Surveillance cameras will be installed on a trial basis in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi by 2020 and nationwide by 2022 to monitor traffic violations, help ease reduce traffic jams and traffic accidents, local media reported Tuesday.
The Vietnamese government asked the Ministry of Public Security to set up plans to install the cameras and establish traffic control centers to connect and share data from cameras, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported.
Ho Chi Minh City has already installed many cameras to monitor traffic as part of a master plan to develop it into a smart city by 2020.
In 2018, Vietnam witnessed 18,232 traffic accidents which killed 8,125 people, seriously injured 5,124 people and slightly wounded 9,070 others, posting year-on-year decline of 9.2 percent, 1.9 percent, 8.3 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively, according to the country’s Traffic Police Department.
After a 14-hour flight, dozens of veterans from Wisconsin have arrived in Vietnam for the Old Glory Honor Flight Return to Nam trip.
Jeff’s reports will air nightly on Action 2 News at 10 and will be available on wbay.com/honorflight.
Here’s a snapshot of the arrival:
Jeff Alexander: “After a really nice sendoff at the Menasha Fieldhouse, we boarded two buses for what turned out to be snowy, slippery, and windy three-and-a-half hour drive down to Chicago. From there we boarded a massive China-Eastern plane for a 14-hour flight from O’Hare to Shanghai, China. Four hours there, a layover. It was during our layover in China that we talked to some of the veterans about their feelings on the verge of being back in Vietnam.”
Tom Schell, Kaukauna: “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. You know looking for a little bit more closure. There was some closure, but this one here I think it’ll bring a little bit more closer. One thing that really bothered me more than anything is the Agent Orange part of it all.”
Bob Smithers, De Pere: “I had a lot of guys that I lost there. I was a platoon sergeant and it was bad. So every time I go to the wall in D.C. I see their names up there and it bothers me, you know. But then you come home and get spit at that’s crazy. Anyway I’m just happy to get with these guys because they’re good men.”
Jeff Alexander: “From Shanghai another four hours in the air and we finally made it to Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as these vets know it. And now we’ve just made it to our hotel and more importantly than anything it is time for these guys and all of us to get some rest. And tomorrow, eight hours from now it will be day one of their two week journey in Vietnam. And we of course will be with them every step of the way.”
CLICK HERE to learn more about Old Glory Honor Flight.
Bank remarks long journey of driving commerce and prosperity in Vietnam.
The London-based international bank Standard Chartered recently kick-started celebrations of its 115th anniversary in Vietnam.
The key highlight was the Standard Chartered 115th Anniversary Gala event last week. The ceremony was graced by the bank’s clients and partners and hosted by Ms. Judy Hsu, Regional CEO for ASEAN and South Asia (ASA) at Standard Chartered Bank as well as Mr. Nirukt Sapru, the bank’s CEO for Vietnam and ASA Cluster Markets.
Other festivities include the Standard Chartered 10KM Run, which also took place last week at the Phu My Hung Urban Area in Ho Chi Minh City. What made the run even more meaningful was the joint participation of clients and employees.
“We are very proud to be part of Vietnam’s history,” said Ms. Hsu. “Since we first set up our footprint in Vietnam in 1904, Standard Chartered has been committed to the country’s long-term growth and development. Vietnam is an important market for us, and the group will continue to invest in the country.”
“We would like to thank our clients, partners, and staff for their support over the years,” said Mr. Sapru. “We look forward to continuing to build on the trust you placed in us. As the world becomes increasingly digital and connected, we continue to focus on our strengths – a broad international network and deep local roots – to deliver the high standards of service you have come to expect, combined with the latest technologies: a digital bank with a human touch. We have a strong, sustainable business and are ‘Here for Good’ in Vietnam. This equally applies to our work in the community through various programs.”
As one of the oldest international banks in Vietnam, not only does Standard Chartered have in-depth local knowledge, it is also able to help its clients capture opportunities across its international network, making the bank a strong banking partner of Vietnam. It participates in Vietnam’s development process, working with the government, regulators, investors, businesses, and employees to further strengthen Vietnam’s economy, facilitate global and regional trade, grow the banking sector, and provide more people and enterprises with access to financial services.
Standard Chartered has been investing in Vietnam over the last few years. For instance, the bank has injected an additional $50 million in Tier-One Capital to reinforce its operations in the country, expanded its distribution network, and deployed more resources to support business growth.
Standard Chartered also plays an active role in making a difference within the community. Seeing is Believing, the bank’s global initiative to tackle avoidable blindness, has provided eye-screening services to more than 3 million Vietnamese to date, conducted over 47,400 eye surgeries, and presented over 34,600 pairs of spectacles to people in need.
