The Da Nang International Airport’s Terminal T2 became the first in Southeast Asia to receive the Welcome Chinese certification on December 11.

The terminal has been awarded a Gold ranking, which is the highest among the three grades - Silk, Jade, Gold of the Welcome Chinese certificate issued by the Beijing-based research organisation China Tourism Academy under the China National Tourism Administration. Italy has four airports certified “Welcome Chinese” while France, Russia, Spain, and Saudi Arabia have one airport certified each.

To get the certification, the airport has adopted various measures, including displaying the Chinese language on signage, flight information screens, restaurant menus, maps, and its own website. Other efforts include providing complimentary hot water, having staff proficient in the Chinese language, offering shops that accept payments through UnionPay and WeChat Pay, and having tax refund counters.

Deputy General Director of the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation JSC (AHT) Do Trong Hau said the certification will improve the image of the airport and contribute to promoting Da Nang as a convenient and hospitable destination, thereby widely popularising local tourism services.

In March, the terminal also became the first in Vietnam to achieve a 4-star rating from Skytrax.

Da Nang sees four-fold rise in number of foreign tourists

The total number of visitors to the central beach city of Da Nang in 2023 is estimated to exceed 7.4 million, doubling the figure in 2022 and equivalent to 93% of the figure in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the municipal Department of Tourism has reported.

Of them, the total number of international visitors is estimated to reach more than 2 million, a four-fold increase year-on-year and equivalent to 62% of the figure in 2019.

Meanwhile, domestic holidaymakers to the city amounts to 5.4 million, an increase of 69% compared to 2022 and equivalent to 119% of the number in 2019.

Total revenue from accommodation, catering and travel services is estimated at 28 trillion VND (1.2 billion USD), a surge of 67% compared to 2022 and equivalent to 133% of the figure in 2019.

Da Nang has identified five key product groups to optimise the city's potential and advantages, including high-end cruise tourism; cultural and historical tourism; MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism; urban tourism; and ecotourism.

Thanh Hoa students hope for support following park fire
 
Many students at the Hong Duc University in Thanh Hoa Province are calling for support after their bikes were destroyed in a large fire at the university's parking lot on Tuesday.

Police in the northern central province are co-operating with the university to investigate the cause of the fire which broke out early on Tuesday morning, burning more than 320 motorbikes and electric bikes.

Many students are also reporting their losses caused by the fire.

A student, Le Quang, said that he lost a Honda Wave RSX worth over VND 20 million (USD824) in the fire.

"I was sleeping in the dormitory when I heard a big explosion outside," Quang recalled. "I opened the window to see a large fire rising from the parking lot. I rushed out, seeing some people trying to take the bikes out when the fire kept rapidly spreading. Only some 10 bikes were taken out before the fire covered the whole parking area."

Quang expressed hope that he would receive support to buy a new bike.

Third-year student La Van Anh said that she lost her Honda Wave motorbike valued at VND25 million (nearly USD1,000) in the fire.

"I bought this motorbike in September when I started my extra job," Van Anh said. "I hope that I can receive compensation soon so that I can continue my work."

The fire occurred at 4 am on December 12, at the 300-square-metre parking lot. Initial investigation showed that the fire was caused by a short-circuit.

The university said that they were discussing compensation for students who lost their bikes in the fire.

Ethnic cultural village to host various New Year celebrations

A wide range of activities are due to get underway between December 30 and January 1, 2024, at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism on the outskirts of Hanoi as part of celebrations for the New Year 2024.

Products of various ethnic groups will be introduced, allowing visitors to learn more about the specialties as well as the festive atmosphere in traditional highland markets during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The highlight of the event will be a fair displaying local cuisine and specialties of the Nung, Mong, and Dao ethnic groups and their tourism products.

Furthermore, a painting exhibition on spring markets, a corner to showcase traditional costumes of ethnic groups, a rice cooking contest, and the re-enaction of a harvest festival of the Dao ethnic group are all expected to bring unforgettable experiences for visitors.

