Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive outlining measures to enhance the quality of life and ensure social security for citizens and labourers during the upcoming seven-day Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), lasting from February 8 to 14.

The directive stresses the PM’s requirements for a joyful, healthy, safe, and economical celebration of the holiday, the longest and most important of its kind in Vietnam.

Accordingly, chairpersons of the centrally-run provincial and municipal People's Committees have been tasked with directing the coordination between labour agencies and local labour unions, instructing relevant units and enterprises to proactively overcome difficulties and to provide a better care for employees. These include efforts for timely payment of salaries and bonuses in accordance with regulations and full compliance with social, health, and unemployment insurance policies.

The directive also highlights the timely disbursement of social welfare allowances for February to beneficiaries before February 3. There is a focus on reviewing and understanding the living conditions of policy beneficiaries, revolutionary contributors, and individuals facing difficulties, with the aim of providing appropriate and timely support.

Enhanced inspections and monitoring, meanwhile, have been called for to prevent accidents and domestic violence, especially those involving children and women.  

The document said it is necessary to pay attention to supporting workers experiencing a significant income reduction or job loss due to natural disasters, epidemics, or the contraction of businesses. Proactive measures are recommended to maintain the labour supply chain and promptly meet manpower needs by firms before and after Tet.

Additionally, there is an emphasis on the implementation of safety measures, labour hygiene, and fire prevention to ensure a safe working environment.

Other tasks have also been set for the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the Vietnam Social Security and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Government’s Office.

WEF-54 an opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate international commitments: Ambassador

The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54) will offer a wonderful opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its international commitments and call for support from investors to its efforts, Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam Thomas Gass has said.  

The diplomat made the remark in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s upcoming trip to Davos to attend the meeting and make his official visits to Hungary and Romania from January 16-23.

Emphasising the importance of the forum amidst global upheavals, Gass said it serves as a platform for leaders from countries and sectors to seek solutions and affirm their responsibility for the implementation of common visions, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

It also encourages pioneers to put in place positive initiatives, he said, stressing the need for recommitments to multilateralism and the international rule of law, the establishment and upgrade of new platforms for dialogues, and the building of stronger partnerships.

The ambassador also highlighted the importance of PM Chinh’s participation at the WEF-54, and cited the leader at another WEF event in China last June as saying international solidarity, multilateralism and people-centred would help the world weather “headwinds”.

The PM can deliver remarks completely with self-confidence at the upcoming meeting as Vietnam has made remarkable contributions to addressing global issues, and the country deserves international acknowledgement.

As an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam plays a crucial role in promoting regional stability and cooperation, he said, noting its engagement in UN peacekeeping operations, including those in South Sudan and Central African Republic.

Vietnam has taken important steps to cut carbon footprint, towards achieving its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, and the country is making efforts to raise its climate resilience through the implementation of a national action plan and measures to protect the vulnerable in this regard, Gass continued.

The country is also working hard to improve its energy security by investing in renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy.

Regarding the memorandum of understanding between Vietnam and the WEF for 2023-2026, the diplomat said the document will enable the Southeast Asian nation to access international resources and expertise, and join WEF programmes globally.

He also lauded efforts by Vietnamese competent agencies in reforming administrative procedures, improving education quality, developing human resources, and promoting digital economy, as reflected through the increasing FDI influx in the country.

However, the diplomat stressed, Vietnam still needs to exert greater efforts to maintain its competitive edges.  
 
For the relations between Vietnam and Switzerland, Gass said Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to officially recognise the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) in 1971, and the bilateral relationship has been developing dynamically, with its focus shifting from economic development cooperation to trade.

Switzerland welcomes positive progress in negotiations on the free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Vietnam, he said, adding that once coming into effect, the deal will create a favourable framework and pave the way for Swiss investments in Vietnam, thus fostering the bilateral trade, he continued.

The ambassador commended Vietnam’s foreign policy and dynamic economic environment, which has prompted many countries to seek the upgrade of their partnerships with Vietnam.

