Politics

A plane carrying US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin landed at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on the evening of July 28, starting his two-day official visit to Vietnam. Video: the US Embassy in Vietnam At the airport, Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam welcomed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The US Embassy in Vietnam also posted greetings to US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, and special thanks to Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang for the warm welcome. The official visit of the US Secretary of Defense to Vietnam takes place at the invitation of General Phan Van Giang, Vietnam's Defense Minister. This is the first official visit to Vietnam by a senior US official of US President Joe Biden's administration. According to Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit of the US Secretary of Defense will greatly contribute to …

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The US Secretary of Defense is on a trip to Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. This is the first visit to Southeast Asia by a top official in the Biden administration. In Singapore, Mr. Lloyd Austin spoke at an event organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The visit of the Pentagon leader demonstrates that the Biden-Harris administration considers Southeast Asia an important part of the Indo-Pacific region. The US Secretary of Defense’s two-day visit to Vietnam has just concluded. America's commitment to the region Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang welcomed his American counterpart Lloyd Austin on the morning of July 29. Photo: Pham Hai This visit underscores the United States' enduring commitment to the region and its interest in upholding the rules-based international order in the region and promoting ASEAN’s central role. As US Defense Secretary, Mr. Austin has visited Europe twice to mend relations with …

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Hanoi (VNA) – On the occasion of the National Day of Switzerland (August 1), the upcoming visit to Vietnam by the European country’s Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Ivo Sieber wrote an article describing 2021 as a “very special” year for the Swiss-Vietnamese partnership . Following is the full text: Commemorating a national day is an exceptional event for any country. On August 1, Swiss nationals in Switzerland and all over the world proudly remember the founding of their country in 1291. Observing this year’s Swiss national day here in Vietnam is singularly special. Not only is Switzerland reminiscing the 730th centenary of its foundation. This year, Vietnam and Switzerland are also looking back on half a century of bilateral diplomatic relations. Moreover, 2021 also marks three decades of Swiss-Vietnamese development cooperation. The Landmark81 in Ho Chi …

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Online electioneering helps protect the community amid the Covid-19 pandemic and remains an effective communication channel between voters and candidates ahead of the general elections. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong and other candidates standing for the 15 th National Assembly election [term 2021-2026] under Hanoi’s constituency No.1 on May 8 carried out online electioneering. Overview of the online electioneering. Photo: Kinhtedothi The online event was streamlined from the headquarter of Ba Dinh district People’s Council to 53 wards under three districts of Ba Dinh, Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung with the participation of over 2,400 voters. Meanwhile, those joined the face-to-face meeting were required to strictly comply with anti-Covid-19 measures by using hand sanitizers, keeping safe distance, wearing face masks and declaring health information. “Amid the serious Covid-19 situation in Hanoi, the local …

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On August 8 morning, an official reception for the Vietnamese Defense Minister and the visiting delegation was held at the US Defense Department Headquarters. At the bilateral talks held after the reception, the two defense ministers hailed the fruitful results of bilateral cooperation in the past time within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation and Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations, in which the two sides focus on delegation exchange; personnel training cooperation; consultation and dialogue; maritime security; search, rescue and disaster relief; cooperation on overcoming the aftermath of war, including clearing bombs, mines and explosives left by the war, cleaning dioxin-contaminated soil and searching servicemen missing in action; and cooperation on preparing personnel for UN peacekeeping operations. The two sides believed that good results of bilateral defense cooperation over the past time have promoted mutual …

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The announcement was heard during a conference held by the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) on July 30 in Hanoi to roll out missions for August. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff chaired the event. Regarding its task performance in July, the General Staff has directed units throughout the military to strictly ensure combat readiness, recommended the higher levels to address arising situations, and work with relevant forces to ensure safety for important political events in the country. Meanwhile, the Vietnam Border Guard Command maintained COVID-19 checkpoints along the borderlines while strictly managing and preventing illegal border crossings in the areas where they are stationed. Moreover, the General Staff also mobilized troops and vehicles to support localities, especially Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces, in the fight against the pandemic and search and rescue missions. Addressing the conference, General Cuong …