Hundreds of people from 16 ethnic groups across the country will put on art performances in order to celebrate the New Year during the programme.

Upon arrival to the village, guests will have the chance to take part in activities, including playing folk games and trying on ethnic costumes.

ASEAN-Japan Youth Festival 2023: Young people voice opinions about global issues

Young citizens voiced opinions about global issues such as sustainable development, environmental protection, combating climate change, or improving quality of life, and quality of education in the ASEAN - Japan Youth Festival 2023.

Global citizenship has become the goal and motivation for many young people today, these above-mentioned issues that need international cooperation allow young people to confidently voice their opinions and perspectives.

The 2023 ASEAN – Japan Youth Festival with the theme’ ASEAN – Japan Youth Hand-in-hand to Implement Sustainable Development Goals’ has been taking place in Ho Chi Minh City from December 12 to December 15.

The event was organized by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the National Committee on Youth to enhance exchanges and to deepen mutual understanding among young people in ASEAN countries and Japan and raise awareness of ASEAN - Japan for youth, people of ASEAN and Japan.

The event also contributes to the overall success of the year commemorating the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation (1973-2023) as well as affirms Vietnam's active and responsible participation in ASEAN and ASEAN+ cooperation.

Within the framework of the festival, a group discussion on the topic of The role of ASEAN-Japan youth in promoting the implementation of sustainable development goals took place on the afternoon of December 12 at the Ho Chi Minh City-located Youth Cultural House.

Participants discussed five themes including high-quality education, gender equality and women's empowerment, economic growth, sustainable cities and communities, energy and measures to respond to climate change, recycling-oriented society - a society that consumes the least resources, reduces effects on the environment as much as possible by reducing extravagant consummation, controlling and protecting waste generation, promoting the use of the environmentally friendly product, and mostly promoting waste reuse, and Health and well-being affirming the responsibility of young people for the development of countries, bringing practical benefits to ASEAN countries as well as contributing to stability, peace and prosperity of the region.

23-year-old Japanese man Kota Kaizu shared that the Festival is an opportunity for him to exchange and learn more from young people from many countries in Asia. Through the discussion, in addition to professional skills and foreign language improvement, he learned lots of lessons. Above all, he find that everyone respects and acknowledges all opinions, even if they have conflicting views, to discuss and find satisfactory solutions to the problem.

Being a volunteer within the framework of the festival's activities, second-year student Phi Ngoc Duc from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology said that he personally learned a lot from this international event.

In the discussion group on the topic of Quality Education, young people are interested in the issue of the use of technology to narrow the gap between student groups, such as developing online learning platforms and supporting disadvantaged student groups to obtain Internet access devices and learning opportunities. In addition, they also talked about the issue of the impact of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) such as chatGPT on education and global quality education programs.

In addition to talks about education, young people presented speeches about global issues such as sustainable development, and environmental protection. Discussing at the Energy group, measures to respond to climate change and building a recycling-oriented society, Huynh Vinh Quang from the Youth Communist Union in District 7 shared that his group talked about the increasingly high unemployment rate in countries in the ASEAN region.

He said that he was impressed with the opinion shared by you from Singapore, who talked about collaborative projects to share AI technology with Vietnam so that each side can learn from the other and find a sustainable development model suitable for their country. This action must come from young people to create a pervasive effect on everyone and a clear transformation effect in society.

Health insurance patients buying their own medication to be reimbursed

Health insurance patients who have to buy their own medication or medical supplies due to shortages at medical facilities will be reimbursed under a proposal by the Ministry of Health.

The proposal aims to tackle the ongoing issue of insufficient availability of medication and medical supplies in healthcare facilities, which forces patients to buy their own supplies at much higher prices than those covered by health insurance.

The patients have two options for purchasing medication and medical supplies under the proposal: at the hospital's pharmacy where the patient is receiving treatment, or at pharmacies that have won the bid to provide services at a certain medical facility.

