Hanoi fights to control dengue infections

Dengue fever remains a matter of concern Hà Nội, but officials have managed to control its spread in 1,468 of the 2,000 affected areas, the Hà Nội People’s Committee said.

At least 69.5 per cent of the affected areas have not seen new patients in 14 days, and most of the affected areas have no more than five patients.

Following Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s instructions to handle the problem of dengue fever effectively, the municipal People’s Committee sent guidelines on implementing preventive measures to all district and town people’s committees.

All communes and wards in the capital city have set up working teams to kill mosquito larvae and supervisor teams to check the situation. In all, there are 26,000 working teams, with around 63,000 members, and 4,600 supervisor teams with 10,000 members.

So far, the teams have conducted 90 campaigns of spreading chemical substances in mosquito-prone spaces, and 1,000 campaigns of killing mosquito larvae, based on the Ministry of Health’s recommendations.

The health ministry has assigned four expert teams with a total of 24 members to help and guide the anti-dengue campaign.

Authorities in Hà Nội warn that there may be a spurt in the number of dengue fever patients in the next round as wet weather facilitates mosquito breeding, so localities must implement preventive measures strictly.

Bến Tre celebrates National Day with culture-tourism week

The Cửu Long (Mekong) delta province of Bến Tre launched a culture-tourism week on Tuesday (August 29) to celebrate National Day, September 2.

The event, to run till September 4, features tourism promotion, a food street, exhibitions on Bến Tre’s socio-economic achievements, workshops on how to improve the quality of tourism products at traditional craft villages and field trips to local attractions.

A local tour guides club will be set up on the occasion.

Companies in the provinces and neighbouring cities and provinces have set up around 300 booths to showcase delta specialties, especially dishes made from coconut, Bến Tre’s traditional crop.

Vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyễn Hữu Phước said the culture-tourism week would help promote local tourism activities and draw more investment.

It would be a place for tourist companies to share experiences and possibly join hands to improve services, he added.

This is the second such event after one in 2013.

Ha Tinh marks 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations

A ceremony was held in the central province of Ha Tinh on August 30 to mark the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations and the 40 years of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Addressing the event, Secretary of the Ha Tinh Party Committee Le Dinh Son reviewed the special traditional relations between the two countries and the achievements that Ha Tinh has made to boost the bilateral ties.

Ha Tinh borders the Lao provinces of Khammouane and Bolikhamsai, with its Cau Treo international border gate being one of the eight key national border gates.

Over the past years, Ha Tinh has shared fruitful cooperation with the two provinces as well as Vientiane and other Lao localities in all fields, especially in education.

Currently, more than 2,500 officials and students from 17 localities of Laos are studying in Ha Tinh. At the same time, Ha Tinh has also provided financial support to the Lao side to build education, health care and irrigation works.

Authorised agencies of the two sides have also worked closely in ensuring security and social order along the border.

Many Ha Tinh firms are also operating effectively in Laos, contributing to the socio-economic development in the country, while Ha Tinh is also hosting some Lao businesses.

Kongkeo Saysongkham, member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s Central Committee, Secretary of Bolikhamsai Party Committee and Governor, said that the Laos-Vietnam sound relationship is the driving force of the two countries’ strength, greatly contributing to creating a peaceful, cooperative and friendly environment in Southeast Asia.

On the occasion, Laos presented a Liberation Order, first class, to one Ha Tinh local, and a Liberation Order, third class, to two others in the province. Bolikhamsai and Khammouane also honoured a number of individuals and collectives of Ha Tinh.

Front work tightens Vietnam-Laos relations

A delegation of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee paid an experience exchange visit to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of central Quang Nam province on August 30.

The visit was an activity within a short-term training course for officials of LFNC held by VFF Central Committee in Da Nang city from August 20 to September 6.

Speaking at the event, Hung briefed guests on performance of the provincial front over the past years, saying the organisation has well represented legitimate rights and benefits of people.

Quang Nam province’s VFF Committee will continue sharing experience in front work with the Front of Se Kong province of Laos, thus tightening relations between the two localities, contributing to the traditional friendship and special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, he noted.

For his part, Som Ock Kingsada, Vice President of the LFNC and head of the delegation, thanked the VFF Central Committee and Quang Nam province for organising the training course for Lao front officials.

