (CMG).

During his stay in Hanoi, Premier Li is scheduled to meet with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, hold talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and meet with National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

The two sides will compare notes on many important issues, with focus on realizing the key common perceptions achieved by the highest leaders of the two countries and further promoting the construction of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future.

Journalist Qiao said that during this visit, railway co-operation remains a key focus, with the two sides promoting collaboration to swiftly implement railway projects such as Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong, Lang Son – Hanoi, and Mong Cai – Ha Long – Hanoi. For Vietnam, the completion of these projects will significantly improve domestic transportation infrastructure, reduce logistics costs, boost trade with the northern neighbor, and provide strong momentum for the development of the Vietnamese economy.

In addition, the two sides will actively discuss and expand co-operation and connectivity between the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative and the ‘Two Corridors, One Belt’ framework; speed up the establishment of 'hard connectivity' through railways, roads, and border gates; while strengthening 'soft connectivity' through smart customs, along with building a stable and secure industrial and supply chains.

Vinh Phuc, Cuba’s Mayabeque province strengthen cooperation

Secretary of the Vinh Phuc provincial Party Committee Duong Van An on October 11 affirmed that the northern province will continue implementing specific activities to tighten the friendship and cooperation with Cuba’s Mayabeque province.

Receiving a delegation of the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam led by Ambassador Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen, the provincial leader said he believes that the policies of the Communist Party of Cuba will help the country overcome difficulties and challenges to develop more strongly in the coming time.

Regarding the cooperation agreement that Vinh Phuc and Mayabeque provinces signed during the recent state visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, An said that the province will continue to implement specific activities so that the two provinces can strengthen their friendship and cooperation for mutual development, VNA reported.

Secretary of the Vinh Phuc provincial Party Committee Duong Van An (right) receives Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen. (Photo: VNA)

Saying that this was his first visit to Vinh Phuc, the Cuban ambassador said Cuba has strengths in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and health care and it is ready to cooperate with Vietnam and Vinh Phuc province in the above fields.

He said Mayabeque province is a locality with great potential for development and strengths in agriculture and commodity export. Currently, Cuba has given more autonomy to localities, including Mayabeque. This will be a good opportunity for Vinh Phuc and Mayabeque to concretise the signed cooperation agreement.

The diplomat said the Cuban Embassy will serve as a bridge to further promote Vietnam-Cuba cooperation in general and the ties between the two provinces in particular.

Vietnamese economy shows swift recovery in post-typhoon period

The Vietnamese economy has rapidly bounced back, despite facing external uncertainties and heavy damage caused by typhoon Yagi which greatly affected all socio-economic activities and people’s lives.

The national economy has regained momentum and produced positive results, with bright sports being recorded in industrial production, export, and foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction during the nine-month span.

The country displayed macroeconomic stability; controlled inflation; and ensured major balances while overspending, public debt, Government debt, and foreign debt were within acceptable limits.

According to Nguyen Thi Huong, general director of the General Statistics Office (GSO), the economy grew by 7.4% on-year in Q3, exceeding the target set in the Government's Resolution No.1 (6.7%).

During the reviewed period, it soared by 6.82% compared to the same period from last year, with the agro-forestry-fisheries sector climbing by 3.2%, while industry and construction and service sectors marked respective increases of 8.19% and 6.95%.

As many as 17,700 new firms were registered in September, thereby bringing the total number of new businesses in the reviewed period up to 183,000, higher than the number of companies withdrawing from the market.

Survey conducted by the GSO indicated that 82.6% of manufacturing firms anticipate that conditions will improve or remain stable ahead in the fourth quarter, signaling strong business confidence in the economy's recovery.

Despite the damage caused by typhoon Yagi, international economic organizations still have confidence in the overall resilience of the Vietnamese economy.

“Vietnam’s economy showed robust recovery in the first half of 2024 and continues to maintain momentum despite global uncertainties,” said Shantanu Chakraborty, country director for Vietnam of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), elaborating that the recovery has been driven by improving industrial production and a strong rebound in trade.

In its latest report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to raise its forecast for Vietnamese economic growth in 2024 to 6.1%, higher than the "nearly 6%" projection made in June. The ADB projected a positive economic outlook for the country, forecasting its gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 6% in 2024 in its September Asian Development Outlook (ADO).

However, the economy still faces plenty of challenges, especially unpredictable fluctuations, while the momentum in the domestic market has not been effectively maintained, cited VOV.

Photo: VOV

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) pointed out that typhoon Yagi has severely affected agricultural production and tourism in the north, meaning that solutions need to be implemented in a timely manner to help enterprises quickly restore production and business activities to limit negative impacts on growth in the fourth quarter and early 2025.

The MPI projected a 7.6% to 8% economic expansion in Q4 following positive results in the previous quarter, thereby helping to achieve and exceed the full year target of 7% growth. The projection was made based on robust growth trends in various economic sectors, with agricultural production maintaining its growth trajectory, meeting demand of domestic consumption and export.

To reach the growth target in the fourth quarter, the Ministry said that resources must be prioritized to fine-tune policies and regulations, thereby helping to shape up a favorable environment as well as attract large-scale and high-tech investment projects, adding that it is a must to foster and renew traditional growth motives in investment, consumption, and export.

The MPI underlined the necessity to augment co-operation and hold economic dialogues with comprehensive strategic partners and strategic partners. The nation also needs to promote the working group mechanism that engages with enterprises and financiers to lure multinational corporations and strategic investors in the areas of chips, semiconductors, and AI.

Simultaneously, it can be viewed as essential to study rational and feasible policy packages to support firms and further propel new growth drivers forward, the Ministry added.

Japan provides Vietnam with 2 million USD in urgent funding for typhoon relief

The Japanese government has announced a 2 million USD contribution to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support Vietnam’s critical relief and early recovery efforts in the wake of Typhoon Yagi.

Yagi, which struck Vietnam on September 7, along with subsequent flooding and landslides, has caused extensive damage to northern Vietnam.

Half of the fund will cover essential water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and child protection services provided through UNICEF Vietnam serving 21,251 people, while the other half will go to IOM Vietnam to provide emergency shelter and non-food items support for more than 16,800 individuals in the hardest hit provinces.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki said that the Japanese government intends to ensure that this funding will support the recovery amongst some of Vietnam’s most vulnerable communities in hard-hit rural areas, NDO reported.

Typhoon Yagi caused extensive damage to northern Vietnam.

He added that this holistic approach of humanitarian assistance through trusted partners will set a strong course for recovery, noting that it is now more important than ever to work quickly to achieve the collective vision of a strong, prosperous, and resilient Vietnam.

This contribution will help address the urgent needs of children and families affected by the most destructive typhoon to hit Vietnam in 70 years.

It will also play a catalytic role in facilitating broader multi-sectoral coordination, enhancing efforts across shelters, health, education, and nutrition services to meet the comprehensive needs of children and families.

To date, the Japanese government has provided emergency relief including water purifiers and plastic sheets for 2,000 families through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as other emergency supplies through the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Center and UNICEF.

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