The seminar on a code of conduct (COC) in the East Sea held in Bangkok on June 20 (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – A seminar in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 20 highlighted the urgent need to accelerate talks on a code of conduct (COC) in the East Sea to help maintain peace and stability in the region. The event was held by the Bangkok-based Thammasat University, the German-Southeast Asian Centre of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG) and the Asian Governance Foundation. It drew a number of experts, scholars and diplomats from ASEAN countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, and some western nations. Dr Li Nan from the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore presented a report on military power enhancement in the East Sea, saying that the enhancement will greatly affect the political and security context in the region. Regional countries should make use of existing factors and build new mechanisms to minimise … [Read more...] about Bangkok seminar urges finalisation of COC in East Sea
Coc
Discovering the ripening paddy fields of Tam Coc during May
Ninh Binh looks set to become a hotspot among travelers this summer with Ninh Binh Tourism Week 2019 taking place in the region between May 18 and 25 The tourism week has attracted hundreds of photographers from across the country who have come to try and capture beautiful moments that take place in the ripening rice fields of Tam Coc. The golden rice field season in Tam Coc starts in May and typically lasts until mid-June each year. The Tam Coc-Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is known among visitors as the ‘Ha Long Bay on land’ From Van Lam wharf, visitors are able to take boats to savour the scenic views of the small houses and beautiful caves that are dotted along the river Many people begin to climb the limestone mountain from 3am in order to reach the peak early. By doing so, they can take the best photos of the ripening rice fields in Tam Coc amid the rising sun. The entrance fee is VND120,000 per person whilst tickets for the boats are VND150,000 each. The boat … [Read more...] about Discovering the ripening paddy fields of Tam Coc during May
Tam Coc-Bich Dong lights up for New Year 2018
Thousands of visitors, including 300 foreign tourists, attended the festival to pray for peace and good fortune. The lantern festival is jointly held by Hoa Lu district’s People’s Committee, the provincial Department of Culture and Sports and the Ninh Binh provincial Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS). Thousands of visitors, including 300 foreign tourists, attended the festival to pray for peace and good fortune. The lantern festival is jointly held by Hoa Lu district’s People’s Committee, the provincial Department of Culture and Sports and the Ninh Binh provincial Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS). … [Read more...] about Tam Coc-Bich Dong lights up for New Year 2018
Stuff of dreams: stunning vistas of Long Coc tea hills
One of the remarkable early entries for the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards, a prestigious competition hosted by World Photography Organization, is Nguyen Phuc Thanh’s capture of tea hills in Phu Tho Province, around 100 kilometers to the northwest of Hanoi. The entry has been submitted in the Open Category. A blog entry titled "17 Amazing Images that will make you love Vietnam" on the World Photo Organization website carries a collection of Thanh’s photographs, including the one above. Besides famous historical landscapes, Phu Tho boasts great natural beauty, exemplified by its natural green tea hills. The undulating Long Coc tea hills in Tan Son District look like upturned bowls placed next to each other. A photographer named Hoang Cuong says he has come here six times but at only two times he could take photos that he likes as the weather is almost unpredictable. The tea hills are of outstanding scenic beauty, particularly in the morning, when the area is shrouded in … [Read more...] about Stuff of dreams: stunning vistas of Long Coc tea hills
What China’s conduct about the Code of Conduct reveals
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks at the 44th Singapore Lecture in Singapore, November 13, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha China’s Premier Li Keqiang said last month Beijing hoped consultations with Southeast Asian nations on a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea would be completed in three years, so that it will contribute to enduring peace and stability in the disputed waters. Li made his comments when in Singapore to attend annual meetings between ASEAN and its partner nations. China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed August on a working text to continue long drawn-out negotiations over the COC in the South China Sea. The waterway is known as the East Sea in Vietnam. Some ASEAN members and China have laid overlapping claims to islands in the sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways. In 2002, China and ASEAN signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), committing to … [Read more...] about What China’s conduct about the Code of Conduct reveals