To be reimbursed, the patients will need to provide a prescription from their doctors, as well as an invoice for the purchase of the medication or supplies.

According to the proposal, hospitals will be required to conduct procurement tenders to ensure a consistent and adequate supply of medication. 

If a hospital is unable to provide the necessary medication and supplies, it must transfer the patients to a facility that can guide the patients on where to purchase the items, and inform the Health Insurance Agency.

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan ordered medical facilities to ensure enough medicine is available and not allow patients to purchase medication from outside sources during inpatient treatment, as there are risks associated with the quality, safety, and cost of medications.

The Ministry of Health has requested that the Health Insurance Department develop a circular to safeguard the rights of health insurance beneficiaries who have to buy their own medication.

Experts have also pointed out the slow process of updating the list of drugs covered by health insurance for patients in Việt Nam, with new drugs taking an average of two to four years to be added. 

Experts have urged for faster adjustments to the list to keep up with other countries’ timelines for new drug additions. 

Endangered migratory bird species found in Binh Dinh

Five black-faced spoonbills migrating from Northeast Asia were discovered in the Tra O Lagoon in Phu My, the central province of Binh Dinh after a survey conducted by the environmental protection sub-department under the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

They were found in the area for the first time.

The sub-department reported on December 12 that it has cooperated with the Central Coast Museum of Nature to conduct an ecological investigation on the habitat around the lagoon.

The black-faced spoonbill is an endemic bird species in East Asia. It is currently listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and in the Red Data Book of Vietnam.

Black-faced spoonbills feed on fish and shrimp in shallow water such as tidal-flats, swamps, ponds and flooded areas in fresh, salt and brackish waters. In winter, they migrate southward to their wintering grounds where they are protected.

Preventing, combating tobacco’s harm faces many difficulties: experts

The Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm has been implemented for 10 years and the results achieved are remarkable, but arising real-life problems requires stronger solutions in the coming time, heard a conference on Tuesday.

An the conference to review the enforcement of the law, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan said with the determination to protect public health, the National Assembly (NA) put the law into effect since May 1, 2013.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) presiders over and coordinates with other ministries, departments, provinces and cities to conduct the law.

The law has marked a major turning point in the prevention and control of tobacco harms in Việt Nam.

It was assessed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as quite comprehensive and consistent with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

It also demonstrates Việt Nam's strong commitment to protecting current and future generations from physical, economic and environmental harms caused by tobacco.

Minister Lan said that given the disease burden caused by tobacco, preventing and combating tobacco harm were becoming a top priority public health issue around the world.

Tobacco use is rapidly shifting from developed to developing countries, causing harmful impacts to countries, including Việt Nam.

Effective measures that countries are trying to take include implementing smoke-free spaces, printing health warnings with images that cover a large area on tobacco products, and increasing tobacco taxes.

However, she said, the work still faced many difficulties and challenges.

The smoking rate has decreased, but Việt Nam is still in the group of 15 countries with the highest number of smokers in the world, with 38.9 per cent of over-15-year-old men smoking.

Second-hand smoke exposure is quite common in restaurants, bars and crowded places.

Việt Nam's cigarette tax is still very low.

Tobacco is sold everywhere and is easy for people to access, especially teenagers.

In recent years, products called electronic cigarettes, heated cigarettes and shisha have appeared.

The use of e-cigarettes is increasing rapidly, especially among students.

“These difficulties greatly affect efforts to prevent and control tobacco harm, and are leading causes of increasing smoking rates if we do not take timely measures,” she said.

Dr Angela Pratt, WHO representative in Việt Nam, said that Việt Nam had not made progress fast enough to realise the goals of the national tobacco harm prevention and control strategy, the Healthy Việt Nam Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals.

One of the reasons is that cigarette taxes are very low, which makes it easy for young people to start smoking and does not create determination for smokers to quit.

Besides, the rate of young people using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco is alarmingly high.

This situation will create a new generation addicted to nicotine, threatening Việt Nam’s achievements in recent times.

She emphasised: "We must do everything we can to protect young people from using tobacco, or any product that could cause addiction to nicotine."

