Jardine Cycle buys 5.5 pct stake in Vinamilk for $617 mln

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Shares in Vietnam’s largest listed firm responded to the news on Monday by reaching a record high.

Singapore-listed Jardine Cycle and Carriage Ltd said on Monday that one of its units has agreed to buy a 5.53 percent stake in Vietnamese dairy firm Vinamilk, the country’s biggest listed company, for $616.6 million.

Vinamilk is among a handful of state assets that are attracting significant interest from foreign investors as the government works to reform state-owned enterprises.

Jardine Cycle, part of the diversified Jardine Matheson group, said it bought the shares on the open market and at an auction held by the State Capital Investment Commission of Vietnam (SCIC).

“The taking of this relevant interest in Vinamilk is in line with JC&C group’s strategy of investing in market leading companies in Southeast Asia,” it said in a filing to the Singapore bourse on Monday.

The deal increases Jardine Cycle’s exposure to the Vietnamese economy, and it remains open to making further such investments, it added.

The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange said last week that an overseas investor had bought a stake in Vinamilk, but did not reveal the buyer.

Last year, the SCIC offered to sell 9 percent of Vinamilk but sold only 5.4 percent. Investors looking to gain a degree of control over Vinamilk were partly deterred by the size of stake on offer.

Vinamilk shares rose nearly 4 percent on Monday to a record VND181,500.

Source: Reuters

Woman who gave Hanoi 5,000 ounces of gold to fight the French to be given official funeral

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The gold would be worth more than $8 million at current prices, and was used by revolutionists in 1945.

The Hanoi municipal administration will hold an official funeral on Monday afternoon for a woman who donated more than 5,000 ounces of gold to anti-French revolutionists in 1945.

A source from the city’s People’s Committee said Hoang Thi Minh Ho’s funeral will be hosted by top officials from 1.30-3 p.m. at the cemetery house at 5 Tran Nhan Tong Street.

Ho died at home on November 5, aged 104. The gold she donated to the cause would be worth VND183.1 billion (more than $8 million) at today’s prices.

She is entitled to a lot in one of the capital’s cemeteries, but the family has decided to bury her in the neighboring Phu Tho Province.

Vietnam holds official funeral ceremonies for people who have made outstanding achievements in politics, economics, society, literature, art, science, national defense, security, diplomacy and other domains – achievements that are recognized by the country’s First Class Order of Independence title.

Both Ho and her husband Trinh Van Bo, a businessman who died in 1988, received the title. The couple owned a cloth shop in Hanoi which exported to customers in China, Japan, India and even as far away as Switzerland.

The city is also considering naming a small street after Bo in Cau Giay District.

Source: Vo Hai

Vietnam’s ‘Little Paris’ tells tourists to be ‘decent’ and ‘civilized’

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The purchase of undocumented goods and wildlife products in Da Lat is deemed ‘inappropriate’ behavior.

Lam Dong Province, home to the popular highlands resort town of Da Lat, has issued a list of rules for tourists that includes a dress code and shopping guidelines.

The code of etiquette, drawn up by the province’s tourism department, asks visitors to be “civilized, decent and responsible”, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

They should wear suitable clothing, respect cultural differences, avoid littering and stealing, and queue in line when they are shopping or buying tickets.

The purchase of undocumented goods and wildlife products is deemed “inappropriate” behavior, the rules state.

Hotels, restaurants and other services are also warned not to overcharge, sell copycat or low quality products, or pester customers.

The code of conduct is based on a national set issued by the tourism ministry in March this year, and will be printed in Vietnamese and English in time for the annual Da Lat Flower Festival in late December.

Lam Dong received around three million visitors in the first half of this year, of which foreign travelers increased 44.3 percent from a year ago to more than 204,400.

The Central Highlands province is best known for Da Lat, which is often dubbed “Little Paris” due to its colonial history.

The mostly quiet and charming town, surrounded by pine trees, flowers and vegetables farms, is famous for its cool climate and has gained in popularity both as a romantic getaway for lovers and an oasis in a country that usually sweats all year round.

