Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Dao Ngoc Dung on July 1 announced 12 groups of policies to support COVID-19-hit employees and employers, which are included in a resolution issued by the Government the same day.

Speaking at the Government’s regular press conference, Dung said that the policies include reduction of premiums for labour accident and occupational disease insurance; postponement of contributions to the fund for retirement and death benefits; support in training to maintain employment for labourers; assistance for labourers having their contracts suspended or unpaid leave; support to out-of-work labourers; support to employees with their labour contracts temperately terminated; and additional support and assistance to children.

Alongside, the policies also comprise financial support covering meals for COVID-19 patients under treatment and those undertaking quarantine, as well as one-off assistance to art directors, artists, painters, tour guides, and assistance to business households.

Meanwhile, companies will get loans to pay for workers during suspended time and for production recovery, while freelancers and a number of other cases will also receive support.

The minister said that total expenditure for these beneficiaries is estimated at about 160 trillion VND (nearly 7 billion USD)./.

Vinh – HCM City flights suspended from 0:00 on July 2

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has issued a document on the suspension of Ho Chi Minh City – Vinh flights and vice versa, starting from 0:00 on July 2 until further notice.

Special flights carrying medical staff and supplies for the fight against COVID-19 will be considered by CAAV.

Earlier, Vice Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People’s Committee Le Hong Vinh asked the Ministry of Transport to suspend all commercial flights to/from Vinh international airport from June 30 until the pandemic is controlled.

Due to the complicated developments of the pandemic, Hai Phong, Quang Binh, Quang Ninh, Gia Lai and Con Dao have halted flights to/from Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City./.

Fire destroys 213ha of forest in Thừa Thiên Huế

A huge fire in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế has destroyed 213ha of forest which included a section of 40 year old pine trees.

The fire started because unexploded ordinances left from the war with America detonated due to the hot weather. 

Firefighters battled the blaze in Hương Thủy which started on June 25. It took them five days to extinguish the fire. 

Deputy director of the provincial department of Agriculture and rural development, Nguyễn Đại Anh Tuấn told Việt Nam News all ranger forces from the province and neighbouring Quảng Trị Province were called to stamp out the fire.

In total there were four fires at different sites. Firefighters were hampered by difficult terrain and poor fire-fighting equipment.

He said local rangers had to carry every 5-litre and 10-litre water bottles to the fire, while tractors were hired for transporting water tanks.   

Tuấn said 48ha of acacia log farms of local residents in communes of Thủy Châu and Thủy Phương were seriously damaged. 

Temperature in the area was scorching in previous days hitting highs of 40 degree C, while wind speeds from 39km to 60km per hour made the situation worse, Tuấn said.

The fire is under investigation. 

Deputy PM holds phone talks with US National Security Advisor

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh held phone talks with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on July 1 to discuss Vietnam – US ties, and international and regional issues of shared concern.

Both officials held that the Vietnam – US strategic partnership has been growing strongly in all fields, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two nations and making active contributions to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

They also agreed to enhance cooperation to further deepen bilateral ties via specific measures such as maintaining high-level communications and meetings, stepping up collaboration in fields of shared interest such as dealing with post-war consequences, science - technology, education - training and climate change response.

Minh highly valued the US’s role in promoting vaccine supplies for countries worldwide via the COVAX Facility as well as bilateral cooperation. He expected the US to continue supporting Vietnam's early access to vaccine supplies committed by the US.

The Deputy PM also suggested the US work closely with Vietnamese agencies to promote and ensure harmonious and sustainable development of bilateral economic, trade and investment ties.

Sullivan, for his part, affirmed that the US continues treasuring its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam.

Having spoken highly of Vietnam’s increasingly important role in the region and the world, Sullivan said the US will continue assisting Vietnam and other countries in accessing vaccines to push back the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US will work closely with Vietnam to enhance economic, trade and investment ties to bring benefits to businesses and people of both nations.