The diplomat also expressed his hope for the elevation of the Vietnam-Switzerland relations in the time ahead, saying he is making efforts to push ahead with the progress.

According to Gass, Switzerland's main exports to Vietnam include pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery and precision mechanics, while its imports from the Southeast Asian country are electronics, footwear, textiles-garments, and seafood.

Since 2008, economic development cooperation between the two countries has focused on improving public finance, enhancing the capacity of the financial sector, raising the competitiveness of small- and medium-sizes enterprises, urban planning, climate adaptation, and sustainable growth.

Besides, the two sides have maintained cooperation in science-technology and delegation exchange, he said, recalling the latest visit to Vietnam by President of the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas last June.

The ambassador also called the forum an opportunity for the two countries to hold their high-level meetings.

Trade union Tet market goes online

Members of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and workers can enjoy big sales promotions when shopping online for Lunar New Year (Tet) celebration at a Tet market especially opened for them on the e-commerce platforms of Shopee and Tiki from January 15 to February 7.

The VGCL coordinated with the e-commerce platforms and HD SAISON Finance Co., Ltd to organise the Tet market that aims to help ensure a happy Tet for trade union members and workers.

The programme is also expected to help consumers to access products made by domestic enterprises conveniently at reasonable prices. 

Particularly, 201,000 trade union members in disadvantaged situations or with outstanding performance will be presented with a HD SAISON iCard worth 300,000 VND (USD12.24) each issued by the HD SAISON Finance Co., Ltd to buy goods in the online Tet market.

Vietnamese PM’s visit to Romania marks milestone in bilateral ties

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s upcoming visit to Romania is expected to mark a milestone in the bilateral cooperative relations, helping to enhance understanding of each other’s priorities and interests, Romanian Ambassador to Vietnam Cristina Romila has said.

Talking to the press, the ambassador held that the visit will continue to promote bilateral dialogue at the Prime Minister level, underlining that it will be a highlight of close ties between the two countries' people, which has been the foundation for the bilateral relationship over the past 74 years.

The visit will prompt new progress in the implementation of joint projects and the building of bilateral legal cooperation frameworks, she said.

The diplomat underscored that that the fruitful cooperation between the two countries over the past five years has affirmed the deep friendship between Vietnam and Romania. The two sides joined hands in setting major challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and made joint efforts to evacuate more than 1,000 Vietnamese citizens from conflict areas in Ukraine.

Romila noted that along with meetings between Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis and Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of international events, the bilateral political-diplomatic relations have seen new progress.

Particularly, when Romania held the Presidency of the European Council, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) were signed, she said, adding that Romania was one of the first EU members to ratify the IVIPA.

At the same time, people-to-people diplomacy between the two countries has been promoted after the COVID-19 pandemic, along with cultural, academic and business exchanges. Representatives from 30 Romanian universities have visited Vietnam over the past two years. The Romanian Bucharest Symphony Orchestra performed in Hanoi and Da Lat in 2022 and 2023. A number of Romanian business delegations also visited Vietnam to seek partnership opportunities, helping to diversify bilateral economic cooperation, the diplomat noted.

Regarding major collaboration areas and priorities for the bilateral partnership in the coming time, the ambassador underlined that the 17th meeting of the Vietnam-Romania Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation last November achieved fruitful results. The two sides agreed on important cooperation mechanisms in areas of mutual interest such as trade, agriculture, sanitation, energy, labour, science, technology and culture, she said.

Romania can become a gateway for Vietnamese goods to penetrate into Europe, while Vietnam can support Romania to enter the ASEAN market, the ambassador said.

She stressed the need for the two sides to optimise the efficiency of the EVFTA to further open the doors for each other and draw more investment in areas of shared interest.

Homeland Spring programme held in RoK

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) held a “Xuan Que Huong” (Homeland Spring) programme in Seoul on January 14 to bring the warm Tet atmosphere to the Vietnamese community in the East Asian nation.

The event, the biggest of its kind after COVID-19 pandemic, attracted the participation of about 500 Vietnamese people in the host country.

