VND80 bln presented to poor people across Vietnam

Chapters of the Vietnam Journalists Association across the country have presented gifts worth over VND81 billion (US$3.8 million) to social welfare beneficiaries, poor people and those from ethnic minority groups in 2013.

According to preliminary reports, they built 189 houses of gratitude for families of martyrs and wounded soldiers, while presenting 720 scholarships and many gifts to disadvantaged people in the country.

On the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, the chapters, scattered across 63 provinces and cities, gave away over 8,000 gift packages worth VND4 billion (US$188,000) to the beneficiaries.

To raise funds for their activities, the chapters of the association worked with relevant sectors and enterprises to organise many charity programmes to support underprivileged people.

The chapters in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City also took many meaningful activities to collect money to help poor citizens.

ADB helps improve Grade-II Cities' infrastructure

The PM has approved a technical assistance project on the development of the Grade-II cities in the provinces of Ha Giang, Vinh Phuc and Thua Thien Hue, which is using a non-refundable aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The project, from January 2014-February 2015, aims to support project managers in reporting, designing and planning projects funded by the ADB to upgrade infrastructure in Ha Giang City, Vinh Yen City and Hue City.

Worth US$1 million, of which US$800,000 is in non-refundable aid of the ADB, it will be launched by the People’s Committees of the three provinces.

Action programme on land renovation issued

The Government has released an action programme to implement Resolution 19-NQ/TW on continuing renovating land policies to create a foundation for Vietnam to become a basically modern-oriented industrial country by 2020.

According to the Government Portal, the programme defines key tasks and measures for ministries, agencies and localities to improve land use and management in favour of socio-economic development, national defense, food security, environmental protection, anti-wastefulness and less land complaints.

It aims to raise people’s awareness of policies on land, and targets to improve land management efficiency, take economic measures instead of administrative ones and enable land relations to be ruled by market mechanisms under the State management.

Land reclamation, compensation, support and resettlement would be implemented in an open, transparent, democratic and fair manner and in line with legal regulations.

Resettlement areas would be built before land reclamation. Displaced people would receive more support on vocational training and job creation.

The programme also looks to speed up the process of shaping large farming land areas and building new-style rural areas and strictly control land allocation and land lease.

The issuance of certificates of land use right, residential house ownership and ownership of assets would be finalised.

Hunting for highland peach trees

Despite their expensive price, peach trees grown in the highland forests are highly coveted and sought after by peach connoisseurs during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

Along National Highway No6 in Son La province these days are long lines of ethnic people selling peach branches cut from the forests of the North-western mountainous region.

Highland peach prices vary, ranging from VND200,000 to VND1 million or more, depending on their shape, buds, colour and age. Mossy branches usually cost more than normal ones, but they have been scare in recent years due to excessive exploitation.  

Vang A Dung, a local peach seller, said although the Tet holiday is drawing near, business is not brisk, resulting in low profits. Most purchasers come from Hanoi, Haiphong and other provinces.

Nguyen Van Nghia, a wholesale dealer, said forest peach is a bit cheaper than in previous years, explaining that recent prolonged cold spells interfered with blooming.

Peach sellers in the Moc Chau Plateau at an altitude of over 1,000m estimate they sell hundreds of thousands of peach branches during the Tet holiday. However, they admit beautiful branches are a rarity these days.  

In Hanoi, highland peach trees are displayed in bulk at flower markets along Lac Long Quan, Au Co or Hoang Hoa Tham streets. A mossy branch, which is 3m high, was said to have been cut from an old big peach tree far in the mountain forest and was extravagantly priced at VND13 million.

The seller explained the branch has buds, flowers and fruit, which is the first choice of many connoisseurs.

Hoa, another florist at Quang Ba flower market, said she had purchased 30 highland peach branches from Lang Son province to sell for between VND1-10 million each. City people now prefer naturally grown peach trees to those grown in gardens, she added.

The Tet holiday has several days to go and peach sellers are expecting to earn big profits from the business as the weather is warming.

OVs in the US celebrate Tet

Nearly 300 overseas Vietnamese gathered in the US state of Washington, on January 26 to attend  a ceremony to welcome the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).

Vietnamese ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong announced that 2013 has been a memorable year in the Vietnam-US relationship.

In July 2013, State President Truong Tan Sang paid a historic visit to the US and held talks with his counterpart Barack Obama.

Both leaders declared to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership and open a new chapter in  Vietnam-US relations.