The two officials agreed to boost mutual coordination at global forums such as the United Nations Security Council to deal with common challenges.

They also discussed international and regional issues of shared concern such as the Greater Mekong Sub-region and response to climate change, and vowed to support ASEAN’s central role, freedom of navigation and settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./. 

151 new COVID-19 cases reported on July 2 morning

The Ministry of Health (MoH) confirmed 151 new COVID-19 infections, including four imported cases, in the past 12 hours to 6am on July 2, raising the national count to 17,727.

Of the new locally-infected cases, 118 were found in Ho Chi Minh City, 10 in Phu Yen, five in Dong Nai, four in An Giang, three in Long An, two each in Nghe An and Dong Thap, and one each in Ha Tinh, Khanh Hoa and Binh Phuoc.

To date, Vietnam has documented 15,905 domestic infections and 1,822 imported ones. The number of new cases since the fourth wave of outbreaks hit the country on April 27 amounted to 14,335.

Among the active patients, 260 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 138 twice and 89 thrice.

The number of fatalities related COVID-19 is 81.

On July 1, an additional 39,537 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots nationwide. Over 3.8 million vaccine doses have been injected so far. The number of people fully getting two shots is 204,006.

As of 5pm on July 1, the national COVID-19 vaccine fund had received over 7,986 billion VND (347.2 million USD), which were donated by 356,715 collectives and individuals.

Two Nigerian citizens sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Vietnam

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JULY 2

The People’s Court of Quang Tri province, central Vietnam, has sentenced to deaths two Nigerian citizens on a charge of illegally trafficking nearly 14 kilos of drugs in Vietnam.

Ekene Ajemba, 31, was detained on September 20, 2019 at section Km72+800 of National Highway 9 in Quang Tri by relevant agencies of the Lao Bao International Border Gate.

Searching his bag, the authorities discovered a nylon package containing crystals believed to be synthetic drugs.

From his testimony, relevant agencies later detained Omeje Johnson Chibuzo, 31, at a restaurant in Lao Bao township. Searching the Nigerian man and related locations, the authorities seized more paper packages containing white crystals.

Test results showed that all of the crystals were drugs, weighing nearly 14 kilos in total.

HCMC advises against requisitioning schools as quarantine centers

The HCMC government has sent an urgent dispatch to the districts and Thu Duc City asking them not to requisition schools as concentrated quarantine facilities but depending on the Covid-19 situation, to instead, review hotels, guesthouses, resettlement homes and dorms to use them as quarantine centers.

In addition, the management boards of export processing zones, industrial and hi-tech parks should also prepare hotels, guesthouses and dorms near these zones as quarantine centers for workers.

It is necessary to set up field quarantine areas for employees in areas with empty land or at warehouses that have yet to be used.

The management boards were told to work with the HCMC Department of Health to appraise 22 firms in export processing zones and industrial parks and two others in a hi-tech park which have registered to maintain their production operations while offering quarantine services prior to July 5.

Apart from this, the management boards should continue to call on many other firms to deploy the program of continuing production while quarantining.

Besides, under the dispatch, the municipal government also asked quarantine centers to arrange a maximum of two persons in a room and arrange beds at least two meters apart, the local media reported.

To prevent cross infection at quarantine facilities, the HCMC government told these facilities to provide each quarantined person with a separate restroom and keep the doors and windows open.

These quarantine rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, but no air-conditioners, according to the dispatch.

Over 300 medical students, lecturers from Hai Duong travel to HCMC to fight Covid-19

Over 300 students and lecturers at Hai Duong Medical Technical University flew to HCMC today, July 1 to join the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam Airlines operated a flight to transport these students and lecturers to the city to help it suppress Covid-19, said a Vietnam Airlines representative.

The airline used a wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft for the flight, which took off at 7.00 a.m. from Hanoi City and landed in HCMC at 9.00 a.m, the local media reported.