He also noted that people residing in border areas between the two countries have been effectively organising exchange activities, contributing to preserving and developing their close relations.

During the working session, the two sides exchanged experience in religious work and sustainable development policy towards ethnic minorities and overseas Vietnamese and Lao people as well as roles of the Front in Party, National Assembly and administration construction. 

VTV1 to broadcast “Century torch” documentary

President Ho Chi Minh’s historical journey for national salvation will be brought closer to Vietnamese audiences through a 50- minute documentary film “Ngon duoc the ky” (Century torch) which will be screened on VTV1 channel of Vietnam Television on National Day (Sept. 2).

Directed by Nguyen Quoc Khanh and Ta Quynh Tu, of the VTV Documentary and Report Centre, the film  was made based on the perpetual value in the “Duong kach menh” (Revolutionary Path), a book written by President Ho Chi Minh. 

The film crew spent months and went abroad to seek documents and images for the film, said Khanh, adding that many scenes were shot in the US and China to create the truthfulness for the documentary.

Through the film, which was made based on available historical documents, recommendations from historical experts and graphic effects, the film-makers want to bring President Ho Chi Minh’s meaningful messages and thoughts to the audiences, especially young generations.-

National Day of Vietnam takes place at Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan

Vietnam’s National Day was marked at Expo 2017 Astana in the capital of Kazakhstan on August 29, featuring folk music performances that attracted a large audience.

The event took place to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945) and the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Kazakhstan diplomatic ties. 

Vietnam is among 115 exhibitors from across the world at the Expo 2017 Astana, themed “Future Power”, underway from June 10 to September 10. The 25-hectare grounds enable participating countries to introduce their beauty, potential and initiatives in using power sources for sustainable development.

Vietnam’s pavilion at the exhibition is themed “Fusion of Tradition and Modernity – Vietnam’s Future Energy”. The pavilion features various photos and videos telling the story of a country with beautiful landscapes, world heritages and rich cultures, and the richness of the Mekong Delta region. 

It also showcases ways of Vietnamese ancient people to get energy from nature, for example, traditional water mills for irrigation and water-driven rice pounding mortars.

The country’s tourism potential is also on show, with handicrafts available on site. 

Additionally, the pavilion hosts traditional performances every day, together with shows by artists from the Vietnam Music Academy and Vietnam Puppetry Theatre.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said developing clean sources of energy like solar energy, biomass energy, and wind power, is part of Vietnam’s national plan for power development.

Hai Phong welcomes 4.5 million visitors in eight months

The northern city of Hai Phong welcomed 4.5 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, including 514,300 foreigners, up 14.21 percent over the same period last year.

According to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tung, the city issued a resolution on targets and plans for tourism development from now to 2020 with a vision to 2030, aiming to turn tourism into a spearhead sector.

The city will focus on developing sea and island tourism, he said.

Nguyen Thi Ha, Director of the Hai Phong branch of Vietravel company proposed the city improve its human resources for tourism, while connecting travel agencies, management officials and experts for tourism development.

Ha said that along with its famous destination of Do Son, the city should promote other destinations to attract more visitors.

By 2020, Hai Phong hopes to welcome 8 million tourists and earn earn 3.5 trillion VND.

Mekong Delta city strives to complete rural building by 2020

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho aims to complete building new-style rural areas by 2020, according to Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Anh Thuy.

By the end of June this year, 20 of the city’s 36 communes and one of its nine districts (Phong Dien district) met national standards in the field. 

Educationally, Can Tho recognised eight more schools at national standards in the first half of 2016, raising the total number to 119 out of 189.

In 2018, it hopes to have more six communes become new-style rural areas.

At a meeting with municipal authorities on August 29, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Manh Hung, who led a delegation from the Central Steering Committee of the national target programme on building new rural areas, lauded the city’s efforts in the field.

He reminded the locality to focus on reforming and promulgating policies and mechanisms to support people in rural development, especially appealing for investment in areas like the economy, healthcare, sports and education.

The national target programme on building new-style rural areas, initiated by the Government in 2010, sets 19 criteria for socio-economic development, politics, and defence, aiming to modernise rural areas.

The criteria covers the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacities, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values.

Bird flu outbreak found at a Vietnamese farm

A farm in the southern Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu was ordered to cull its flock after officials on Tuesday, August 29, identified an outbreak of the avian A/H5N1 virus.