Speaking at the event, Charge d’affaires a.i of the embassy Nguyen Viet Anh said that with the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, the Vietnamese community have always helped each other to overcome difficulties and reaped many successes in work and life.

He emphasised that Vietnamese people in the RoK have stayed united and helped each other to overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, manifesting the fine Vietnamese traditions and creating good impression on the host society.  

President of the Vietnamese Association in the RoK Le Nguyen Minh Phuong shared that this year's event saw the coordination of six Vietnamese associations sponsored by the Vietnamese embassy, including the Vietnamese association, the Vietnamese students’ association and the Vietnamese women’s association.

Ly Huan, head of the Ly Hoa Son (Lee Hwasan) clan who are descendants of Ly Long Tuong, a prince of the Ly dynasty ruling Vietnam between the 11th and 13th century, said the “Homeland Spring” programme is a highly anticipated event of Vietnamese expatriates, international students and workers who cannot return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet.

He also pledged to perform his role in people's diplomacy, actively contributing to the development of economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Art performances featuring love for the homeland, games and lucky draws brought a joyful atmosphere for the participants.

According to statistics, the RoK is the second homeland of more than 200,000 Vietnamese people and currently there are about 180,000 Koreans living and working in Vietnam. This close connection is due to the comprehensive connections from the past and traditional values, historical and cultural similarities and the emotional attachment between the two nations.

Vietnamese students hold Tet celebration in Cambodia

Nearly 100 Vietnamese students, along with some international ones, representatives from the Khmer-Vietnam Association, and Vietnamese agencies and businesses in Cambodia, participated in a programme celebrating the 2024 Lunar New Year festival (called Tet in Vietnamese) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) on January 13 evening.

Speaking at the event organised by the Vietnamese student group in Cambodia, Minister Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy Ngo Van Tuat acknowledged the group’s practical contributions to the countries’ joint events.

Tuat also expressed gratitude to the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport and RUPP for supporting and training of many generations of Vietnamese students over the years, contributing to further strengthening the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

He called on Vietnamese students to strive for self-improvement and overcome all difficulties and challenges to successfully fulfill their study missions and their role connecting the two nations.

On the occasion, the diplomat presented certificates of merit to individuals with outstanding academic and social work achievements in 2023.

Vietnam-Laos Friendship Park handed over in Houaphanh

The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Park, a gift from the Vietnamese Government’s Special Working Committee, has recently been inaugurated and handed over to the Party Organisation and administration of Viengxay district, the northern Lao province of Houaphanh.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Vo Minh Luong, who is also head of the committee, affirmed that over the past years, the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties and States have kept growing with remarkable results across various sectors, making substantial contributions to socio-economic development, national defence and security, and the overall well-being of the people in both Vietnam and Laos.

He wished that the work, once put into operation, would prove effective and contribute to raising public awareness of the great friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

Head of the Political General Department under the Lao Ministry of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Thoongloi Silivong affirmed that the project not only holds significance to the development of Houaphanh province but also serves as a place for educating the younger generations of both countries, especially officials and people of Houaphanh, about the special bilateral relationship.

The park, spanning a total area of 9,000 sq.m, was built at a cost of 40 billion VND (1.66 million USD.

Quang Tri, Laos’ Savannakhet hold annual border conference

An annual conference on border cooperation between Quang Tri and Laos’ Savannakhet province took place in the Vietnamese central province's Dong Ha city on January 13.

The event saw the sides, which share a 108.476 km borderline, signing a minutes outlining their cooperation agenda for 2024. Accordingly, they will continue to effectively carry out communications efforts, persuading the public to comply with legal documents related to the Vietnam-Laos border.

Their agreement covers instructing border management forces and relevant agencies and localities to collaborate closely in experience exchanges and information sharing concerning military-security and border affairs. They will coordinate to combat, prevent, and promptly handle violations of border regulations, particularly illegal entries and exits.

Reports indicated that since the previous annual conference, Quang Tri’ border guard stations have cooperated with Savannakhet's relevant forces in organising 20 joint patrols. In the 2021-2022 dry season, the provinces’ joint special task force found remains of nine Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives during various war periods in Laos.