The Hai Duong City Healthcare Center on June 27 worked with the university to inject the team with Covid-19 vaccine to ensure their safety during the battle against the pandemic.

Earlier, these students and lecturers had participated in the anti-pandemic fight in Hai Duong Province in February and in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh in May and June, which are the country’s largest coronavirus hotspots.

Following the proposal from the Ministry of Health, the university on May 16 set up two teams, including 267 employees, lecturers and students, to support Bac Giang and Bac Ninh as the two were seeing the Covid-19 pandemic raging.

Only one week after completing their task in Bac Giang Province, which has basically brought the pandemic under control, the team continued to travel to HCMC for the anti-Covid-19 fight.

Since the current fourth wave of the coronavirus emerged on April 27, HCMC has reported over 4,000 domestic Covid-19 cases. The number of Covid-19 infections might continue to rise.

National high school exam in HCMC to be held in two phases

The HCMC government has decided that this year’s national high school exam in the city will be held in two phases in line with the Ministry of Education and Training’s schedule following the complicated developments of Covid-19 in the city.

Accordingly, the first phase will be implemented on July 7 and 8, while the second phase will be organized for candidates who are Covid-19 patients, those in direct and indirect contact with Covid-19 cases and those in areas under lockdown, the local media reported.

HCMC Vice Chairman Duong Anh Duc said the city had found it difficult to make the decision, which was based on the municipal Department of Education and Training’s proposal.

All candidates and proctors will undergo Covid-19 tests and must have a negative test result to participate in the exam.

According to the HCMC Department of Education and Training, nearly 89,300 candidates have applied for the national high school exam this year. More than 18,000 teachers and officials will be mobilized for the exam.

The department will provide hand sanitizers, face masks and thermometers at the exam venues. Each venue will have at least two vacant rooms for candidates showing symptoms of cough and fever.

In addition, medical workers will be mobilized for the exam venues.

All candidates and proctors must strictly follow anti-virus measures, such as making health declarations before entering the exam hall, having their body temperature checked at the entrances of exam venues and washing hands at exam rooms and after submitting their exam papers.

Phu Yen to set up second Covid-19 field hospital as infections surge

The central province of Phu Yen has decided to build a second field hospital to promptly provide medical treatment for Covid-19 patients, as it has detected more than 100 coronavirus cases by community transmission over the past week.

Tran Huu The, chairman of the provincial government, said on June 30 that the province approved the provincial Health Department’s proposal to set up the second field hospital at the Tuy Hoa City Medical Center in Tuy Hoa City, with some 100 beds, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The province’s first Covid-19 field hospital, which is located at the Dong Hoa Town Medical Center, has been operational for four days. It originally had 100 beds, which later rose to 200 beds.

The provincial government also approved the Health Department’s proposal of temporarily converting some medical centers and facilities in the province into Covid-19 treatment units.

Some functions of the provincial General Hospital would be transferred to the Phu Yen Traditional Medicine Hospital. Non-coronavirus patients of the converted medical facilities were told to visit nearby medical units for further health check-ups and treatment.

According to the provincial Health Department, the province reported 21 new infections on June 30, bringing its domestic infection cases since June 23 to 104.

Da Nang strives to become child-friendly city by 2030

The central city of Da Nang aims to become a child-friendly city in line with international standards by 2030.

Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Trung Chinh has approved and issued an action programme for children for the 2021-2030 period with many practical activities in order to achieve important goals in caring for children in the next 10 years.

Local children in special and difficult circumstances who need social support, and vulnerable children in the city will be the target group of the programme.

The city will focus on giving best care to all children on health and nutrition, protecting them from abuse, violence, exploitation and trafficking, supporting them in accessing quality education services and healthy entertainment and participating in appropriate children-related issues.

Da Nang strives to ensure all children under one year old are fully vaccinated with eight vaccines, as well as every child access clean water at home and school by 2025, and maintain the rate to 2030

Leaders of the city have directed Party committees and local authorities at all levels to issue directives and resolutions on children, and add the children-related targets in their socio-economic development programmes.