But like many places across Vietnam, Da Lat has both benefited and lost out to the recent travel boom.

Its center is covered in garbage on big holidays, when complaints of thefts and rip-offs are not uncommon.

This year, Da Lat has reported multiple cases of local gangsters and racketeering gangs colluding with businesses to scam travelers, usually on strawberry farms or in souvenir shops.

The gangs have reportedly threatened to assault tour guides and drivers from several travel companies who have refused to lure tourists into their traps.

The issue got physical in May when a tourist was beaten after trying to return a product, prompting the government to order immediate measures be taken to protect visitors from these new groups of gangsters.

Source: Tuoi Tre News

Apple Vietnam requests exemption from customs procedures

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Apple Vietnam has proposed the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to remove a series of administrative procedures applied on its imported products, aiming to create advantage for its business activity, according to newswire Vietnamfinance.

MoF has issued its opinion about Apple Vietnam’s proposal. Accordingly, MoF proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to remove the regulations to grant import licence for mobile phones, which was stated at Circular

No.18/2014/TT-BTTTT dated November 20, 2013 of the Government on the issuance of licences to import radio transmitters and transceivers, aiming to decrease the time for customs clearance.

Regarding the certificate of conformity, MoF agrees with Apple Vietnam’s proposal to use certifications of conformity accredited by reputable international organisations as the basis to evaluate the quality of Apple Vietnam’s imported products.

Concerning the proposal to be excepted from acquiring an import licence for Apple Vietnam’s Apple Watch products, MoF said that according to Appendix I of the List of radio transmitters and transceivers with import licences.

attached to Circular 18, radio transmitters and transceivers with a frequency band of 9kHz to 400GHz and an output of 60 megawatt (mW) or more are subject to have an import licence accredited by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC).

Thus, according to MoF’s opinion, in case Apple Vietnam proves that its Apple Watch products have an output of less than 60mW, they will not need to acquire an import license from MoIC.

MoF added that MoIC should re-evaluate its purpose and its effectiveness of granting import licences in customs procedures and consider removing this procedure in case it proves unnecessary.

Established in October 2015, Apple Vietnam specialises in distributing Apple products and supplying after-sale services. Setting foot in Vietnam is considered a change in Apple’s business strategy because Vietnam ranks among the less important groups in the tech giant’s business strategy.

Source: VIR

Thang Long Warriors and Cantho Catfish enter VBA final

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Thang Long Warriors and Cantho Catfish have both booked spots in the Viet Nam Basketball Association (VBA) League final.

In the second game of the event’s playoff round held at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology’s Gymnasium yesterday, the Warriors defeated Hanoi Buffaloes 69-58 to enter the final.

Earlier, in the first game, the Warriors also crushed the Buffaloes 82-57.

The match saw outstanding performances by the Warriors’ key players Jaywuan Hill and Justin Young. Hill made his name as the tournament’s best player with 33 points.

Young said after the match that his team played well but they could play better.

It is the first time the Warriors have played in the event, but they proved they aren’t an easy team to beat.
The team, who are guided by experienced coach Lee Tao Dana, aim to earn the event’s title.

Meanwhile, the Catfish also earned a place in the final after beating Saigon Heat 76-68 in the southern province of Can Tho on Saturday.

The Heat brought their slogan “Win or Go home” to the match, while the Catfish supporters shouted “Defend the Homeland”. The fans were given an exciting match.

From the beginning of the game, both two teams worked hard to score points. Sang Đinh shone in the first period after scoring 10 points for the hosts Catfish. While the Heat made a strong impression through performances by David Arnold (five points) and Le Ngoc Tu (four points).

However, with the support of fans on their hometurf, the Catfish led 21-16.

In the second quarter, the Heat bounced back. Pham Duy Hau scored six points in the final minutes to help the Heat lead 33-32. It seemed that the Heat would win this quarter, but suddenly Sang Đinh turned it around with an accurate three-point throw in the dying seconds to end the quarter 35-33 in favour of the Catfish.

