Vietnam News Today: Vietnam steps up preparations for 36th ASEAN Summit

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Vietnam prepares for the 36th ASEAN Summit

Photo by VNA.

The ASEAN 2020 National Committee convened its fifth meeting in Hanoi on May 15, focusing on preparations for the upcoming 36th ASEAN Summit, VNA reported.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, who is chairman of the committee, said the COVID-19 pandemic has largely impacted ASEAN in general and Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 in particular.

He, however, described these challenges as opportunities for Vietnam to promote its role as ASEAN Chair 2020.

Vietnam has proactively and promptly organized many video conferences within ASEAN and between the grouping and its partners regarding the fight against the epidemic, and raised initiatives in line with the theme of “Cohesive and responsive” of the ASEAN Year 2020, he said.

Regarding the implementation of the results of the Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN 3 Summit on COVID-19, as well as Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s initiatives presented at the events, Dung said relevant ministries and agencies are speeding up the building of implementation documents and measures that will be sent to other ASEAN member countries for feedback collection and submitted to the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC).

Minh assigned sub-committees and the ASEAN 2020 Secretariat to continue with preparations for the 36th ASEAN Summit and put forth suitable plans, programs, and scenarios.

Vietnam launches first local online meeting platform

Zavi.me provides free experience of online meetings. Photo by Doanhnghiep.vn.

The Ministry of Information and Communications launched the online meeting platform Zavi at https://zavi.me on May 15, the first of its kind created in Vietnam.

The platform can cater to 100 people in a meeting for 24 consecutive hours. It will be regularly updated and provided free to the public nationwide.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said the platform was completed within the 20 days of social distancing and is a useful tool as social gatherings remain limited to prevent COVID-19.

The creation of Zavi proves the rapid advancement of Vietnamese IT staff, he said.

Hung then chaired the first online meeting using Zavi, with the Departments of Information and Communications of Ha Giang and Quang Ninh provinces to discuss the Bluezone application.

Hanoi appears to declare itself coronavirus free

Photo by Getty.

According to Hanoi’s authority, the capital city has met the criteria for declaring itself coronavirus free as it has witnessed no more COVID-19 infection cases for 29 days in a row.

VOV cited Ngo Van Quy, Deputy Mayor of Hanoi as speaking at an online Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on May 15.

According to the Hanoi official, the municipal administration on May 14 lifted restrictions on Dong Cuu village, Thuong Tin district, which is the capital’s last coronavirus outbreak.

Hanoi tops the country’s list of coronavirus affected localities, with 112 cases confirmed, of whom 101 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Currently, 128 people remain in quarantine for medical observation, plus 13 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients.

"According to the regulations, Hanoi has met the criteria for declaring itself epidemic free,” Quy said. “Whether or not the Prime Minister decides to announce the end of the epidemic, Hanoi vows to implement the dual goal of epidemic prevention and economic recovery.”

The deputy mayor voiced the capital’s resolve to tighten control as more Vietnamese citizens stranded in coronavirus-hit countries are returning to the homeland, in an attempt to keep the virus at bay in the community.

Vietnamese consumers among the most optimistic in Asia during COVID-19

Illustrative photo by Vietnamnet.

Vietnamese consumers are some of the most optimistic in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam Insider cited American management consulting firm McKinsey’s recent consumer survey.

The survey, which was conducted among 618 consumers in Vietnam and covered their consumption behavior shifts during the COVID-19 crisis, showed that only 4% of Vietnamese think the crisis will have a longlasting impact on the economy.

Among all countries surveyed, only China is more confident, with 3% of respondents agreeing with this statement. This is compared to 6% in Indonesia, 16% in the United States and 24% in the Republic of Korea.

Some 47% of Vietnamese respondents believe the economy will rebound within two to three months and grow just as strong as or even stronger than it was before COVID-19. This figure in the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan is 39%, 13% and 6%, respectively.

13 Vietnamese movies coming to Netflix this summer

A poster of "Kungfu Pho".

Netflix, one of the largest media service providers in the world, has added one subtitled Vietnamese movie and will show 12 more this summer, Vnexpress reported.

It began showing the action-comedy "Kungfu Pho" (Kung Fu Pho) on May 8. The movie centers around two students of Grandmaster Van Cu, the greatest kung fu chef in all lands, who battle it out to win the hand of Van Cu's daughter and his legendary recipe.

The other 12 movies are "12 Chom Sao Ve Duong Cho Yeu Chay" (Five Steps of Love), "Gai Gia Lam Chieu" (The Last Egg), "Dong Mau Anh Hung" (The Rebel), "14 Ngay Phep" (14 Days), "Fan Cuong" (Fanatic), "Nham Mat Thay Mua He" (Summer In Closed Eyes), "Cho Em Gan Anh Them Chut Nua" (Diary of Fireflies), "Cuoi Ngay Keo Lo" (Love Puzzle), "Quy Co Thua Ke" (The Heiress), "Ngu Voi Hon Ma" (Exorcism: The Haunted Child), "Bay Rong" (Clash), "Sai Gon Yo!" (Saigon Electric).

Vietnam ranked 4th among most optimistic countries in the world despite pandemic Vietnam ranked fourth in the world in the first quarter of this year for having the most positive consumers despite adverse coronavirus impacts.

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