In 2023 alone, the numbers of vehicles and passengers entering and exiting the provinces' Lao Bao - Dansavan international border gate reached 206,339 and 513,669, up by 13.48% and 17.17% compared to 2022, respectively.

In his remarks, Ha Sy Dong, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri People's Committee stressed that important agreements signed at this event will serve as a foundation for fortifying the special friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two provinces and the two countries in general.

Swiss experts put high expections on PM Chinh's Davos trip

Swiss experts are optimistic about the success of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s upcoming working trip to attend the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54) in Davos, Switzerland from January 16, saying that it is an opportunity for Vietnam to assert its contributions and role at multilateral forums.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Bern, former Deputy Prime Minister of Germany and first Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Switzerland Philipp Rösler said Vietnam has made significant contributions to multilateral forums in recent years.

He saw PM Chinh leading a high-level delegation, including numerous business representatives, to the WEF annual meeting in Davos, as a significant milestone.

Their engagements will be another triumph in Vietnam's series of notable diplomatic events, showcasing the country's strength in future-oriented economic plans, with a strong focus on sustainable growth and digitalisation across all sectors, from food and agriculture to manufacturing, services and digital solutions, he said.

Ivo Sieber, former Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam, expressed high expectations for the Vietnamese leader’s trip, saying that he will not only attend sessions but sideline meetings also.

He noted that over the 50 years since the establishment of formal relations, Vietnam and Switzerland have collaborated on various joint development projects and shared similarities. He cited Vietnam is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, while Switzerland held the presidency of this body last year.

Talking with the VNA at the launch of the Vietnam-Switzerland Economic Forum in Zurich city, former member of the Swiss People's Party and the current Editor-in-Chief of the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche Roger Köppel suggested that Vietnam should take advantage of platforms like the Davos meeting to showcase its achievements in recent years to the world.

For him, Vietnam is a model of cooperation and maintained balance, he said.

Meanwhile, Ewald Beivi, an official responsible for relations and business development at the University of Zurich, believed that the WEF meeting in Davos presents a major opportunity for Vietnam to explore new ideas and stay abreast of emerging trends. Importantly, it is essential to go there to listen and connect, he added.

In Davos, PM Chinh is due to deliver speeches sharing Vietnam's visions at key sessions, including a WEF Country Strategic Dialogue on Vietnam, a policy dialogue of Vietnam and a discussion with some ASEAN countries on promoting the role of global cooperation in ASEAN.

Nearly 1,500 runners join Dien Bien Phu Marathon 2024

The Dien Bien Phu Marathon 2024 unfolded amidst the picturesque landscapes in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on January 14, with 1,500 athletes at home and abroad taking part.

In his opening speech, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Quang Hung underscored the significance of this sporting extravaganza within the larger context of the Dien Bien Phu - Cherry Blossom Festival 2024. The three-day festival, opened on January 12, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, and the National Tourism Year 2024.

The event aims to promote the images of Dien Bien's land, people and rich cultural heritage. The primary objective is to allure visitors to explore the province and the city of Dien Bien Phu, thus fostering the growth of services, trade and tourism, he added.

Following the opening ceremony, an impressive cohort of nearly 620 athletes engaged in a 5km run, while others competed in varied distances, including 10 km, 21 km, and the challenging 42 km. The runners traversed scenic routes spanning Dien Bien Phu city and Dien Bien district.

At the end of the competition, the organising board awarded a total of 24 prizes, including eight first, eight second and eight third prizes amounting to 55 million VND (2,290 USD).

Swiss media lauds Vietnam's economic, diplomatic achievements in 2023

Swiss journalist Guy Mettan has highlighted Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” and “Make in Vietnam” chip production efforts in an article published on online newspaper bonpourlatete.com on January 12.

The article was released ahead of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s attendance at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

The author said that in the early 2000s, he visited Vietnam many times to prepare for a book on the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina in 1954 and was fascinated by the remarkable changes in the country since then.