The Heat failed to attack effectively in the third period, while the hosts managed to control the game and led 57-48.

In the last quarter, the visiting side made every effort to seek the final win. They narrowed the gap to 72-66 with just a minute left in the match. However, the Catfish showed their might with four points to fix the match at 76-68.

The Warriors and the Catfish will face off in the first final match at Hanoi’s University of Education Gymnasium on November 19.

Source: VNS

New animation movie stirs up patriotism

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A new 20-minute animation on a popular historic legend has gone viral among Vietnamese internet users in the past few days.

The cartoon features the legend of Lac Long Quan (a holy dragon) and Au Co (a fairy bird) and their children (50 boys and 50 girls), who hatched from 100 eggs. The couple together fought various evils to gain peace for the country. Their children then settled down throughout the regions to build and protect the country.

Uploaded to YouTube on November 4, Con Rong Chau Tien (Offspring of Dragon and Fairy), produced by Biti’s footwear company, has been viewed more than 5,250,000 times.

The cartoon was produced by 100 artists under the guidance of director Leo Dinh (Dinh Kieu Anh Tuan) and took 10,000 working hours over 180 days to make.

The team spent two months brainstorming and searching for historical documents with consultancy from historian Duong Trung Quoc.

Then, the team spent four months to animate the cartoon, with the combination of 2D and 3D techniques to create a cartoon of 20 minutes.

The theme song for the animation is Cung Nhau Ta Thap Sang (Together We Shine) composed by Thanh Bui and performed by Bich Ngoc.

“In legends, Dragon and Fairy is the start of Vietnamese people with their core values,” commented historian Quoc, “All peoples want to understand their origins.”

“Con Rong Chau Tien is a folk legend, which has been scored in official historical documents to explain the origin of Vietnamese people and why we formed a nation,” he said.

However, Quoc said that the legend has not been placed in its deserving position in Vietnamese literature and in the heart of Vietnamese people.

He worries that in the next 10 to 20 years there may not be any young people interested in folk legends, which inspired the team to make a cartoon that appeals to the young.

“We have done serious research on the appearance of characters, their costumes and landscapes in the cartoon so that audiences can see vivid moving images,” said director Leo Dinh, “I’m proud to say that this is a cartoon was made totally in Viet Nam with Vietnamese identities.”

“Beside interesting content, the soul of the cartoon lies in images and visual effect,” he said, “Thus, dozens thousands of scenes have been drawn by leading cartoon makers of RedCat Motion.”

“The cartoon is a very special project,” Leo Dinh said, “It challenged us not only technically but also pushed us overcome limits in telling stories with images and techniques we have never used.”

“For simply the image of the pile of 100 eggs, we thought over and over on how to create the eggs, which looks like sparkling light,” said creative director of the cartoon Kieu Thien Van.

Van also said the team encountered some obstacles, including limited historical data and technology when combining 2D and 3D images.

“I think this is the first short cartoon by Vietnamese artists with proper investment and sophisticated implementation, which meets international standards of cartoons in terms of images and moving effects,” noted artist Linh Nguyen.

“I strongly believe not only children but also adults like us want to see such cartoons,” commented Hoang Thu Huong under the cartoon on YouTube.

According to Hung Vo, an official from Biti’s company, who is in charge of the project, the cartoon is the second of its kind in a 20-year-long series of projects makings cartoon from folk literature run by Biti’s company between 2017 and 2037.

He said next year, the company will invest in a bigger project.

“We will co-ordinate with schools and parents to transmit the love for folk culture among children,” he said, “We will bring cultural tales to our footwear products to make children proud of their shoes and Vietnamese tales, so they can step forwards as offspring of dragons and fairies.”