Attention should be paid to improving programmes, mechanisms and policies on child rights in line with the integration and development, and promoting communications activities to raise awareness of the target groups.

The model of child-friendly districts has been piloted and expanded./.

Greetings extended to Communist Party of China on founding anniversary

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Central Committee has sent a message of greetings to the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on the occasion of the CPC’s 100th founding anniversary (July 1, 1921-2021).

In the message, the CPV Central Committee noted that the formation of the CPC is a historical milestone of important significance in the revolutionary cause of Chinese people.

Over the past century, the CPC has constantly grown stronger, and its role and position in the world arena unceasingly enhanced, wrote the message.

Right since the first days of their establishment, under the nurturing of President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong as well as generations of leaders of both countries, the CPV and CPC have stood shoulder by shoulder, giving each other assistance and support during the revolutionary struggle for national liberation in each country, it said.

The Party, State and people of Vietnam always highly value and are grateful for the precious support and assistance given by the Party, State and people of China to Vietnam’s revolution in the past as well as the current national construction and development, said the message.

The message underlined that the Party, State and people of Vietnam are willing to work with the Party, State and people of China to persistently follow the “16-word motto” and “four-good spirit”, deepening the bilateral practical and effective cooperation in all fields, controlling and properly settling differences through peaceful measures on the basis of respect for each other’s legitimate interests in line with international law, and promoting the healthy and stable development of the friendly neighbourliness and the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, thus meeting the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and peoples, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperous development in the region and the world.

Also on the occasion, General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong extended greetings to General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the message, the CPV leader congratulated China on the great achievements that the country has gained under the leadership of the CPC over the past 100 years, especially since the CPC’s 18th National Congress with Xi playing the core role.

General Secretary Trong underscored that in the current context, reinforcing and strengthening the healthy and stable development of the friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China are suitable to the interests of both peoples, benefitting peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

He expressed hope that the two sides will well implement high-level agreements and shared perceptions, thus further lifting the Vietnam-China ties to a new height to match the fundamental and long-term interests of the two Parties, states and people.

Also on July 1, at a virtual commemoration event held by the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, Politburo member and standing member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong delivered a recorded video speech to congratulate the CPC on its 100th founding anniversary./. 

Vietnam has strong, durable institutions for protecting public health: Brookings website

Vietnam has proven that it has strong and durable institutions that could protect the country’s public health through future pandemics, according to an article recently published on the website brookings.edu of the US-based Brookings Institution.

It noted that when the threat of COVID-19 dawned, the government quickly ordered and strictly enforced border closures. Contact tracing was extensive for all suspected cases of COVID-19, and all individuals suspected to have been exposed to the virus were identified and isolated.

To implement this strategy of mass, coordinated quarantine, including cooking and delivering meals to those in isolation, employing sanitation efforts, contact tracing, and testing, required a large human resource capacity, which the Vietnamese government recruited among medical students and workers, party-affiliated social organisations, and the military. Social media, widely available in Vietnam, was used to promote public health messaging and dispel misinformation.

While Vietnam’s current outbreak is dwarfed by those in neighbours like Indonesia and the Philippines, the government continues to enforce quarantine regulations for all traced, suspected cases and strict regulations on foreign entry, according to the writing.

The article said the Vietnamese government is demonstrating that it can deploy the necessary policies and resources of the state to the strategies it chooses, whether that is protecting public health during a global pandemic, or increasing accountability and transparency of governance to attract foreign investors. Certainly, the Vietnamese government’s public health approach was impressive, and the country was uniquely positioned to take on the challenge of COVID-19.

The recent outbreaks will require Vietnam’s public health ministries and surveillance capabilities to maintain strong coordination with government leadership as there is continued pressure to reopen the country to foreign tourists and business.

Vietnam has proven that it has strong and durable institutions that could protect the country’s public health through future pandemics, without relying on vaccines alone.