Vietnam-US economic and trade ties have grown rapidly with total trade turnover reaching US$30 billion in 2013, up 130 times compared to 1994. In 2014, the US’ investment capital in Vietnam is expected to reach nearly US$11 billion, up 40 times compared to late 1994.

The US has rapidly become one of Vietnam’s leading partners as Vietnam-US relations continue to strengthen and develop further. New advancements are expected in the bilateral relations between the two countries in 2014.

With two million, overseas Vietnamese living in the US, America is now the world’s largest Vietnamese community.

In the last two years, despite economic downturn, overseas Vietnamese have overcome difficulties to make great contribution to the resident country, serving as a bridge to promote Vietnam-US relations.

Ambassador Cuong emphasised that many Vietnamese professors and intellectuals have also contributed to the relationship in fields such as education and training, science and technology. US politicians and senior officials spoke highly of the Vietnamese community’s dynamism and creativity.

New Year get-togethers bring festive cheer to OVs

Vietnam’s diplomatic agencies around the globe have held get-togethers for overseas Vietnamese (OV) on the threshold of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday which falls on January 31.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the US hosted a pre-Tet meeting with some 250 OVs in the capital Washington D.C. on January 26.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong noted that 2013 was a special year for Vietnam–US relations. They elevated their ties to a comprehensive partnership level during President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to the US in July.

He added that 2014 marks 20 years since former US President Bill Clinton declared the normalisation of its trade ties with Vietnam (February 3, 2014). Since then, bilateral relations have enjoyed great strides, particularly in economics, trade, investment, education–training and tourism.

The diplomat said the Vietnamese community of two million in the US is growing and has been actively contributing to the development of Vietnam–US relations.

At a similar event held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic on the same day, Ambassador Truong Manh Son appreciated the considerable achievements made by the Vietnamese community during its integration with the host society. Notably, the community has been recognised by the Czech Government as the 14th ethnic minority group of the country.

He expressed his hope that 2013 attainments will fuel their efforts in 2014 so as to build a stronger community and make greater integration.

Hundreds of overseas Vietnamese across the UK and representatives from the UK-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Vietnam-UK Network celebrated Vietnam’s biggest traditional event on January 26.

Addressing the get-together held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, Ambassador Vu Quang Minh said 2013 not only marked the 40th founding anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties but also the 100th anniversary since Uncle Ho set foot in the UK’s coastal town of Newhaven.

A flurry of activities were undertaken to mark such important events, including the UK visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron, the Ambassador noted.

Over the past year, the Vietnamese community in the UK actively participated in many charitable activities to support disadvantaged people in Vietnam’s remote areas, Minh said.

The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel held a get-together for overseas Vietnamese in the country to celebrate the event.

Ambassador Ta Duy Chinh underlined the new development in friendship and wide-ranging cooperation between Vietnam and Israel.

Sharing the joyful Tet holiday, the Vietnamese community in Laos converged at a friendly meeting held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane to mark the festive occasion.

Ambassador Nguyen Manh Hung highlighted the deep and wide development in the Vietnam-Laos traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, noting that annual two-way trade exceeded one billion USD for the first time last year.

Besides working together to complete the construction and upgrade of the border marker system along the two nations’ shared border, Vietnam and Laos have signed many cooperation agreements and put into operation a number of projects.

Also on January 26, the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia organised a get-together with local Vietnamese people.

Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao wished the community a successful year in all fields, while asking them to work more for the fine relations between Vietnam and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, also had a meeting with expatriates on January 25.

Consul General Mai Phuoc Dung underlined diplomatic, economic and educational accomplishments between both countries as well as activities to mark the 40th anniversary of Vietnam–Australia diplomatic ties (1973 - 2013).

He deemed the solidarity of the Vietnamese community as an important factor for Vietnam’s development.

The Vietnamese Embassy in New Zealand held a get-together to celebrate the Lunar New Year festival on January 25 in Wellington, drawing Vietnamese people living and working there.

Vietnamese in California held traditional Ao Dai contest

Vietnamese people living in the US state of California held a traditional Vietnamese dress competition at Little Saigon in Orange County on January 25 as part of celebrations for the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival.

The event attracted large numbers of Vietnamese people, both men and women of all ages, with the youngest 5 years old, and the eldest, 78.

As well as the fashion show, contestants attended two Q&A sessions on Vietnamese traditional outfits and customs.

Participants had the opportunity to enjoy music and dance performances and taste traditional Tet dishes during a cooking contest.

This was the second time the overseas Vietnamese community in Little Saigon held such an event and once again it received huge applause from audiences.