The cartoon is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CI52V3lQTA

Source: VNS

New art spaces a breath of fresh air in HCM City

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HCM City’s visual arts culture in recent years has seen the opening of new contemporary art spaces, including The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre (FCAC), BLANC Art Space and Đông A Gallery.

Other popular venues that opened around 10 years ago included Sàn Art, Doclab, Địa Project, Gallery Quỳnh, Nhà Sàn, and a few others, according to Phụ Nữ (Women) Newspaper.

Though they were successful in showcasing contemporary art, some of these venues had to close because of a lack of visitors.

Venues that have opened in recent years have learned from their counterparts and are doing reasonably well.
The 1,000-sq m Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, which was opened in March 2016 in District 2 by designer Thuỷ Nguyễn, has showcased 14 exhibitions and multiple workshops.

About 50 artists, including Vietnamese and those from Singapore and Hong Kong, have taken part in the exhibitions, attracting 1,000 to 3,000 visitors each.

Popular exhibitions included Mắt Xích (Chain) from artist Lê Hoàng Bích Phượng, Lạc chốn (Dislocate) from Bùi Công Khánh and Nắng bằng phẳng (Flat sunshine) from Lena Bùi.

Others that were successful were Quên lãng nên thơ (Poetic amnesia) from Phan Thảo Nguyên and Lịch sử viễn du: cát trong tai tôi, trôi dạt thế giới (Histoire D’un Voyage: sand in my ears, adrift of the world) from Nguyễn Thuý Hằng.

“The demand for contemporary art is high and artists need a space to introduce their fine pieces. Hence, it’s necessary to create a spot which benefits visitors, artists and organisers,” Thuỷ said.

“Of course, higher quality is expected after each exhibition. Later, artists are required to deliver more creative artworks in order to draw audiences,” she said, adding that the local art industry was developing well.

The BLANC Art Space in District 3, which was also launched last year, stands out, primarily for its project “A new artist every two weeks”.

After the exhibitions Sài Gòn ơi ta trở về (A showcase of Sài Gòn in the 90s) and Sài Gòn 3 mét vuông (Three-square-metre Sài Gòn) were held, BLANC Art Space became a popular destination for locals.

“I revisited my childhood when I saw the Sài Gòn showcase. Life has been so busy and I realised that I’d forgotten most of my childhood games. I was glad that I could recall beautiful memories,” Trường Hải, a visitor, said.
Another great art venue is Đông A Gallery, known for organising multiple meetings between international artists and local audiences.

Đông A Gallery has also extended its business to Hà Nội.

The 4,000-sq m Vincom Centre for Contemporary Art (VCCA), which was launched by Đông A Gallery and Vincom in June, has sparked visitor interests.

VCCA aims to contribute to the development of contemporary art in Việt Nam by bringing art pieces closer to the public and inspiring visitors with its aesthetic environment, said organisers.

Though a “newbie”, VCCA has carefully planned its journey with different themes every season.

The first event of VCCA was Toả (The Foliage) exhibition, which represented a dialogue between the cultures of the East and the West.

More than 19 artists participated in the exhibition, both professionals and amateurs.

The exhibition showcased art pieces of different topics and forms to provide visitors with an overview of what made up contemporary art.

“The new contemporary art spaces, together with the older ones, are expected to contribute to making Việt Nam a more modern, interesting country to visit,” Hải said

Source: VNS

The second ‘Swedish investment wave’ in Vietnam has arrived

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The Swedish businesses coming to Vietnam in the second investment wave are focusing on consumer goods, according to analysts.

Once a month, Pereric Högberg, the Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, flies from Hanoi to HCM City to attend a meeting with the community of Swedish businesspeople and citizens living in the city.

Högberg also visited HCM City in late October to participate in an important event – the launch ceremony of Volvo’s new models at a 2017 imported car exhibition.

Volvo joined the Vietnamese car market in early 2016. At that time, Högberg said that Volvo was an important milestone in the promising relationship between Sweden and Vietnam.

Two-way trade turnover between the two countries remains modest, but the figure has been increasing steadily, and so has Swedish business interest in Vietnam.