The Vietnamese government has demonstrated it can enact an effective preventative public health model through the structures of its state if it so chooses, and perhaps that’s the lesson for other governments to learn if countries are each to prepare state-led pandemic responses in the future, the writing added./.

Ha Giang tourism struggles to adapt to COVID-19

Facing complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic both domestically and abroad, many tourism firms in the northern province of Ha Giang have sketched an array of measures to overcome difficulties and maintain their business.

Beginning operation since the early 2020, the four-billion-VND Homestay Sky View Khanh Dinh has been continuously battered by COVID-19. In a bid to maintain operation, its owner decided to plant orchard in an area of nearly 3,000 square metres.

For large tourism companies like H’Mong Village, they have suffered greater loss due to huge investment. All customers of H’Mong Village have cancelled their bookings since the fourth wave of COVID-19. The Village, built at a total cost of nearly 3.5 million USD, was hit hard by the pandemic right after it was put into operation in 2020.

Due to COVID-19, cultural, sport and tourism events in Ha Giang were cancelled in the first half of the year, critically affecting business of travel firms and lodging facilities.

Ha Giang province hosted more than 642,00 arrivals in the first half, or 38 percent of the set plan./.

NA Chairman offers aid to Dak Lak workers

A delegation led by Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue presented 50 aid packages to pandemic-hit workers in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on June 30.

The top legislator said that amid the negative impact of COVID-19 on business operations and people’s livelihood, especially the grave effects of the fourth wave of outbreaks on industrial parks, the Politburo has decided to continue with the policy on supporting workers and employers, including workers in the informal economic sector.

The Politburo has assigned the Party committees at the NA and the Government to work together in a bid to promptly roll out the new support package, with experience learned from the implementation of previous resolutions in the sphere.

Hue highly valued efforts made by trade unions at all levels in Dak Lak over the time to help ease the challenges for not only local members but also workers in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh northern provinces, the two major COVID-19 outbreaks in the latest resurgence of COVID-19.

He also required the provincial Party committee to devise effective solutions to enhance care for workers, ensure social welfare and sustainably alleviate poverty./.

Party Resolution introduced to Central Agencies’ Bloc Party members

The Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc organised a conference on June 30 to introduce and step up the implementation of the Resolution of its 13th Congress in the 2020-2025 tenure as well as an action programme on the implementation of the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution.

The content of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s article entitled “A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” was also briefed at the event.

The online conference was connected with 252 locations, attracting the participation of nearly 6,000 Party members.

Huynh Tan Viet, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc, said that after each Party congress, studying and implementing the congress’s resolution is a mandatory requirement for Party organisations and Party members.

He expressed his belief that with the determination of the entire Party Committee, the efforts of all agencies and units, and the consensus and solidarity all officials, Party members and employees, the Resolutions adopted at the 13th National Party Congress and the 13th Congress of the Party Organisation of the Central Agencies' Bloc will soon come to life, helping turn the decisions of the Congresses into reality./.

City in Quang Ninh bolster ties with Chinese locality

Authorities of Mong Cai, a border city in the northern province of Quang Ninh, held talks on June 29 with officials from Dongxing city in China's Guangxi, discussing the implementation of measures to maintain the success of the two localities in pandemic control and socio-economic development.

During the meeting held at the boundary line on  Bac Luan 1 Bridge, the two sides focused on strictly managing the border to prevent illegal entry and exit, speeding up the customs clearance of goods, and returning citizens in violation of immigration rules. 

The two sides brief each other on the pandemic situation in their respective countries, provinces and cities, and agreed to enhance the coordination of cross-border measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two sides exchanged and agreed on measures to promote trade activities, including facilitating the flow of goods through accelerating customs clearance; hence reducing cost for businesses. 

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (July 1, 1921 – 2021), leaders of Mong Cai have sent a letter of congratulations to officials and people of Dongxing, wishing them prosperity  under the leadership of the Communist Party of China./.