Some 2,600 birds must be culled at the farm in the hamlet of Ninh Loi in the district of Hong Dan in Bac Lieu Province, said representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Ministry has also established a quarantine on duck and chicken farms around the area, and said it would test chickens on such farms to determine whether the disease had spread.

It said in a prepared statement it would coordinate this testing with the provincial Department for Breeding and Animal Health.

The Ministry noted this was a bird health issue and not a food safety or human health concern, adding that there’s no evidence to suggest that any form of avian influenza can be transmitted to humans from properly cooked poultry.

Danang proposes cutback in number of hotels on Son Tra peninsula

The administration of Danang City in central Vietnam has proposed a number of measures to conserve wildlife on the Son Tra peninsula, including a cutback in the number of new hotels allowed there.

The proposal was laid out during a meeting between Danang’s administration and the municipal tourism association to review the planning of Son Tra, a 60-square-kilometer peninsula ten kilometers northeast of the city center.

Experts and officials attended the meeting before a final report is drafted and submitted to the government on Wednesday as requested by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Huynh Tan Vinh, chairman of the Danang Tourism Association, restated their stance on safeguarding the peninsula's status quo and avoiding further construction of hotels there.

Vinh suggested making Son Tra a sightseeing attraction with strict codes of conduct for visitors in order to conserve the location's natural landscape.

Vinh is well-known for his outspoken objections to the development of a national tourism zone on Son Tra, which he said would require large-scale deforestation, violate laws on forest protection, biodiversity, and natural resources.

In June, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a dispatch requesting that Vinh be penalized for what it deemed to be “misleading comments” on the plan.

The controversial dispatch was withdrawn two days later, following widespread public criticism aimed at the ministry for abusing its power.

Nguyen Thanh Tien, deputy chief of Office of the People’s Committee of Danang, cited statistics from the municipal Department of Planning and Investment in saying that there were 18 approved projects on Son Tra, developed by ten different parties.

According to Tien, the city had also worked with the local military command to review and withdraw construction permits on projects that might compromise national defense.

While current government directives allow the construction of hotels and resorts on Son Tra at elevations of up to 200 meters, Tien said the city was looking to propose a reduction in this number to meet military demands.

Specifically, any accommodation establishments will only be allowed at elevations below 100 meters, while altitudes between 100 and 200 meters will be reserved for non-accommodation-based tourism projects.

The eastern and northeastern parts of the peninsula, home to a dense population of endangered wildlife and valuable plant species, will be protected from construction of any kind, Tien said, citing several studies conducted on Son Tra.

City authorities have also worked with developers in the conservation of reserved forests on the peninsula.

Party chief directs Central Military Commission’s conference

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed the Central Military Commission for well performing its military and national defence tasks during a conference in Hanoi on August 29. 

The event saw the participation of President and member of the standing board of the Central Military Commission Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister and member of the standing board of the Central Military Commission Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Defence Minister and Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission Ngo Xuan Lich. 

Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, asked the commission and the Defence Ministry to direct the implementation of decrees and resolutions adopted by the Party Central Committee and the Resolution set by the 10th Military Party Congress. 

He called further attention to improving leadership capacity of the Central Military Commission, ensuring that the army always leads the way in the implementation of the Resolution by the fourth plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee on Party building and rectification, driving back degradation in political thought, moral virtue and lifestyle, and behaviors of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” in Party rankings. 

The commission was asked to well serve as a think-tank in terms of national defence and military strategies, ensuring that the army will fulfill assigned tasks and truly become a crucial force to firmly safeguard independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, as well as defend the Party, State, people and socialism. 

The leader also requested directing the implementation of the law-building programme on national defence by the 14th National Assembly, including soon completing amendments and supplements to the draft Law on National Defence to submit to the legislature for approval.

Regional summit to battle synthetic drug trade begins in Hanoi 

An international conference where law enforcement, pharmaceutical companies and industry experts join together to tackle the severe problem of illegal drug manufacturing began in Hanoi today.

The two day conference will focus on law enforcement strategies to stop the manufacture of deadly amphetamines such as methylamphetamine and MDMA, commonly referred to as ice and ecstasy, respectively.

In recent years in Vietnam there has been a substantial increase in the use of synthetic drugs such as MDMA. Methylamphetamine continues to be a problem, Colonel Hoang Anh Tuyen from the Ministry of Public Security said.