Most recently, Bloomberg reported that IKEA, the furniture retail chain, announced a plan to open shops in Vietnam in the next five years.

Meanwhile, H&M, a fast-fashion brand, will open new shops in Hanoi after opening its first shop in HCM City this year.

Spotify, a startup which provides an app to listen to music on smartphones, is rumored to start in Vietnam soon.

Meanwhile, Ben Thanh Corporation and Savico, the holding company of the importer of Volvo cars, said Volvo truck and bus manufacturers have also suggested cooperation.

“This is the second Swedish wave,” said Högberg.

Swedish capital flowed to Vietnam very early, but was mostly in the industry sector.

The ABB Group set up its factory in Vietnam in 1993 which focuses on four production fields, namely electronics, robots, automation in industries and electricity networks.

There is another Swedish name, which, according to analysts, illustrates Swedish power in Vietnam – Tetra Pak’s packaging products.

The Swedish manufacturer provides packaging products to the nation’s largest dairy producers, including Vinamilk and TH True Milk. A report found that Tetra Pak holds 98 percent of the milk packaging market share.

In early October, Tetra Pak announced investment in a new factory capitalized at $110 million. The figure was even higher than the total Swedish FDI capital as of September 2017 ($100 million, 54 projects).

Meanwhile, Högberg hopes Swedish businesses in healthcare, transport, green production and startups will also appear in Vietnam.

“It is the right time for Sweden to strengthen its business in Vietnam,” Högberg said, adding that he has been impressed by the strong development of Vietnam economy since doi moi (renovation).

Source: VietNamNet

The race to open casinos heats up

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From December 1, 2017, casino businesses will be officially covered by a specific legal framework. Circular 102 of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) that guides the implementation of Decree 03 will take effect on that day.

In 1992, the government of Vietnam was allowed to run casinos to satisfy demand of foreign travelers and expats. Eight casinos have been licensed, including one in Do Son, the first in Vietnam. They have been operating in accordance with Foreign Investment Law and 2005 Investment Law.

Decree 03 says Vietnamese citizens now can be admitted into domestic casinos on a three year trial basis. After that, the government will decide whether or not to continue allowing Vietnamese to go to casinos.

It is still unclear which casinos Vietnamese can enter. MOF on November 3 confirmed that the current regulation only stipulates that Vietnamese have to prove their financial capability to be eligible to enter a casino.

The regulation on allowing Vietnamese to go to casinos is the key factor prompting investors to pour money into casino projects, especially in the SEZs (special economic zones) of Van Don, Phu Quoc and Bac Van Phong.

In Van Don, the Quang Ninh provincial authorities have chosen Sun Group as the investor of a resort with casino. The project, covering an area of 2,500 hectares, has investment capital of $2 billion and investment duration of 50 years.

The local authorities of both Quang Ninh and Kien Giang have asked the government to open the casinos in the SEZs to Vietnamese.

Under the draft law on SEZ being compiled by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the casinos in SEZs would enjoy outstanding investment incentives. The luxury tax rate of 10 percent would be applied to casinos for 10 years instead of 30 percent currently.

The Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee recently asked for government permission to expand Laguna Lang Co and raise investment capital from $875 million to $2 billion. If the expansion is approved, the project would have a casino covering an area of 2.64 hectares.

Of eight casinos licensed so far, six are operational. The eight casinos are allowed to have 408 gambling tables and 4,570 machines. However, they have 134 tables and 995 machines, or just one-third of the permitted number.

Source: Kim Chi

Canada may have withdrawn from TPP, negotiation postponed infinitely following botched Vietnam meeting

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Negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership were put on hold indefinitely on Friday after Canada was believed to have pulled out of the free trade pact unexpectedly.

The news was broken by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to reporters at the APEC summit in Da Nang, right after a failed meeting.

No final conclusion on the TPP-11 pact had been reached, the official said, adding that she would not reveal the standpoint of any specific country when asked if there was any difference between Vietnam and the other sides.