State leader works with Korea-Vietnam Friendship Association President

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc held an online meeting on June 30 with Choi Young-joo, President of the Republic of Korea-Vietnam Friendship Association and Chairman of Panko Group, who announced that Korean enterprises had raised 1 million USD to support Vietnam’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Appreciating the donation, President Phuc said that Vietnam is well controlling the pandemic, and continues exerting extra efforts to soon drive back the pandemic, stabilise production and business, ensure the continuity of supply chains and ensure a safe environment for local people and investors.

Speaking highly of Vietnam’s success in the COVID-19 fight, Choi said he hopes the money donated this time will be sent to Ho Chi Minh City which is being hit hard by the pandemic.

He proposed the Vietnamese State leader maintain attention to boosting the Vietnam-RoK Strategic Partnership so as to facility the RoK’s investment in Vietnam.

He went on to say that Panko and several Korean investors are paying attention to the development of industrial parks, resort tourism, smart cities and commercial centres in Vietnam.

Welcoming Korean businesses’ interest in investing in science and technology, smart city, pharmaceutical industry, President Phuc said a favorable business investment environment, and a rapid increase in the middle class are good conditions for foreign investors to come to Vietnam.

The RoK is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 9,200 projects worth about 72 billion USD. Trade between the two countries has also grown well and reached over 66 billion USD last year.

He affirmed that Korean enterprises’ operations have contributed greatly to the development of the bilateral strategic partnership.

The Vietnamese leader showed his hope that the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Association continue mobilizing resources to help Vietnam respond to the pandemic./.

Charity ‘zero-dong mini supermarket’ succours poor in HCM City

A charity store with more than 60 essential items for daily use will remain open until July 4 at the Hiep Binh Phuoc Culture and Sports House in Thu Duc city to succour people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The zero-dong mini supermarket, as these have been dubbed, stocks food items such as sugar, milk, rice, eggs, cooking oil, fish sauce, seasoning, monosodium glutamate, instant porridge and noodles, fresh foods, vegetables, and fruits, besides medical supplies.

More than 200 families in Hiep Binh Phuoc benefit from it, with each household receiving three tickets worth 200,000 VND (8.7 USD) each to pick up goods from the store.

Set up by Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ), it is open from 8am to 5pm every day, and people have to stagger their visits to ensure not too many people gather at a time amid the pandemic.

The stores are part of the “Vong tay Viet” programme carried out by PNJ, the city’s Department of Industry and Trade, the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Goods, Young Employee Assistance Centre, and HCM City Association for Women Executives and Entrepreneurs.

The programme also includes delivery of essential goods to locked down and quarantine areas to support residents as well those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight in HCM City.

Cao Thị Ngọc Dung, PNJ Chairwoman, said, “The zero-dong mini supermarket chain … is helping people temporarily forget their financial worries amid the pandemic.”/.

Dak Nong asked to concentrate on socio-cultural-economic development, Party building

Politburo member and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue asked the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong to focus on socio-cultural-economic development, Party building and defence-security protection during a working session with the provincial Party Committee's Standing Board on July 1.

Hue suggested that Dak Nong province should optimise its advantages in ecosystem and tourism as well as fruit tree cultivation to develop stronger.

According to Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Dieu Kre, in the first six months of 2021, Dak Nong's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth reached 6.03 percent. So far, 29 out of 60 communes in the province have been recognised as new-style rural areas.

The NA leader reminded the province to maintain its achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control, noting that Dak Nong has still been free from the pandemic since it first broke out early last year.

He asked Dak Nong to speed up agricultural restructuring and developing major products as well as products in the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) programme basing on the application of high technology and the model of collective economy, while paying greater attention to personnel training.

Regarding bauxite exploitation, he asked the province to form a working team to take charge of updating and implementing policies on bauxite exploitation and sale as well as the aluminum industry's development.