The hope is that this summit will enhance our offensive on the drug trade both here in Vietnam and throughout Asia. With industry and law enforcement working with each other, we can tighten controls on precursor chemicals which makes it harder for criminals to trade in these illicit substances.

The conference brings together agencies committed to preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals into the illegal manufacture of amphetamines.

This involves a range of groups from law enforcement agencies who investigate and prosecute those who produce and sell the drugs, to the laboratories who make the drugs, the companies who make the glassware necessary in the illegal ‘cooking’ process, to the pharmacists who sell over-the-counter pseudoephedrine products.

All these groups throughout Vietnam and Asia need to work together in order to be one step ahead of the criminal networks that manufacture and sell these deadly drugs, noted Colonel Tuyen. 

Jeremy Douglas, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Southeast Asia and Pacific, introduced some proposed legislation to prevent pseudoephedrine products being accessible to the public other than by prescription.

It included a centralized pharmacy database system that would provide pharmacists with an enhanced ability to identify suspicious requests for pseudoephedrine-containing medications.

The legislation aims to put an end to the criminal practice of ‘pseudo running’.

Pseudo running involves criminals obtaining the pseudoephedrine products from pharmacies using fake identities, usually along planned routes throughout the entire Asian region.

Ideally, if all pharmacies could be registered and a collective database properly implemented and utilized, that would help we in law enforcement prevent diversion of products for illicit purposes.

Better legislation is also needed to address the increasing patterns of freight theft of precursor chemicals around the globe, Mr Douglas added.

The drug policies currently in place in Vietnam and Asian aren't working, so we need a fresh look by delegates at this summit to look at best alternative strategies to minimize the harm that the illegal drugs such as ice and ecstasy cause to society.

Art performance exchange tightens Vietnam, Malaysia relations

An art performance exchange between Vietnam and Malaysia was held on August 29 in Hanoi to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Malaysia’s National Day (August 31) and the 72nd anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day (September 2).

The event, organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Malaysian Embassy in Vietnam, consisted of 13 traditional singing and dancing performances of Vietnam and Malaysia’s Pahang state.

Speaking at the event, VUFO Secretary General and Vice President Don Tuan Phong said the Malaysian art troupe’s visit will help strengthen friendship between Vietnam and Malaysia’s people, thus contributing to relations between the two countries.

Vietnam-Malaysia ties have developed tremendously, said Phong, adding that Malaysia is Vietnam’s seventh biggest trading partner and investor with two-way trade of 8.4 billion USD in 2016 and total investment of 12 billion USD in the first five months of 2017.

The two countries have also boosted relations in culture, sports and tourism, labour cooperation and high-level delegation exchanges, Phong noted.

He expressed his belief that cooperation between the two countries will further develop for peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia and the world.

For his part, Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohd Zamruni Bin Khalid emphasised the friendship of Vietnam and Malaysia, saying that the establishment of their strategic partnership in 2015 was a success in bilateral cooperation enhancement.

He noted that the art performance of the Malaysian art troupe is an activity to realise the two side’s strategic cooperation plan, contributing to the development of a harmonious ASEAN. 

Training workshop for teachers in science GLOBE programme

A training workshop for teachers of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) 2017 programme was held on August 29 in Hanoi to help launch the programme in Vietnam. 

The event was organised by the Vietnam Space Centre of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the Asia-Pacific GLOBE office and the Centre for Education and Development (CED).

It provided secondary and high school teachers in Hanoi with knowledge about environmental topics such as atmosphere, soil and hydrosphere, said Vu Anh Tuan, National Coordinator of GLOBE programme in Vietnam.

GLOBE, sponsored by the US’s NASA, is an international science and education programme. It consists of 112 countries who together train 58,000 teachers and 1.5 million students to engage in data collection that improves their understanding of Earth’s environment.

The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and NASA signed a cooperation pact to launch GLOBE in Vietnam in 2015.

It is expected to offer students opportunities to participate in scientific processes and encourage their creativity, said To Kim Lien, Director of CED.

The programme is to be piloted in some secondary and high schools in Hanoi in 2017-2018. Schools interested in the programme can register at the Vietnam GLOBE Office - the Vietnam Space Centre, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology at 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi. 