TPP is a free trade agreement originally involving 12 member states of the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the U.S. and Vietnam.

It was expected to serve as a counterweight to China’s growing regional dominance.

However, the White House announced the United States’ withdrawal from the deal in January, leaving the remaining 11 members to adopt the new name of TPP-11 to continue negotiations without Washington.

The TPP aims to eliminate tariffs on industrial and farm products across a bloc whose trade totaled $356 billion last year, according to Reuters.

Canada said that they would not engage in the final meeting with the rest, PM Ardern told reporters, noting that she was not saying the country had formally withdrawn from the pact.

Negotiators were scheduled to discuss the terms and conditions of the accord on Friday afternoon, but Canada was understood not to attend the event.

PM Ardern confirmed that the meeting had not happened as planned.

The TPP-11 accord was reported to be finalized in principle on Thursday, when some ministers revealed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that they were happy with the negotiation then.

Canadian negotiators decided to pull out of the pact negotiation, which has taken a decade, after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau met privately with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Da Nang to discuss one issue, as understood by Tuoi Tre.

The TPP-11 negotiators joined another tense meeting on Thursday until 10:00 pm.

Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo walked out of the meeting room and said that all sides had reached in-principle consensus.

François-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Minister of International Trade, smiled but uttered no word.

Steven Ciobo, Australian Minister for Trade and Investment, then proclaimed that they “had a very good meeting.”

Toshimitsu Motegi, Japanese Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, also said in-principle agreement had been achieved following their meeting.

He added a formal announcement regarding this issue would be made on Friday.

But then François-Philippe Champagne said on Twitter, “Despite reports, there is no agreement in principle on TPP.”

No such an announcement has been issued so far.

​Vietjet ordered to discipline staffer for tearing passenger ticket

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The Vietnamese aviation watchdog has demanded low-cost carrier Vietjet sternly discipline a staffer who had been filmed ripping a late passenger’s ticket.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) confirmed they had ordered strict punishment from Vietjet on a female ground employee for tearing a late flyer’s ticket.

The act has marred the reputation of the aviation sector’s quality and client-friendliness.

The move came after complaints were voiced over airline staff’s inappropriate attitudes toward passengers on the mass and social media in recent times.

The focal point was an incident related to the Vietjet VJ159 flight on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route that happened at the capital’s Noi Bai International Airport on November 5.

The CAAV commanded the airline slap a stern disciplinary penalty on the employee, which Vietjet representatives confirmed they had done, and draw experience from the incident.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper about the video clip capturing the ripping act, the airline representatives revealed passengers were expected to board the VJ159 flight by 5:35 pm on November 5 to get ready for departure 15 minutes later.

The male passenger did not show up at the boarding gate until 5:41 pm.

The staffer refused to let the man board the plane in observance of regulations meant to ensure prompt flight departure, and directed him to the following flight on the same day.

“The act of destroying the passenger’s ticket as reported is unfitting when it comes to communicating with customers. We have thus imposed an appropriate penalty on the violator,” according to the Vietjet representatives.

A video clip which had earlier gone viral on social media captured the male flyer raising his ticket when his name was called on the speakers at the gate.

However, the female Vietjet employee told the man he had been late and denied entry to the flight.

A quarrel erupted at the counter, followed by the employee tearing his ticket, with her saying his ticket became invalid at that time.

Source: Tuoi Tre News

Vietnam, US sign $12 billion in trade deals during Trump’s visit to Hanoi

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Agreements in aviation and energy were signed as the U.S. President called for ‘fair and reciprocal’ trade with Vietnam.

Vietnamese and American businesses signed agreements worth a total of $12 billion on Sunday morning in Hanoi as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to Vietnam.

The deals include an aircraft engine maintenance and purchasing contract and liquified natural gas supply and storage projects.

Vietnam Airlines and private carrier VietJet signed contracts to buy engines from American aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. The national carrier is going to add 20 more aircraft to its fleet in the next two years while the latter is planning to add 10.