The NA Chairman stressed the need for Dak Nong to give priority to the Dak Nong-Chon Thanh expressway project connecting with Binh Phuoc province and develop infrastructure for Gia Nghia city.

He also requested Dak Nong province to show stronger performance in addressing free migration activities.

On the occasion, the NA leader handed over 1 billion VND (43,500 USD) as support to Dak Nong in COVID-19 prevention and control. Representatives from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee also presented 1 billion VND to the province, while the Ministry of Health also handed over 5 billion VND (217,500 USD) worth of medical supplies to the locality. Tua Sran Solar JSC also donated 5 billion VND to the province.

Earlier the same day, Hue also visited and presented gifts to the public security force of Dak Nong./.

President, experts discuss building law-governed socialist State

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a working session with legal experts in Hanoi on July 1 to listen to their feedback on a scheme to build a strategy for building and perfecting a law-governed socialist State till 2030 with orientations to 2045.

At the event, he said after 35 years of renovation, the country has made strides in building a law-governed State, with improved people’s lives and strengthened public trust on the Party leadership, State and regime.

However, many problems remain, such as reforms of the economy and apparatus are uneven, the supervisory role of the people and people-elected agencies does not meet expectation, legal enforcement is not strict enough, and judicial and administrative reforms are yet to meet requirements for national development, the President said.

Experts were of the opinions that the building of scheme should be guided by the spirit of upholding the role and position of the law, and the strategy must aim for promoting progress in socio-economy, culture and environment, and most importantly, towards the people.

The scheme should tackle shortcomings in existing laws and take into consideration the harmonisation between Vietnamese and international laws, they said.

They highlighted the viewpoint that the scheme must follow the principle of putting the Constitution and laws first, and harmoniously handle relations between the State and citizens, and between collectives and individuals on the basis of respect and equality.

The leader said feedback at the event will be studied during the process of perfecting the scheme./. 

HCM City aims to control COVID-19 prior to July 10

Ho Chi Minh City has planned to conduct COVID-19 testing for one million aggregate samples per day, with a hope to control the pandemic before July 10.  

Apart from increasing the testing, every effort will be exerted to trace, zone off and stamp out the pandemic while attention will be paid to strictly controlling quarantine sites to minimise cross-infection risks.

Large-scale sample collection and narrow-scale lockdown will be conducted in areas where COVID-19 infections were confirmed. Test results in these areas are expected to be confirmed within 12 hours.

The local authorities have also prepared a response scenario for treatment of 10,000 infections.

Regarding the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, the municipal authorities are urgently working with partners and negotiating with vaccine manufacturers to accelerate the purchase and import of vaccines, so that the city can receive the first vaccine batch at the end of the third quarter.

The city has set to give vaccinations to two-thirds of its population in late 2021./.

Vice State President visits Tuyen Quang

Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan visited the northern province of Tuyen Quang on July 1, where she visited Kim Binh special national relic site in Chiem Hoa district to offer incense at a martyrs’ monument and the house where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during the war time.

On the occasion, she presented gifts to 100 welfare policy beneficiary families and 200 poor students in communes of Vinh Quang, Kim Binh, Tri Phi and Kien Dai, as well as handed over 10 houses worth 500 million VND to families of people who made contributions to the revolution. .

Speaking to local leaders and residents, Xuan wished that Tuyen Quang province and Chiem Hoa district in particular would harmoniously develop economy and culture, protect the environment, and improve local lives.

On the occasion of the 74th anniversary of Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27), Xuan also visited and presented gifts to Nguyen Thi Nhan, a mother of martyr and Pham Dinh Ha, a war invalid in the district./.

Greetings extended to Communist Party of China on founding anniversary

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Central Committee has sent a message of greetings to the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on the occasion of the CPC’s 100th founding anniversary (July 1, 1921-2021).

In the message, the CPV Central Committee noted that the formation of the CPC is a historical milestone of important significance in the revolutionary cause of Chinese people.