The bank also runs the Goal project to empower adolescent girls with financial education, life skills, and workplace training. The program has benefited over 25,000 young local women since its launch in 2014 and the endeavor will continue in the years to come. Recently, the bank has pursued a new community investment initiative called Futuremakers, as part of an attempt to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion for young people in communities globally, including in Vietnam.
The event aims to introduce the city’s investment policies and advantages, hoping to attract domestic and foreign investors.
It will also help investors address challenges they face in implementing their projects, the online newspaper also cited the committee as saying.
HCMC took the lead in luring foreign direct investment among 63 localities nationwide in 2018 thanks to its attractive investment climate and effective assistance from local authorities.
Last year, the largest economic hub of Vietnam granted licences to 1,029 foreign-invested projects with total registered capital of US$785 million, up 22 per cent in number but down 67 per cent in capital compared to 2017.
Meanwhile, the city allowed 236 operating projects to raise their investments by $736.3 million, a yearly hike of 22 per cent in number of projects but equivalent to 33 per cent of added capital recorded in 2017.
During the year, it also permitted foreign investors to contribute capital to and buy shares of domestic businesses worth $5.87 billion, surging 82.3 per cent year-on-year.
HCMC has always supported investors during their projects’ implementation rather than calling for these firms to pump investment in the locality, the city leaders said.
The city will continue to improve its investment environment to create the most favourable conditions for investors, they said.
— VNS
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Any support investors may need to start your new business in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, contact GBS, an authorized Business Registration Agency via
Ten hours apart, on very different modes of transportation, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived to separate red-carpet receptions in Vietnam’s capital city Tuesday, ahead of their two-day nuclear summit.
According to a report by Simon Denyer, John Hudson and David Nakamura on The Washington Post. Trump touched down just before 9 p.m. aboard Air Force One, the high-tech symbol of presidential power that made a three-flight journey, including two refueling stops, over more than 20 hours from Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington.
Dressed in a blue tie and dark suit, Trump was greeted on the tarmac by a phalanx of Vietnamese government officials and Daniel Kritenbrink, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, as well as two columns of Vietnamese military aides in white uniforms. After shaking hands with the dignitaries, Trump entered his presidential parade limousine for the trip into the city.
On his way to the J.W. Marriott, where he will stay for two nights, Trump’s motorcade passed thousands of onlookers, many recording the moment on their cellphones. People waved and some held flower bouquets or Vietnamese flags, featuring a gold star on a red background.
Earlier, Kim arrived in the late morning at the Dong Dang train station at Vietnam’s border with China after a 65-hour, 2,500-mile train journey from Pyongyang. Kim, wearing a dark Mao-style suit, disembarked from his personal armored train at 8:22 a.m. under cold, drizzly skies.
He was greeted by Vietnamese officials, chatting briefly and smiling. He was handed a bouquet of flowers and shook hands with a long line of officials and military officers before walking past an honor guard dressed in white uniforms and black boots. Outside the station, he smiled and waved at a crowd of people carrying Vietnamese and North Korean flags.
Kim then got into his personal Mercedes limousine. The car was surrounded by 12 bodyguards, who jogged alongside it briefly before it picked up speed for the final 100 miles to Hanoi.
The different arrivals symbolized the wide gulf between the world’s leading economic power and a long-reclusive regime that has clung to power inside the Northeast Asian nation behind an arsenal of powerful nuclear bombs that have intimidated its neighbors and unsettled geopolitics. The second summit between Trump and Kim, following their initial meeting in Singapore in June, is being closely watched across the world over whether the two sides can make significant progress toward a detailed agreement to blunt the North’s nuclear threat and, perhaps, deliver some economic relief for the impoverished nation amid a web of international sanctions.
Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was also seen getting off the train. Already there to greet the North Korean leader were Kim Hyok Chol, who is the recently appointed counterpart of U.S. North Korea envoy Stephen Biegun, and Kim Chang Son, who is Kim Jong Un’s de facto chief of staff.
Dong Dang station had been cordoned off since Monday, with soldiers and police positioned outside. The entire road from the border town to the capital was closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time Tuesday.
Kim flew to his last summit meeting with Trump in Singapore, but North Korean leaders have preferred to stay grounded if at all possible. Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, was rumored to have a fear of flying.
Featuring heavy armor and bulletproof, tinted windows, the train is believed to travel at an average speed of about 35 miles per hour. A South Korean media report based on intelligence reports and defectors’ accounts said it contains conference rooms, an audience chamber, an office with TV screens and satellite phones, and bedrooms. Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported it also carries a small helicopter in case of emergencies.
Kim’s summit with Trump is scheduled to begin with a private dinner Wednesday evening, the White House announced, followed by a series of official meetings Thursday. Trump will be joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney for the dinner. Kim will also have two aides present, and both men will have interpreters.
South Korea’s state-run Yonhap news agency said the Hanoi Opera House is a possible venue for the dinner, after it was visited by chief of staff Kim Chang Son and U.S. officials last week.