Vietnam’s airline market is growing at the third fastest pace in Asia-Pacific. Passengers on domestic flights soared 35 percent to 28 million in 2016, accounting for more than half of the total air travel in the country.

Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, VietJet and the newly founded Vietstar are planning to expand their fleets to a total of 263 aircraft in the next four years. Vietstar is still awaiting an aviation license.

Pratt & Whitney has been working with the Vietnamese aviation industry since the 1990s.

President Trump arrived for his first state visit to Hanoi on Saturday evening after attending the APEC Summit in Da Nang, around 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the south.

During a press conference held with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang on Sunday morning, Trump repeated his APEC speech theme of free Indo-Pacific trade relations, saying the U.S. is looking forward to “fair and reciprocal” bilateral trade with Vietnam.

Vietnam is Southeast Asia’s biggest exporter to the U.S., and the U.S. trade deficit with Vietnam is a concern for Trump’s protectionism policy.

“The U.S. is enthusiastic about reforms that promote economic transparency for all in Vietnam” and about looking to “remove unfair trade practices in the region,” he said in Hanoi.

Vietnam is the fourth and longest leg of Trump’s 12-day Asia tour, the longest trip to the region made by an American president in more than a quarter of a century, which is aims to boost ties and seek support in counterating the nuclear threat from North Korea.

He visited Japan, South Korea, China before Vietnam, and will later head to the Philippines where he will attend a dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) before celebrating the 40th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN Relations the following day.

Source: Nguyen Ha, Thanh Binh

Saigon says delayed first river bus will launch in late November

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The city has repeatedly kept passengers waiting on the dock, and no one knows if this latest deadline is realistic.

Saigon’s first river bus service will hopefully be up and running later this month, according to local authorities.

The service will cruise 10.8 kilometers (6.7 miles) from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 to Linh Dong Station in Thu Duc District, passing through District 2 and Binh Thanh District.

With 12 stops in total, the entire trip will take half an hour, cutting a third off the time it would take to travel by road and costing just VND15,000 (66 U.S. cents).

The first river bus was due to launch this summer, but the city has kept passengers waiting on the dock. In August, it said that construction delays would not allow the first river bus to set sail until October.

The city’s transport department explained that as it is the city’s first river bus, it wants to make sure the service is as user-friendly and convenient for passengers as possible.

However, the only passengers to have experienced the service thus far are those recruited by the city for two test runs.

Saigon has more than 1,000km of inland waterways, so the river bus service should ease traffic and attract more tourists, director of the city’s transport department Bui Xuan Cuong told local media in August.

A second route from Bach Dang Wharf to District 8 is scheduled to open in early 2018. The two routes are said to have cost an estimated VND120 billion ($5.28 million).

In April, the city’s municipal administration approved two more routes connecting the downtown with new urban areas in District 7.

In September, the city also agreed to a plan tabled by a private firm to add three more routes connecting the city’s downtown with the outlying districts of Can Gio and Cu Chi, as well as the stunning Con Dao Island, which is administered by the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and lies 230 kilometers (143 miles) away from Saigon.

Source: Staff Reporters

​4.3 million Vietnamese men will be ‘redundant’ in mid-century: NA deputies

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Sex imbalance at birth has aggravated in Vietnam, with 4.3 million men expected to be in surplus in mid-21st century, deputies warned at a National Assembly discussion session on Thursday morning.

Deputy Le Thi Yen, representing the northern province of Phu Tho and member of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for Social Affairs, reported the outcomes of a program meant to improve gender imbalance during the session.

“Our country is facing yawning gender imbalance. The ratio of male/female newborns in Vietnam is forecast to be 113/100 in 2017, while it was 109/100 in 2006,” she said.

Between 2.3 and 4.3 million male adults were predicted to become ‘unwanted’ by mid-21st century, Yen warned.

The shortage of women in society is likely to lead to undesirable impacts including ‘purchase’ of foreign bribes, rape and violence as experienced by such countries as China and India.

Yen put the sex discrepancy down to a strong cultural preference for sons rooted in a Confucian-affected male-oriented kinship system in Vietnam.

The rate worsened amidst the rising trend of married couples having fewer children and a readily accessible practice of sex selection thanks to medical strides.

“We need to act now. Propaganda on the role of women and measures to solidify their role should be improved, while harsh penalties are to be slapped on sex selection cases,” the Phu Tho delegate urged.

Meanwhile, Truong Minh Hoang, a delegate from the southernmost province of Ca Mau, pointed to the uneven ratio of female political leaders versus their male counterparts.

“We’ve set targets of improving the proportion at all levels. However, only one minister in the government is female and only 16 cities and provinces have appointed women to key roles to date,” he said.

“The inadequate ratio of female leadership posts has revealed shortcomings in personnel planning,” Hoang urged.

Deputy Phan Van Tuong, from the northern province of Thai Nguyen, called for closer analysis and measures to boost women’s engagement as NA and People’s Council deputies.

Ngan Phuong Loan, a deputy from the northern province of Lang Son, turned to another pressing issue.

“A large number of women, particularly those in rural areas, have to work overseas away from home. Illegal immigrants face risks of violence, labor exploitation, arrest and penalty by agencies in their adopted land,” she elaborated.

“Retirement ages for men and women should be the same, instead of a five-year difference as currently stipulated in the Labor Code. Women stand fewer chances of promotion over earlier retirement than their male counterparts,” deputy Chau Quynh Dao from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang proposed.

Luu Binh Nhuong, a deputy from the southern province of Ben Tre, elaborated that though women’s earlier retirement was meant to allow them a more fulfilling old age, the rule has deterred many from further contributing.

“I suggest the revised Labor Code stipulate the same retirement age for both men and women, but women can choose to stop working early,” he urged.

Head of the Vietnam Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Thu Ha acknowledged deeply ingrained gender prejudice in families and society has posed a sizeable hurdle to the cause of gender equality.

She stressed the vital role played by those tasked with improving gender equality, as well as revision and addition of policies and rules on gender fairness.

Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung promised to conduct further study and propose amendments to the central government and National Assembly.

“The government is set on further executing policies aimed at better gender equality and women development,” Minister Dung stressed.

Source: Tuoi Tre News

President Trump arrives in Hanoi for state visit

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U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon to commence his state visit to Vietnam, after attending an annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the country’s central city of Da Nang earlier the same day.

The president’s Air Force One landed at Noi Bai International Airport in the capital at 5:25 pm, where he was greeted by Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Pham Quang Vinh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc, and Minister and Chairman of the State President’s Office Dao Viet Trung.

After landing, President Trump boarded a black Cadillac One and headed straight to the Metropole Hotel in downtown Hoan Kiem District.

The U.S. leader had a short rest at the hotel before attending a state dinner hosted by Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang the same evening at the National Convention Center.

President Trump is joined by U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell on his trip.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had arrived in Hanoi at noon the same day on another plane to participate in some additional activities, including a visit to an Air Force victory memorial to the shooting down of a plane captained by U.S. Senator John McCain during the war in Vietnam.

After meeting with Vietnamese leaders and joining other activities in Hanoi as part of his state visit on Sunday, President Trump will leave Vietnam for the Philippines, where he is expected to attend the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit hosted by Manila.

President Trump is the fourth consecutive U.S. President to conduct a state visit to Vietnam following the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1995.

His predecessors Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had visited Vietnam in 2002, 2006 and 2016, respectively.

Before arriving in Hanoi, the president had been in Da Nang since Friday to attend the annual leaders’ summit of the APEC, a regional economic forum comprised of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that work to promote free trade in the region.

Vietnam is Trump’s fourth destination in his 12-day Asia visit, including stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

It is estimated to be the longest Asia trip ever made by a U.S. President.

Source: Tuoi Tre News

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