According to the article, 2023 was a busy year for Vietnam with its "bamboo diplomacy" policy and efforts to become a new hub of the semiconductor industry. Taking full advantage of opportunities brought by the international situation, Vietnam increased its foreign activities and strengthened relations with its partners.

Last year, the country had a range of high-level foreign activities with other countries, including state visits to Vietnam by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

For the first time, the Holy See has a resident papal representative in Vietnam, adding that this marked a historic moment in diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Holy See.

The author wrote that Vietnam expects GDP growth of 6-6.5% in 2024 thanks to robust imports and exports, as well as stronger manufacturing activity.

The Southeast Asia country has an ambition to become a new centre of the semiconductor industry with a series of investment projects worth billions of dollars. It targets to master 100% of the production stages of “Make in Vietnam” chips and intends to train 50,000 specialised engineers by 2030.

Vietnam is attracting more big semiconductor companies from the US, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China). It accounts for more than 10% of the total number of semiconductor chips imported into the US, ranking third in chip exports to the US, after Malaysia and Taiwan (China).

Vietnamese shooters bag silver at Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2024

The Vietnamese team on January 13 won a silver medal in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol event of the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2024 which is being held in Indonesia.

The team, comprising Ha Minh Thanh, Phan Xuan Chuyen and Vu Tien Nam, scored 1,722 points after two days of competition and secured the silver medal.

Pak Chung-gun, head coach of the Vietnamese shooting team, expressed his joy with the team’s achievement, saying that the championship will help the athletes to have more experiences and reach higher achievements in upcoming tournaments.

The tournament, organised from January 5-17, is considered a qualifying round of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with only individual events taken into account to get tickets to the Games.

The Vietnamese team has so far fulfilled the target after Pham Quang Huy and Trinh Thu Vinh won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on January 9, and Le Thi Mong Tuyen won the fourth place in the women's 10m air rifle event one day later, grabbing a ticket to the Paris Games.

Ministry drives digital transformation in water resource management

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will accelerate digital transformation to ensure effective management, exploitation and protection of water resources.

According to the 2024 plan to move towards smart water resource management, the ministry will maintain the operation of an online monitoring system for the exploitation and use of water for about 600 licensed projects.

There will be a push to develop digital maps for forecasting and alerting droughts and water shortages.

The units will enhance international cooperation, propose new tasks to serve the enforcement of the Water Resources Law, focusing on water source security, water resource accounting, efficient water use, recycling and the restoration of depleted, degraded, and polluted water sources.

Chau Tran Vinh, Director of the Water Resources Management Department under MoNRE, said that in 2024, the agency would draft and issue decrees and circulars guiding the implementation of the Water Resources Law; implement the project "Comprehensive Impact Assessment and Solutions for Dealing with Hydropower Development on the Mainstream of the Mekong River."

At the same time, it would develop a draft water source scenario to be submitted to the ministry in early 2025, for other ministries, sectors and localities to develop water usage plans.

The department would collaborate with the Pollution Control Department to submit to the Government for approval the surface water quality management plan for the river basins of Bang Giang - Ky Cung, Ma, Ba, Tra Khuc, Kon, Se San and Srepok.

Vinh emphasised that in 2023, the natural resources sector had accomplished numerous tasks, with the ministry successfully completing the draft amendment to the Water Resources Law, which had been approved by the National Assembly.

In its role as the head of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management, Vietnam has actively participated in ASEAN cooperation activities on water resources, including the UN Water Conference in March 2023, the 4th International Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit in Laos, and the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023.

Nguyen Thi Thu Linh, Director General of the MRC Joint Committee for Vietnam, said that in 2023, the committee made significant contributions to evaluating the results of implementing the five-year cooperation plan on water resources for the 2018-2022 period. It also worked on improving the development of the five-year action plan for Mekong-Lancang cooperation on water resources for the 2023-2027 phase.

Moreover, the agency also contributed comments on cooperation documents and participated in relevant meetings within the framework of the Greater Mekong Subregion cooperation mechanism, Mekong-US Partnership, Mekong-Korea cooperation, Mekong-Japan cooperation, Mekong-Ganga cooperation.

To enhance international cooperation within the Mekong subregion, Linh said that in 2024, the MRC Joint Committee for Vietnam would prepare for the 31st meeting of the MRC Council in Laos; implement the action plan for Mekong-Lancang cooperation on water resources for the 2023-2027 phase; organise the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation in Vietnam.

The agency would strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Mekong riparian countries to exchange and share information on planning, strategic development of the Mekong River basin, and construction and operation of water exploitation and the use of projects.

Ensuring absolute aviation security, safety - a top priority task: Deputy PM

Ensuring absolute aviation security and safety is among the top prority tasks, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang said while chairing a conference in Hanoi on January 12 to review performance in 2023 and implement tasks for 2024 of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee.

Quang, who is also chairman of the committee, asked ministries, agencies, and localities to concertedly implement measures to ensure aviation security and safety.

Besides measures to strengthen inspection and supervision, it is necessary to review and promptly deal with risks and possibilities of incidents.

Quang emphasised the need for regular training and drills, the application of information technology, and digital transformation in the aviation industry to ensure the security and safety of the flight operating system.

He also asked aviation operating units and businesses to focus on ensuring aviation security while closely coordinating with competent forces in handling incidents and communicating knowledge for airline workers and passengers.

Ministries, agencies, and localities were called on to invest more in equipment and techniques to ensure aviation security and safety, and promote the role and operation of provincial steering committees on terrorism prevention and control.

In 2023, airlines served about 74 million passengers, an increase of 34.5% from 2022. Of that, the number of international passengers reached 32 million, up 1.7 times.

Communist Parties of Vietnam, China hold 18th theoretical workshop

The 18th theoretical workshop between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 12, with a focus on experiences in and solutions to enhancing the protection of the ecological environment during the process of national construction and modernisation.

The CPV delegation was led by Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, and President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. Meanwhile, the CPC delegation was led by Li Shulei, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Secretariat, and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Stressing the urgency of environmental degradation, natural resource exhaustion, and climate change, Thang said the Party and State of Vietnam identified consistent and critically important targets, viewpoints, and measures for promoting green growth to achieve economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social equality while practically contributing to the international community’s efforts to protect the ecological environment and respond to climate change.

For his part, Li said the protection of the ecological environment and civilisation holds special importance in China’s efforts to realise the Second Centenary Goal. He also introduced China's general target on environmental protection set at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which is pursuing green development and promoting harmony between humanity and nature, results obtained so far, experiences, and effective measures.

Both officials affirmed the importance of increasing theoretical discussions between the two Parties in the new context, saying those events are occasions for the two sides to share the CPV and CPC’s theoretical achievements and practical experiences in leading and organising the implementation of guidelines and policies on the protection of the ecological environmental and civilisation, particularly during the process of national modernisation and development in each country.

The same day, Thang and Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member and Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, had separate meetings with Li and the CPC delegation.

OVs in China join get-together in celebration of Lunar New Year

The Vietnamese Embassy in China held a get-together on January 12 for overseas Vietnamese living, working and studying in China ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls on February 10 this year.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai informed participants about Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, and the development of Vietnam-China relations, especially the practical and diverse results of visits by Party and State leaders of the two countries in 2023.

Mai affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam always consider the Vietnamese community abroad as an inseparable part of the nation.

He believed that promoting overseas Vietnamese resources, especially intellectual resources, is one of the important tasks that not only contributes to the country's socio-economic development but also strengthens the great national unity bloc in the new situation.

Mai highly appreciated the solidarity and mutual support among overseas Vietnamese in China as well as their love for the homeland.

The ambassador expressed his hope that in the coming time, the Vietnamese community in China will continue to promote solidarity, preserve national identity, actively contribute to the process of national protection and construction, and serve as a bridge to promote the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China.

At the gathering, the embassy staff and overseas Vietnamese extended New Year greetings to each other and enjoyed cultural performances, and traditional foods to welcome the Year of the Dragon.

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