Trump will meet Vietnam’s president and prime minister on Wednesday before his dinner with Kim.
Just before 11 a.m., Kim’s motorcade, numbering dozens of vehicles, including two armored tactical vehicles with machine guns mounted on top, sped past a few hundred onlookers and nearly as many reporters along Pho Ly Thuong, a boulevard in the center of Hanoi that was cordoned off by police. Some Vietnamese waved American, North Korean and Vietnamese flags as the motorcade pulled up to the Melia, a hotel where Kim and his entourage are staying. His bodyguards could be seen sprinting into place in front of the main entrance for Kim’s arrival.
The Melia also is housing some of the traveling White House press corps, mostly television news correspondents from the major networks, who have traveled here to cover the summit — an awkward coincidence for an authoritarian ruler who is used to tightly controlled state media in North Korea.
Shortly after Kim’s arrival, the press was ordered to move its filing center to an alternative site — a sign of the North’s demands for tight control over security.
The Melia is a Spanish-owned hotel that has hosted leaders including former Cuban president Raul Castro, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and former U.S. defense secretary Jim Mattis.
On Tuesday afternoon, Kim visited the North Korean embassy in Hanoi, just a few minutes drive from his hotel. There, he is likely to be briefed by his chief negotiator Kim Hyok Chol, who has been meeting Biegun in Hanoi in recent days.
Kim’s schedule in Vietnam has not been publicly announced. Diplomats based in Hanoi said Kim might visit the major port city of Haiphong and the nearby picturesque tourist site of Ha Long Bay, where limestone karsts rise out of emerald seas. But a rumored trip to a factory operated by South Korean electronics giant Samsung north of Hanoi now appears unlikely, one official said.
Kim is thought to be keen to develop North Korea’s economy, especially by promoting tourism and attracting foreign investment into special economic zones.
The U.S. and South Korean governments also want to encourage him to follow Vietnam’s path from socialism to free-market reform, and his side trips could encourage the notion that he might indeed want to move North Korea away from state socialism and self-reliance.
But many experts say there is no sign he has any intention of relaxing his state’s vice-like grip on its people or allowing foreign influence to spread. Vietnam’s incredible opening to the world undertaken over the past three decades is unlikely to be a path for North Korea to follow.
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North Korea state media showed a video of Kim’s departure from Pyongyang on Saturday, with a platform clock showing 1627 (4:27 p.m.) as he strolled down a long red carpet dressed in a long black overcoat, past an armed guard.
He was seen waving to a small crowd of clapping and cheering people ecstatically waving pink plastic flowers. A line of officials was then seen walking down the platform, also clapping.
Video footage showed Kim having a pre-dawn smoke at a train station in China hours before his arrival in Hanoi. The footage from Japan’s TBS-JNN showed Kim pacing on the platform at Nanning Station, taking a drag and chatting to officials. His sister held a crystal ashtray for him to stub out a cigarette, and he later lit up again.
Hanoi’s exquisite French Colonial-style Metropole hotel is a likely venue for the summit itself, diplomats said. U.S. security and logistics planners were spotted on the hotel grounds on Monday, while reporters and television cameras were gathered outside the building in the heart of the old city.
Signs of the historic tête-à-tête between Trump and Kim have not been confined to the Vietnamese capital’s elite travel locales. In Hanoi’s Old Quarter, shopkeepers, T-shirt makers and flag designers are making the most out of the rare meeting of two longtime adversaries with a host of commemorative swag.
For 100,000 dong ($4.30), tourists can buy a flag emblazoned with the two leaders’ faces that reads “Make the World Better.” One local T-shirt printer said he could not meet the demand for the Kim-Trump shirts and had to use hair dryers to speed up the production process.
A local microbrewer is now offering a specialty brew “Kim Jong Ale,” a kimchi sour ale with gentle and refreshing tart notes that belied the dictator’s ignominious reputation.
The rapidly developing communist country has embraced Washington in recent years as it seeks to counterbalance its long-standing but often antagonistic and sometimes hostile relationship with Beijing.
As word of a potential second summit between Kim and Trump circulated last year, Vietnamese officials quickly proposed to play host, diplomats said. The interest Vietnam’s leaders have in providing a forum to reduce tensions between the two sides appears to have public support as well.
In interviews with shopkeepers along the Old Quarter’s bustling streets and sidewalks, vendors expressed support for peaceful diplomatic dialogue, and one T-shirt printer said he sold more summit shirts to locals than foreigners.
Yonhap reported that Kim will stay until Saturday, citing an unnamed source.
“On his train trip back, Chairman Kim can drop by Beijing and debrief President Xi Jinping on the outcome of the second summit,” said Cheong Seong-chang, an expert at South Korea’s Sejong Institute. “Kim is expected to reassure Xi about his commitment to denuclearization talks and ask for military and economic support from China.”
The United States’ main allies in Asia, South Korea and Japan, may have to wait longer for face-to-face debriefs. Trump will fly straight back to Washington after the summit, while Pompeo will take a plane to the Philippines.
The US President Donald Trump’s second summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb 27 and 28.
Here are some relevant facts about the country you should know:
1) North Koreans fought with Vietnam against the U.S. in the Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War (1955-1975), North Vietnam and North Korea were allies. Communist North Korea offered substantial military and economic assistance to the Communist North Vietnamese to help combat United States intervention.
Local people wait to see the arrival of U.S President Donald Trumps motorcade in front of JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi where Donald Trump will stay during his visit to Vietnam on February 26, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Photo: Linh Pham/Getty Images)
North Korea reportedly sent pilots to help North Vietnam shoot down 26 American planes, provided psychological warfare specialists to help the North Vietnamese to “conduct propaganda and abduction operations directed against South Korean troops” stationed in South Vietnam during the war, and trained Vietnamese guerrilla forces in North Korea.
2) Vietnam has the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia
Unlike North Korea, Vietnam normalized relations with the United States, in 1995.
Since then, trade between the U.S. and Vietnam has grown from $451 million in 1995 to more than $54 billion in 2017, according to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations. And the Vietnamese economy has been growing at a rapid pace — just above 7% in 2018 — fueled by its strength in manufacturing. Vietnam also happens to be one of the the world’s biggest exporters of rice and coffee.
Vietnam’s GDP has been rising in the past year. Source: Trading Economics
Furthermore, the ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions have been a boon for the country.
“Vietnam is poised to capture some of China’s global market share in labor-intensive manufacturing,” Natixis senior economist Trinh Nguyen told Bloomberg. “It’s the clear winner from the trade war.”
With many companies “fleeing” to countries like Vietnam, it puts Vietnam in a uniquely beneficial position as trade talks between the two economic superpowers near the March 1st deadline.
3) Japan is now the biggest investor in Vietnam
Vietnam’s recent success has also attracted considerable foreign investment.
The country has been steadily receiving increasing amounts of foreign direct investment (FDI) with inflows hitting $19.1 billion in 2018 — a 9.1% surge from the year before.
Japan was the biggest investor in 2018, with FDI approvals coming up to $8.5 billion. South Korea took second place, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong and China.
The Vietnamese-claimed Southwest Cay island in the Spratly island group is seen from a Philippine Air Force C-130 transport plane during the visit to the Philippine-claimed Thitu Island by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Eduardo Ano and other officials in disputed South China Sea, western Philippines, Friday, April 21, 2017. The South China Sea issue is expected to be discussed in the 20th ASEAN Summit of Leaders next week. (Francis Malasig, Pool Photo via AP)
4) Vietnam is currently jostling with China for islands in the South China Sea
Vietnam has been locked in conflict with China over several islands in the South China Sea over the past few years.
Vietnam maintains that it owns the Paracel and Spratly islands — hotly contested by several others in the region including the Philippines and Taiwan — and has gotten tired of the slow pace of negotiations over a code of conduct.
China, meanwhile, has ignored counter claims and continues to develop the islands. It most recently built a new platform on Paracel island that can be used for military purposes, according to a report by D.C.-based think-tank CSIS.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listens to Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
5) Russia is Vietnam’s biggest weapons supplier
Vietnam has also been actively ramping up its defense as the South China Sea dispute intensifies with no end is in sight.
Vietnam’s biggest defense supplier is Russia, which recently supplied $1 billion worth of weapons and military services.
The details of the deal were not disclosed, but Vietnam had earlier bought submarines, warships, jet fighters, and other equipment from Russia.
Aarthi is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @aarthiswami.
When it comes to success, it’s easy to think that people blessed with brains are inevitably going to leave the rest of us in the dust. But new research from Stanford University will change your mind (and your attitude).
Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying attitude and performance, and her latest study shows that your attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck found that people’s core attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you’re challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.
Common sense would suggest that having ability, like being smart, inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges. People with a growth mindset welcome setbacks with open arms.
According to Dweck, success in life is all about how you deal with failure. She describes the approach to failure of people with the growth mindset this way,
“Failure is information—we label it failure, but it’s more like, ‘This didn’t work, and I’m a problem solver, so I’ll try something else.’”
Regardless of which side of the chart you fall on, you can make changes and develop a growth mindset. What follows are some strategies that will fine-tune your mindset and help you make certain it’s as growth oriented as possible.
Don’t stay helpless. We all hit moments when we feel helpless. The test is how we react to that feeling. We can either learn from it and move forward or let it drag us down. There are countless successful people who would have never made it if they had succumbed to feelings of helplessness: Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas,” Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a TV anchor in Baltimore for being “too emotionally invested in her stories,” Henry Ford had two failed car companies prior to succeeding with Ford, and Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC’s Cinematic Arts School multiple times. Imagine what would have happened if any of these people had a fixed mindset. They would have succumbed to the rejection and given up hope. People with a growth mindset don’t feel helpless because they know that in order to be successful, you need to be willing to fail hard and then bounce right back.
Be passionate. Empowered people pursue their passions relentlessly. There’s always going to be someone who’s more naturally talented than you are, but what you lack in talent, you can make up for in passion. Empowered people’s passion is what drives their unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Warren Buffet recommends finding your truest passions using, what he calls, the 5/25 technique: Write down the 25 things that you care about the most. Then, cross out the bottom 20. The remaining 5 are your true passions. Everything else is merely a distraction.
Take action. It’s not that people with a growth mindset are able to overcome their fears because they are braver than the rest of us; it’s just that they know fear and anxiety are paralyzing emotions and that the best way to overcome this paralysis is to take action. People with a growth mindset are empowered, and empowered people know that there’s no such thing as a truly perfect moment to move forward. So why wait for one? Taking action turns all your worry and concern about failure into positive, focused energy.
Then go the extra mile (or two). Empowered people give it their all, even on their worst days. They’re always pushing themselves to go the extra mile. One of Bruce Lee’s pupils ran three miles every day with him. One day, they were about to hit the three-mile mark when Bruce said, “Let’s do two more.” His pupil was tired and said, “I’ll die if I run two more.” Bruce’s response? “Then do it.” His pupil became so angry that he finished the full five miles. Exhausted and furious, he confronted Bruce about his comment, and Bruce explained it this way: “Quit and you might as well be dead. If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there; you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”
If you aren’t getting a little bit better each day, then you’re most likely getting a little worse—and what kind of life is that?
Expect results. People with a growth mindset know that they’re going to fail from time to time, but they never let that keep them from expecting results. Expecting results keeps you motivated and feeds the cycle of empowerment. After all, if you don’t think you’re going to succeed, then why bother?
Be flexible. Everyone encounters unanticipated adversity. People with an empowered, growth-oriented mindset embrace adversity as a means for improvement, as opposed to something that holds them back. When an unexpected situation challenges an empowered person, they flex until they get results.
Don’t complain when things don’t go your way. Complaining is an obvious sign of a fixed mindset. A growth mindset looks for opportunity in everything, so there’s no room for complaints.
Bringing It All Together
By keeping track of how you respond to the little things, you can work every day to keep yourself on the right side of the chart above.
About The Author:
Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.
A container truck travelling on the HCM City – Trung Lương Expressway in the southern province of Long An on early Tuesday morning collided with two other container trucks stopped on the sidewalk, killing a driver who was standing between the two stopped vehicles.
Phùng Văn On, an official on the province’s Traffic Safety Committee, said that at about 6am on Tuesday, a container truck stopped on the sidewalk to fix mechanical problems. Another passing truck stopped to help 10 minutes later. The third container truck hit the two stopped trucks.
The official said traffic police and relevant agencies examined the scene of the accident to identify its causes.
The trucks were heavily damaged and the accident caused a 30-minute traffic jam on the expressway.
Beyond being a historic political event, the DPRK-US Hanoi Summit is also considered a wonderful opportunity for Vietnamese tourism. Although this meeting will only last for two days, its diverse effects can already be felt, including positive impacts on the tourism industry, proving even more effective than million-dollar promotion campaigns.
The second Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) – US Summit will take place in Hanoi on February 27 and 28, attracting the attention of numerous experts, media, as well as local and international people.
Besides the promotional activities of the Vietnamese tourism industry, during the summit the world media will constantly cover Vietnam and share interesting side stories.
Trump-Kim T-shirts are a bestseller
The Trump-Kim T-shirt drew in a great many buyers
According to Reuters, the printed shirts of US President Donald Trump and DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-Un with the words “Peace” and “Hanoi Vietnam 2019” sold at a shop on Hang Bong street, Hoan Kiem district (Hanoi) have been welcomed by foreign tourists as well as Vietnamese people.
At a price of VND100,000 ($4.35) nearly 200 shirts were sold on the first day.
Michael Landa, a tourist from the US, excitedly said: “This shirt reminds me of peace that US President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un will discuss.”
Truong Thanh Duc, who came up with the idea of printing the world leaders’ pictures on T-shirts, shared: “Most people look at this shirt and smile. Many tourists who visited my shop were very interested in them, which made me very happy.”
Trump and Kim burgers
The burgers are not only fun, but a real treat to boot
Two new hamburger creations named after the two leaders of the US and North Korea, combining the typical ingredients of the two countries, are sold at Dirty Bird Restaurant on Hang Hanh street, Hanoi.
“We had an idea a couple of days after we heard about the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi. Based on the name of the restaurant, we came up with the names for the two hamburgers which are now on sale at the restaurant before the summit and each guest taking a photo and posting it on Facebook or Instagram will get a free beer to go with their burger,” the two chefs insisted.