Preventing someone from starting to use these products when they are young, is like giving them a vaccine protecting them against tobacco harm and lifelong nicotine addiction, because people were less likely to start using tobacco or nicotine when they were adults, she said.

Associate professor Lương Ngọc Khuê, director of the Department of Medical Service Administration under the MoH and also director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, said nowhere else are cigarettes as cheap as in Việt Nam, and nowhere are they as easy to access as they are in Việt Nam.

Besides, the rate of e-cigarette smoking among women and young people is increasing.

Traditional cigarettes cause slow death, but new kinds of cigarettes can cause immediate consequences, even death.

Therefore, "we need to make more efforts to together prevent and repel the tobacco epidemic," said Khuê.

To implement Việt Nam's commitments when participating in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the MoH calls on ministries, provinces and cities to pay attention and further strengthen the implementation of the law.

They should change community awareness and behaviour towards tobacco use to build a smoke-free environment, and support increasing taxes and prices of tobacco products.

The MoH proposed localities promote inspecting and handling violations related to preventing tobacco harm, and suggested the Government and the NA soon issue a resolution banning new tobacco products to reduce the rate of tobacco use.

Da Nang’s scholarships for Laos make relations’ highlight: diplomat

The central coastal city of Da Nang’s scholarship programme for Lao officials and students studying at local universities is a bright spot in the sides’ cooperation, affirmed visiting Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Khamphao Ernthavanh at a working session with Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Ho Ky Minh on December 12.

So far this year, the central economic hub has granted 119 scholarships to Lao students, assisting their study of the Vietnamese language, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes at the Da Nang University.

The diplomat expressed her hope that the city will further promote investment in Lao localities, contributing to enhancing the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

In response, Minh said he highly values the role of the Lao Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate General in Da Nang in linking the promotion and implementation of cooperation programmes between Da Nang and its Lao partners.

According to the official, the city has signed 37 agreements and memoranda of understanding with seven Lao provinces.

Between 2013 and 2023, Da Nang has allocated around 100 billion VND (4.12 million USD) to invest in basic construction and other support programmes in Laos. As of October 2023, its exports to the country had reached 9 million USD.

Cambodian media highlight friendship with Vietnam

The official visit to Vietnam on December 11 - 12 by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has come under the spotlight of the media in Cambodia, which stressed the mutual assistance throughout history and the sustainable friendship between the two neighbouring countries.

Fresh News on December 12 cited PM Hun Manet as saying at the official banquet held as part of the visit that he was satisfied with the straightforward and sincere talks with PM Pham Minh Chinh about the countries’ comprehensive cooperation.

He expressed his belief that the talks would make an important contribution to the consolidation of the traditional friendship, good neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability between Vietnam and Cambodia despite fast, complicated, and unpredictable changes in the region and the world.

He also called on the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of Vietnam to keep coordinating to better implement cooperation agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoUs), and orientations to promote socio-economic development and prosperity in both countries, according to Fresh News.

The same day, the national news agency of Cambodia AKP ran an article highlighting the trade target of 20 billion USD for the near future. It cited PM Hun Manet as noting that the Governments of Cambodia and Vietnam set the trade target for 2020 at 5 billion USD, but the real figure almost doubled to approximate 11 billion USD in 2022.

Basing on that growth trend, the two sides eye bilateral trade of 20 billion USD in the time ahead, he said, emphasising that with high political trust, Cambodia and Vietnam will continue successfully implementing the set agreements, MoUs, and orientations.

He also mentioned mutual support and assistance during the struggles for national independence, affirming that Cambodia’s support for Vietnam to reunify the country and Vietnam’s support for Cambodia to liberate the latter from the genocidal regime were the historical truth that no reactionary forces could distort, AKP reported.

In another news item, AKP also quoted the Cambodian PM as perceiving that it is necessary educate the two peoples, especially the young, so that they understand that historical truth as well as the importance and value of the two countries’ close-knit relations.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes