Countries of southeast asia

Both sides agreed to step up cooperation in trade, investment, and healthcare. Vietnam continues to be Austria’s reliable and important partner in Southeast Asia as both countries have huge room to further expand bilateral relations. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the phone talk. Photo: Nhat Bac Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz stressed the view in a phone talk with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on September 16. For his part, Vietnam prime minister Chinh congratulated Austria for having successfully hosted the fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP5), while expressing his delight at the achievements gained by both countries which established diplomatic ties nearly half a century ago. “Vietnam gives priority to its relations with Austria and looks to strengthening the partnership in all spheres,” Chinh added. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1972-2022), both government leaders agreed to resume …

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Floods, loss of biodiversity and sea level rise are the top three perceived climate change impacts in Southeast Asia, according to a climate survey on regional people's attitudes and perceptions conducted by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS). Damaged buildings and debris are seen after Typhoon Chanthu passed through Sabtang, Batanes, Philippines, in this September 12, 2021 image obtained via social media. DENNIS BALLESTEROS VALDEZ via REUTERS According to the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey, conducted online from June 11 to August 2, 2021, the issues are most concerned by people in Laos, Malaysia and Thailand. Compared to 2020, 13 percent more Indonesia respondents and 10 percent more Malaysia respondents are concerned about tropical storms. In Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, loss of biodiversity is no longer perceived as a top impact and was replaced with floods or rainfall-induced landslides. The vast majority of respondents …

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Grab delivery cyclists ride past each other in Singapore in 2020 (Photo: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) – An estimated 70 million more people shopped online in six Southeast Asia n countries since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, according to a report from Facebook and Bain & Company. As governments encourage people to stay at home to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Southeast Asia saw a rapid adoption of digital services like e-commerce, food delivery, and online payment methods. This trend is predicted to continue in the coming time. The report, which surveyed more than 16,000 people in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, projected the number of digital consumers in Southeast Asia will reach 350 million by the end of this year. By the end of 2021, Facebook and Bain expect more than 70 percent of people 15-years-old and above in the surveyed countries to shop online. The report predicted the number of online shoppers in Southeast Asia will …

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Foreign hotel brands continue expansion in anticipation of Southeast Asia's post-pademic rebound. Photo: The Standard, Hua Hin Club Med, the French hotel group, is preparing for a strong travel rebound in the Asia-Pacific. In particular, Club Med is searching for prospects in Southeast Asia, notably in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Jean-Charles Fortoul, CEO APAC Resorts of Club Med said, “We have identified Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia as markets that are well-positioned to leverage the rebound and we are on the lookout for investors and partners to tap into the potential of these destinations.” Meanwhile, The Standard is expanding into key markets in Southeast Asia with the announcement of The Standard, Hua Hin, which is set for December 2021. After that, The Standard will open its highly anticipated Asia flagship, The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon in 2022. The US hotel brand is expected to take the lead in tourism recovery as well as explore key hospitality markets in …

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COVID-19 immunity is key to Southeast Asia’s economic recovery from the Delta variant The Global Economic Forecast Report predicts that economies with low immunity levels face the greatest risks moving forward. As the Delta variant triggers a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases, certain countries remain vulnerable to its impact, due to having slower vaccination rollouts and higher exposure to global supply chain disruption. Asian economies have experienced varying degrees of success in containing the Delta variant, because of differing rates of vaccination and social distancing restrictions. On one end of the spectrum, significant waves of infections in Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand in the last quarter mean those countries face a delayed recovery in 2021, according to the report, but they should see a significant rebound in 2022, once vaccination rates are higher and lockdowns are lifted. On the other end, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China have recorded much lower …

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Krungsri aims to generate 10 per cent of its profits from overseas markets Krungsri targets to generate 10 per cent of profits from overseas markets, compared to the current 4 per cent, cited Reuters . "We will use our strengths to build new business, diversify, and build resilience. We will start with the retail markets, which is our strength, and then advance to commercial segments if there are opportunities," said chief strategy officer Pairote Cheunkrut. In August, Krungsri inked an agreement with Vietnamese lender SHB to purchase 100 per cent of consumer finance company SHB Finance. Under the agreement, SHB will transfer 50 per cent of SHB Finance's charter capital to Krungsri and the remaining 50 per cent after three years when the two parties satisfy certain conditions and meet the relevant regulatory requirements. The size of the deal was rumoured to be around $156 million. SHB Finance is among the five largest consumer finance companies in Vietnam, along with FE …

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Vietnam posts no new COVID-19 cases early September 16 Vietnam detected no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours, resulting in an unchanged tally of 1,063 as of 6 am on September 16, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Collecting COVID-19 sample for RT-PCR test (Photo: VNA) Vietnam detected no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours, resulting in an unchanged tally of 1,063 as of 6 am on September 16, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Of the total, 691 were locally-transmitted cases, including 551 recorded since July 25. The number of fully recovered patients amounted to 931, while 35 died from complications related to the disease. Among those still under treatment, 16 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 12 others twice and 18 thrice. Three patients are in critical conditions. There are 32,417 people having close contact with confirmed cases or coming …

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By the time he turned 27, Phan Thanh Quoc had visited 30 countries and 150 cities. And now he is working to earn enough money to take a trip around the world after the Covid-19 pandemic ends. The beauty of Cao Bang Quoc, 29, was visiting Trung Khanh, Cao Bang province when he met a reporter from VietnamNet. At first, Quoc was going to be there for one month, but because of Covid-19, he decided not to return to HCM City but stay to learn more about the life and culture of Trung Khanh’s people, and wait for the rice ripening season. “I live in a homestay run by a local family. I am now a member of their family, not a traveler. I cook with them and do fieldwork,” Quoc told the reporter. The young man who has a passion for travel visited 50 cities and provinces in Vietnam when he was a university student. By the time he was 27 years old, he had been to 30 countries and territories. He stopped traveling abroad in early 2020 when Covid-19 broke out. Instead, he has spent …

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Health care was high on the agenda of the US Vice President's trip to Vietnam last month. US Vice President Kamala Harris joins the launch of the Southeast Asia regional office of the US CDC in Vietnam. Photo: US Embassy in Vietnam Outcomes of the US Vice President’s visit to Vietnam last month have been touched on by reporters during a virtual press briefing held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today [September 9]. “Vietnam sincerely thanks the US for the timely, effective and caring support to combat the Covid-19 pandemic”, replied Vietnam Vice Spokesperson Doan Khac Viet, as health care was high on the agenda of Kamala Harris's trip. During the trip to Vietnam in August, the US Vice President was welcomed by her counterpart, Vo Thi Anh Xuan,  and met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. She also witnessed the signing of a land lease agreement for the new US embassy in Hanoi and the launch of the Southeast …

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Since the launch of the national online services portal, over 3,000 online public services have been available for the public, which helps save VND8 trillion (US$352 million) per year on public spending. Vietnam’s efforts to promote E- and Digital Government are aimed at ensuring better service for the people and businesses, ultimately taking a step towards a digital economy and society. Helping local realize administrative procedures at Soc Son District People's Committee. Photo: Pham Hung Vice Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Hung Dung gave the remarks at a national conference on E-Government held today [September 9]. Dung mentioned a recent national strategy on digital transformation that was recently signed off by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in June as the compass for Vietnam’s action towards the digital government in the next decade, which has been identified by the UN as the time for action to ensure sustainable development. “The …

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