Five-star hotels in Hanoi running out of rooms to rent
The Trump and Kim lookalikes
A week before the summit took place, many five-star hotels in Hanoi, such as Grand Plaza, Hilton, InterContinental, Sofitel Metropole, Sheraton, and JW Marriott Hanoi have all announced that they have no more vacancies from February 25 or 26 to the end of the month.
“Our hotel has been out of rooms since the middle of Tet. After the Lunar New Year, we still had room. However, after the confirmation of the summit in Hanoi, the number of bookings surged, not just group bookings, but also individual bookings,” said a hotel representative.
InterContinental Hanoi Landmark Hotel does not have any empty rooms from February 21. The same goes for JW Marriott from February 20 and Hilton hotel from February 18, while Intercontinental West Lake is fully booked from February 26 until March 3.
Kim and Trump lookalikes draw crowds in Hanoi
On the afternoon of February 22, many Hanoi residents caught sight of the two figures appearing together at a hotel in central Hanoi and the Opera House. In fact, the two figures were actors Howard X and Russel White.
The pair of impersonators always draw crowds whenever they appear around the world. They were also present in Singapore when the first summit took place. The duo were accompanied by five bodyguards wearing black clothes.
The duo also appeared in many other famous places in Hanoi, such as Hoan Kiem Lake, Dong Xuan Market, and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and attracted the attention of many people.
North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un said he was touched by the welcome accorded him by the people of Vietnam.
The armored train carrying Kim and his entourage reached the Dong Dang railway station in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son around 8 a.m. after a long trip from Pyongyang.
He was accompanied by Kim Yong-chol, a key negotiator in talks with the U.S., and his sister Kim Yo-jong.
“I had gone through a journey of more than 3,000 kilometers to Vietnam and thank the country for a warm and enthusiastic welcome,” Kim said, as described by Minister, Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, who greeted the North Korean leader in Dong Dang.
Kim and his entourage arrived at the five-star Melia Hotel on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District around 11 a.m.
He will meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday and Thursday. Their second summit takes place in Hanoi eight months after the first one in Singapore last June. At the historic meeting, the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, both sides pledged to work towards denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Nearly 3,000 international reporters from 200 news agencies in 40 countries and territories in the world have flocked to Vietnam to cover the meeting alongside around 550 Vietnamese reporters.
Later, Kim is scheduled to pay his first official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong.
North Korea was one of the earliest countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1950, after China and the Soviet Union.
It also sent hundreds of military pilots to Vietnam to support the country during the Vietnam War, trained hundreds of students in the 1960s and 1970s, and also supported Vietnam with cement, steel, fabrics, medicine and fertilizers.
Between 1994 and 2012, Vietnam also sent multiple rice donations as well as cash relief to North Korea.
Vietnam-North Korea relations have been established and cemented at the highest level. In 1957, President Ho Chi Minh visited North Korea and the late North Korean Premier Kim Il-sung visited Vietnam twice.
Promotional tickets available for flights from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Phu Quoc to Hong Kong (China).
Vietjet Air is offering 10,000 super saving tickets from only $0 from February 26 to 28 on its website.
The promotional tickets are available on routes from Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc Island to Hong Kong (China). The flight period for the Ho Chi Minh City – Hong Kong (China) route is from April 14 to December 31, and April 19 to October 25 for the Phu Quoc – Hong Kong (China) route.
The Phu Quoc – Hong Kong (China) route will have four return flights per week starting from April 19. With a flight time of two hours and 45 minutes per leg, flights will depart Phu Quoc at 10.50am and land in Hong Kong (China) at 2.35pm. Return flights will depart Hong Kong (China) at 3.40pm and arrive in Phu Quoc at 5.25pm (all local times).
Hong Kong is known as one of the world’s leading centers of finance and commerce and as a hub for numerous major corporations with headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region. With a blend of Western and Eastern cultures, a vast variety of cuisine, and a developed entertainment industry, Hong Kong is the most loved destination for tourism and shopping for many travelers.
With a network comprising 39 domestic routes and 66 international routes, Vietjet operates safe flights with a technical reliability rate of 99.64 per cent, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. As a fully-fledged member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it has obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate and been awarded a seven-star ranking; the world’s highest for safety, by Airline Ratings.
While the divorce proceedings of billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of the Amazon e-commerce platform, were done in a snap, in Vietnam, the divorce of Trung Nguyen chairman Dang Le Nguyen Vu and his wife Le Hoang Diep Thao is as slow as Vietnamese coffee drips.
At the court session in the afternoon of February 25, instead of quickly resolving the drawn-out divorce like Vu and Thao expected, the jury adjourned the hearing until March 1 when it will officially announce its decision.