Gang of smugglers to be prosecuted

HCM City Police have decided to prosecute two people for smuggling electronic devices of different kinds from Japan into Việt Nam.

The two accused persons are 40-year-old Trần Quốc Vượng from the city’s District 10 and 41-year-old Vũ Văn Dũng from Bình Thạnh District.

According to the police investigation, thanks to his relationship with a number of businessmen in Japan, Vượng, the ring leader, bought several pieces of used machinery and equipment which was manufactured before 2000. Vượng then authorised Dũng to use legal entities of many companies set up by Dũng to complete import procedures and deliver the equipment to Vượng’s warehouses.

Dũng also instructed staff under his leadership to forge dossiers for import declaration of machinery and equipment that were actually not the imported goods.

Using the same tactic, Vượng and Dũng succeeded in smuggling hundred containers of used machinery and equipment that are subject to be banned for import into Việt Nam for consumption.

While searching Dũng’s warehouses, police discovered and seized tonnes of used machinery and equipment smuggled from Japan. Other documents and items related to the crime were also seized by the police.

An investigation into the case is underway.

The case was uncovered recently when the city police launched a campaign against smuggling and trade fraud under the instruction of the Ministry of Public Security and HCM City’s Steering Committee on Combating Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods (Steering Committee 389).

Vietnamese Embassy in RoK marks National Day

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on August 29 held a ceremony to mark the 72nd anniversary of National Day (September 2) and the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The event was attended by RoK Minister of Interior and Safety Kim Boo-kyum, RoK Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, representatives from foreign embassies and international organisations in the host country, RoK-Vietnam friendship association, and Vietnamese people in the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu recalled the country’s historical milestones, including when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square 72 years ago, officially giving birth to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The seven-decade road has seen Vietnamese people’s efforts to protect national freedom and independence and promote national construction, he said.

He expressed his delight that Vietnam has become a middle income country and experiences average annual economic growth of about 7 percent. 

The country has diplomatic ties with more than 170 nations worldwide and is a proactive member of many international organisations, Tu said, adding that Vietnam is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2017.

Vietnam cherishes relations with the RoK, he said, stating that similarities in culture and history as well as economic support and efforts made by the two peoples have created a basis to bolster bilateral relations.

The RoK is currently the largest foreign investor and second largest trade partner of Vietnam, Tu underlined, saying that some 150,000 Vietnamese people currently live and work in the East Asian nation and some 150,000 RoK nationals are in Vietnam.

Lauding Vietnam’s achievements in the past seven decades, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun mentioned success both sides have gained after establishing diplomatic relations, particularly the upgrade of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in 2009.

Besides political, diplomatic and economic activities, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have been thriving as well, he added. 

He also mentioned the meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hamburg, Germany in July on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. He said that the RoK leader will attend the APEC Summit in Da Nang city in November.

The RoK will make further efforts to promote relations between the two countries, he noted.

During the ceremony, Vietnamese and RoK artists delivered performances, featuring traditional culture of both sides.

Brazil banquet marks August Revolution, National Day

A banquet was held by the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, introducing Vietnamese cuisine, cultural heritages and landscapes. 

The August 28 gathering was attended by more than 350 Brazilian parliamentarians, officials, diplomats and representatives from the local business community.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Do Ba Khoa reminded his guests of the important milestone in Vietnam’s history 72 years ago when the August Revolution took place and of the country’s achievements in ensuring stability, strengthening national unity, economic development, improving living standards for people, expanding relations with foreign countries and implementing UN Millennium Development Goals.

Khoa highlighted the development of Vietnam-Brazil cooperation in politics, economy and trade, security and defence, science and industry, and culture and education since the two countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2007. The development is also reflected by the two nations’ support for each other at international and regional forums, he added.

He went on to give attendees an overview of Vietnam-Brazil relations in economy and trade, saying two-way trade grew from 59 million USD in 2004 to 4 billion USD in 2015 and was estimated at 3.2 billion USD last year. 

Vietnam’s Hue and Hai Phong cities have set up sister-city relations with Brazil’s São Luis, Maranhão and Curitiba, Paraná, respectively while people-to-people relations have also been enhanced with the establishment of Vietnam – Brazil friendship organisations, the ambassador added.

Vietnam and Brazil have potential for development in tourism cooperation, he said, voicing his hope to deepen ties between the two countries.