Over the past century, the CPC has constantly grown stronger, and its role and position in the world arena unceasingly enhanced, wrote the message.

Right since the first days of their establishment, under the nurturing of President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong as well as generations of leaders of both countries, the CPV and CPC have stood shoulder by shoulder, giving each other assistance and support during the revolutionary struggle for national liberation in each country, it said.

The Party, State and people of Vietnam always highly value and are grateful for the precious support and assistance given by the Party, State and people of China to Vietnam’s revolution in the past as well as the current national construction and development, said the message.

The message underlined that the Party, State and people of Vietnam are willing to work with the Party, State and people of China to persistently follow the “16-word motto” and “four-good spirit”, deepening the bilateral practical and effective cooperation in all fields, controlling and properly settling differences through peaceful measures on the basis of respect for each other’s legitimate interests in line with international law, and promoting the healthy and stable development of the friendly neighbourliness and the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, thus meeting the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and peoples, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperous development in the region and the world.

Also on the occasion, General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong extended greetings to General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the message, the CPV leader congratulated China on the great achievements that the country has gained under the leadership of the CPC over the past 100 years, especially since the CPC’s 18th National Congress with Xi playing the core role.

General Secretary Trong underscored that in the current context, reinforcing and strengthening the healthy and stable development of the friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China are suitable to the interests of both peoples, benefitting peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

He expressed hope that the two sides will well implement high-level agreements and shared perceptions, thus further lifting the Vietnam-China ties to a new height to match the fundamental and long-term interests of the two Parties, states and people.

Also on July 1, at a virtual commemoration event held by the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, Politburo member and standing member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong delivered a recorded video speech to congratulate the CPC on its 100th founding anniversary./.

Over 250 Vietnamese citizens repatriated from Canada

A Vietnam Airlines flight on July 1 successfully brought home more than 250 Vietnamese citizens left stranded in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 18-hour repatriation flight touched down at Da Nang International Airport, marking the first flight from Canada conducted by the national flag carrier this year.

The repatriation of the Vietnamese citizens is the result of close work carried out over a six-month period by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada, competent authorities of both countries, and Vietnam Airlines.

In-flight safety and preventive measures to combat the potential spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were rigorously enforced throughout the journey to protect the health of passengers and flight attendants onboard.

Upon arrival at Da Nang International Airport, all passengers and crew members received medical check-ups and were subsequently sent to quarantine facilities in line with COVID-19 guidelines.

Japanese culture promoted in Vietnam

A cultural programme running with the theme of “Taikan Japan” has been officially launched at the Japanese Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange (JF) in Hanoi and will take place throughout July.

The event aims to provide participants with greater opportunities to experience Japanese culture in Vietnam, according to organisers.

It will see many experts join video calls to talk briefly about Japanese culture, with all of the videos being uploaded to the centre’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheJapanFoundationVietnam.

The centre will also hold several workshops to promote Japan’s distinctive culture in Vietnam.

Details about the various workshops have been published on the website and also on the Facebook page of the Japanese Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange (JF).

Ethnic market session to be reenacted in Hanoi capital

A traditional rural market is set to run at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism throughout July in Son Tay town on the outskirts of Hanoi, serving to offer a fresh experience for tourists to learn more about the daily life of ethnic people in Vietnam.

Visitors to the village will have the chance to take part in a rural market which displays indigenous specialties and authentic tourism products of the 13 ethnic groups which are participating in the event, including the Tay and Nung from Thai Nguyen province, the Mong from Ha Giang province, and the Khmer from Soc Trang province.

The cultural event will see over 100 ethnic people showcase an array of traditional songs and dances, thereby helping tourists to look into the traditional cultural heritage of 54 ethnic groups from across the country.

Throughout the event children can have fun taking part in folk games or trying to make handicraft products under the instruction of local artisans.

In addition, family camp tours and homestay tours are expected to provide a new experience to groups of families and elderly people.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JULY 1

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