The dispute over their VND8.4 trillion ($365.2 million) common property and Trung Nguyen Group’s stocks has made the divorce has been closely followed by the public in the past few days.
While Vu proposed sharing the company stock in a 70:30 ratio, Thao requested a 50:50 division. Specifically, Thao required ownership of 51 per cent of Trung Nguyen Investment JSC’s stocks, 15 per cent of Trung Nguyen Corporation JSC, and 7.5 per cent of Trung Nguyen Instant Coffee JSC. Vu did not agree with Thao’s request and stuck to his offered 70:30 ratio, claiming that he is the only founder and spirit of Trung Nguyen, while Thao only contributed by effort, not money to Trung Nguyen Group’s establishment.
Countering Vu’s argument, at last week’s trial session Thao produced evidence of a bank transfer of VND1 billion ($43,480) to Vu’s mother in 2005, which proved that Thao did indeed contribute capital to Trung Nguyen Group.
The dispute originally exploded in April 2015, when Vu suddenly dismissed Thao from her position as the group’s deputy general director. In a complaint sent to the Binh Duong People’s Court in November 2015, Thao said that in October of the same year Vu organised a board of management meeting without her to dismiss her from her positions as the chairman of the board of management and deputy general director.
Thao filed for divorce at the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court in November 2015.
Last year, a dispute between Trung Nguyen Group and Le Hoang Diep Thao, the group’s former deputy general director, also caused a stir as it has been revealed that the group’s subsidiary – Trung Nguyen Instant Coffee JSC (Trung Nguyen IC) – in mid-2017 sued Thao at the Bac Giang People’s Court for illegally seizing the company’s seals and the Bac Giang branch’s legal documents. Trung Nguyen IC asked Thao to pay a compensation of $75.2 million.
On May 16, 2017 Thao rejected Trung Nguyen IC as well as her husband Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s accusations. Thao argued that Vu was not Trung Nguyen IC’s legal representative because at the time Vu was the legal representative of Trung Nguyen Group, thus his dual representative positions would have led to a clash of interests and was against the company’s charter.
In August 2017, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court applied the urgent interim measures to ensure the joint ownership rights over their common assets, which include 93 per cent of Trung Nguyen Group’s tangible and intangible assets, including subsidiary Trung Nguyen IC.
Carrier may also buy long-range aircraft in preparation for flights to Los Angeles or San Francisco; new planes will be for delivery between 2020 and 2030, says CEO
Vietnam Airlines is considering an order of 50 to 100 Boeing Co 737 Max planes this year to replace its ageing fleet of Airbus SE single-aisle aircraft and may also buy long-range jets in preparation for flights to California.
The new aircraft will be for delivery between 2020 and 2030, Duong Tri Thanh, chief executive officer of the state-owned carrier, said in an interview in Hanoi.
While Mr Thanh didn’t specify which Max model the carrier plans to buy, based on list prices of the popular Max 8, the order would be valued at about US$6.1 billion to US$12.2 billion before customary discounts.
“It will be an opportunity for Vietnam Airlines to invite competition between the aircraft manufacturers, mainly Airbus and Boeing,” Mr Thanh said. “The final plan will be submitted to the government. We expect something to happen this year.”
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The airline is seizing expanded travel demand presented by Vietnam’s growing economy and US regulatory approval this month for its air-safety system, allowing carriers in the country to fly to the US.
The carrier is also considering a purchase of at least two wide-body planes – Boeing 777x or Airbus A350-1000 – to make its planned US services commercially viable, Mr Thanh added.
Vietnam Airlines intends to begin flying from the nation’s commercial centre of Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles or San Francisco, both home to a large Vietnamese-American population, in 2020, Mr Thanh revealed.
Initially, the flights will include possible stops in Japan, Taiwan or South Korea before non-stop service begins in 2022, he added.
Given the distance and very tough competition, Vietnam Airlines expects to remain unprofitable on the Vietnam-California route for five to 10 years and will need government subsidies, Mr Thanh said.
Vietnam Airlines also faces increased rivalry closer to home. Bamboo Airways became the nation’s newest airline to begin flying last month. The smaller carrier will sign a deal of about US$3 billion to buy 10 Boeing planes during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Hanoi this week ahead of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to people familiar with the matter.
Vietnam Airlines, which trades on the Hanoi Stock Exchange’s Unlisted Public Company Market, is expected to move to a main-board listing on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange in early April after multiple delays, according to Mr Thanh.
The government is looking to reduce its holding of the company to 51 per cent from about 86 per cent by selling shares at the end of 2019 and in 2020, he said. It’s also open to selling another stake in a private sale, following ANA Holdings Inc’s purchase of an 8.8 per cent stake in 2016.
Vietnam Airlines expects to serve 25 million passengers this year, three million more than in 2018, while revenue is projected to rise to 115 trillion dong (S$6.7 billion) from 102 trillion dong, Mr Thanh said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Vietnam ahead of a summit with US President Donald Trump.
