The 11th meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee on Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle Area was declared a success in Vietnam’s southern Binh Phuoc on December 19. 

 Total import-export revenue this year reached 400 billion USD in mid December, representing a fourfold increase in ten years.

General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith on December 19 paid calls on former General Secretaries of the Communist Party of Vietnam Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hailed the on-going official friendly visit to Vietnam of General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith as an important political event in bilateral ties. 

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc discussed potential fields for bilateral cooperation with President of the Moroccan House of Representatives Habib El Malki during a meeting in Hanoi on December 19.

 A delegation of Vietnam’s National Assembly led by Vice Chairman Do Ba Ty is paying an official visit to China from December 18-22, as a step to carry out cooperation agreements between the legislative bodies of the two countries. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The smartphone-based payment service market in Vietnam has become busy in the last six months, but Vietnam is still far from its ‘non-cash payment’ target.

VietNamNet Bridge - The number of radioactive sources which are temporarily stored in Vietnam is nearly 3,000 out of more than 5,000 sources. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Large amounts of hazardous waste are still transported illegally across borders from developed to developing countries, including Vietnam.

Students in other training majors who have finished their first, second or third year are allowed to shift to an IT major. 

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Legislation Department has clarified that all commercial processing activities of foreign firms in Vietnam are subject to Decree No.23/2007/ND-CP issued in February 2007.

 As expected by foreign automobile manufacturers, Vietnam is considering delaying the effective date of Decree No.116/2017/ND-CP for possible revisions to ease import rules.

 The special relations between Vietnamese and Lao Parties and States hold the strategic meaning to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the respective countries as well as in the region and around the world.

Fansipan mountain in Sapa district in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has been covered with snow and frost on December 19.

The General Statistics Office (GSO) has announced there was an excess of exports over imports of $2.8 billion in the first 11 months of the year. 

After being audited by the State Audit Office of Vietnam, the corporate value of Vinalines increased by VND1.35 trillion ($59.4 million) with the state-owned capital increase of VND1.8 trillion ($79.2 million), compared to the previous statistics.

 Along with Vinamilk and Vingroup, numerous Vietnamese brands have stopped advertisting on the world’s largest online video site YouTube after their advertisements were linked to clips containing poor content.

 The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement will offer direct opportunities to Vietnam to upgrade its textile and garment sector.

 According to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), Vietnam will have to cut 669 tariff lines to zero percent in January 2018.

 Local people in Danang City's Ngu Hanh Son District are complaining about the slow re-opening of roads to the beaches which have been blocked by beach-side resorts.