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A vial of COVID-19 vaccine Vero Cell from Sinopharm. — XINHUA/VNA Photo HÀ NỘI — One million doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine Vero Cell arrived in HCM City on Saturday, as part of a deal to acquire five million doses, the health ministry has announced. Early in July, the health ministry gave permission for the State-owned Saigon Pharmaceutical Group (Sapharco) in HCM City to import the doses. They were partially paid for using money donated to the national COVID-19 vaccine fund by Vạn Thịnh Phát Holdings Group. This was authorised by HCM City People's Committee, according to local media reports. Vạn Thịnh Phát is a private company with a diverse portfolio headquartered in HCM City's District 1. Its founder, and chairman of the board, Trương Mỹ Lan, is a Vietnamese of Chinese origin. With this latest batch of vaccines, HCM City’s total number of doses received has hit three million. This is the biggest share of the country's available stockpile of 16 million doses and …

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Nguyễn Đức Thạch Diễm, a member of the board of directors and CEO of Sacombank. — Photo courtesy of the bank HCM CITY — Sacombank sold out all 81.56 million treasury shares (equivalent to 4.33 per cent of its charter capital) on the stock market on July 27 for more than VNĐ2.438 trillion (US$106.2 million), earning a profit of VNĐ1.684 trillion ($73.4 million). It was one more important mandatory task in its restructuring approved by the State Bank of Vietnam after the merger. Nguyễn Đức Thạch Diễm, a member of the board of directors and CEO of the bank, said, “After handling Sacombank's treasury shares, we have completed one of the objectives of the restructuring project, contributing to increasing liquidity, increasing the efficiency of capital use as well as improving the capital adequacy ratio for the bank.” Sacombank is making unrelenting efforts to soon accomplish the restructing project’s objectives to regain its position in the market and get approval to pay dividends …

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A 1,500-bed field hospital has been set up in Bình Dương Province for COVID-19 patients in Bình Dương New City. Photo sggp.org.vn HCM CITY – Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long has discussed with leaders of Bình Dương the establishment of an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients in one of the southern province's hospitals. The ICU Centre with 200 ventilators will play a important role in reduce the rate of severe and death of the COVID-19 cases. The ministry has suggested that the ICU should be set up at the province general hospital in Thủ Dầu Một City, and be connected with its professional council and with field hospitals and lower-level hospitals. Long said that the ICU would be managed by Associate Professor Nguyễn Lân Hiếu, director of the Hà Nội Medical University Hospital. He also said his ministry would dispatch more healthcare personnel to support the province with vaccination so that the campaign is effective. Chairman of the province People's Committee, Võ …

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4,564 new cases were announced on Saturday evening. Of these, four were imported and 4,560 were recorded domestically in HCM City (1,677), Binh Duong (1,207), Long An (544), Khanh Hoa (335), Dong Nai (234), Dong Thap (115), Tay Ninh (72), Da Nang (55), Ha Noi (43), Ba Ria - Vung Tau (39), Binh Thuan (37), Phu Yen (30), Dak Lak (21), Binh Dinh (19), Can Tho (17), Hau Giang (17), Binh Phuoc (14), Gia Lai (13), Nghe An (11), Quang Nam (10), Thua Thien - Hue (9), Dak Nong (8 ), Ninh Thuan (5), Thanh Hoa (5), Vinh Phuc (4), Lam Dong (3), Ha Nam (3), Hai Duong (3), Ha Tinh (2), Ninh Binh (2), An Giang (2), Quang Ngai (1), Quang Binh (1), Hai Phong (1), Bac Lieu (1). Of the total domestic cases, 1,072 cases were detected in the community. 145 new deaths were also announced. …

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