The second US-North Korea summit follows a historic first round of talks last year in Singapore.
Ceremonial guards and flag-waving crowds had lined a red carpet laid out for him as he arrived at Dong Dang border station in the morning.
He then took a car in the capital city of Hanoi where heavy security and flag-waving crowds were waiting for him.
AFP | A Mercedes Benz with North Korean flags arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday afternoon
At Dong Dang security guards, officials and cameramen crowded Mr Kim and his party as they disembarked from the train and were ushered into a waiting car.
His trademark team of black-suited bodyguards were waiting for him at the station, and as his car pulled away they briefly ran alongside it.
AFP | Flags and a red carpet greeted Mr Kim as he disembarked his train
He is thought to be travelling with his sister Kim Yo-jong and one of his key negotiators, former General Kim Yong-chol, both familiar faces from the last summit with Mr Trump.
Why did Mr Kim take a train to Vietnam?
The journey from Pyongyang to Vietnam took more than two days and traversed about 4,000 km (2,485 miles). Had Mr Kim chosen to fly to Vietnam he would have got there in a matter of hours.
As Mr Kim’s train passed through China, roads were closed and train stations shut down. Chinese social media was abuzz with road closures, traffic congestion and delayed trains.
Kim Jong-un boards his train
Vietnam’s Dong Dang station was also closed to the public ahead of his arrival on Tuesday morning. He is now being driven around 170km (105mi) to Hanoi by car.
It’s little surprise that Mr Kim chose to take the train as this is how his grandfather, North Korea’s first leader Kim ll-sung, travelled when he went to Vietnam and Eastern Europe.
That alone would have made it a highly symbolic move for the younger Mr Kim.
Mr Kim’s private green and yellow train has 21 bulletproof carriages and is luxurious, with plush pink leather sofas and conference rooms so the journey would not have been unduly uncomfortable.
What will Trump and Kim do in Vietnam?
Unlike the North Korean premier, Mr Trump is travelling to Hanoi by plane. The presidential liner, Air Force One, has left Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and is expected to arrive on Tuesday night local time.
Details of their schedule are only just becoming clear. Mr Trump will meet Mr Kim for a brief one-on-one conversation on Wednesday evening and then they will have dinner together with their advisors, according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. On Thursday, the leaders will meet for a series of back-and-forth meetings.
Why are they meeting again?
The Hanoi meeting is expected to build on the groundwork of what was achieved at the historic Singapore summit last June.
The Singapore summit produced a vaguely worded agreement, with both leaders agreeing to work towards denuclearisation – though it was never made clear what this would entail.
Getty Images | Nothing concrete was produced as a result of the first Singapore summit
However, little diplomatic progress was made following the summit.
This time round, both leaders will be very conscious that expectations will be high for an outcome that demonstrates tangible signs of progress.
However, Mr Trump appeared to be managing expectations ahead of the summit, saying he was in “no rush” to press for North Korea’s denuclearisation.
“I don’t want to rush anybody. I just don’t want testing. As long as there’s no testing, we’re happy,” he said.
Washington had previously said that North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief.
Why Vietnam?
It’s an ideal location for many reasons. It has diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea, despite once having been enemies with the US – and could be used by the US as an example of two countries working together and setting aside their past grievances.
Getty Images | Hanoi is all geared up for the upcoming summit
Ideologically, both Vietnam and North Korea are communist countries – though Vietnam has rapidly developed since and become one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, all while the party there retains absolute power.
Hà Nội had been pulling out all the stops to prepare for the second Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) – United States (US) Summit which will take place from February 27 to 28.
The city is said to be proud and honoured to be hosting the event. It is also said a good opportunity for Việt Nam and Hà Nội to promote its beauty, culture and people as well as the image of a “City for Peace” among international friends.
In 1999, Hà Nội was among five cities on five continents presented with the “City for Peace” award by UNESCO to recognise its contributions to the struggle for peace as well as its development that met the organisation’s standards of equality in the community, urban construction, living environment, culture and education promotion, and care for younger generations.
Tourists use a tour bus to go sightseeing around Hà Nội. Reporters covering the summit will get free bus passes in the city from February 25 to March 2. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh QuyếtT-shirts with images of President Donald Trump and DPRK Chairman Kim Jong Un have become popular at a souvenir shop on Hàng Bông Street. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh QuyếtTurtle Tower in the middle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake – an iconic tourist attraction in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng ĐạtMore flowers are being planted along streets in Hà Nội to make it look fresh and beautiful ahead of the historic event. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng ĐạtForeign tourists take part in an exercise class with local people near Hoàn Kiếm Lake. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh QuyếtA tourist buys flags of Việt Nam, the US and the DPRK on Hàng Bông Street of Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết
