Vietnam News Highlights for July 2, 2023
Check out the best events around the nation for today.
Vietnam's education system among the world’s best
| Vietnam's school system is among the best in the world. Photo: Nam Du/The Hanoi Times |
The Economist has listed Vietnam's education system among the best in the world as evidenced by the outstanding performance of Vietnamese students in international assessments of reading, math, and science.
The latest data from the World Bank shows that, when total academic scores are tallied, Vietnamese students not only outperform their peers in Malaysia and Thailand, but also those in wealthier countries like the UK and Canada. Even in Vietnam itself, student scores do not reflect the level of gender and regional inequality that is common in other countries.
Foxconn to invest US$250 million in Northern Vietnam
Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics assembler, is expanding its operations in Vietnam with two new projects worth around US$250 million. The move is part of the Taiwanese company’s plan to become a significant player in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, after years of focusing on assembling electronic products for major brands such as Apple.
Through its subsidiary Foxconn Singapore, the company will invest in Quang Ninh and Nghe An provinces to produce EV components, controllers, and other products. The investments will bring its total amount in the country to $3 billion over two decades.
Vietnam among the world's top tourism growth countries
Vietnam is the only country in Southeast Asia to be in the top group of high-growth countries in the world, with a growth rate of 10% to 25%, ranking 6th in the world. According to data from Google's travel trend monitoring tool, search volume for tourism in Vietnam has been continuously increasing since the beginning of the year, ranking high in the world.
This growth rate is much higher than the overall growth rate of the Southeast Asian region (-10% to 10%). Source markets most interested in Vietnamese tourism include the US, Japan, Australia, India, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, Malaysia, Germany, and France.
Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquatic exports near US$25 billion in H1
Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquatic exports raked in US$24.6 billion in the first half of 2023, posting a trade surplus of $4.63 billion; while the country's imports reached $19.9 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
China, the US, and Japan remained the three largest export markets of Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic products. The export value to China enjoyed a positive growth of 7.7% while the export value to the US and Japan decreased by 32.9% and 5.3%, respectively.
First beachside pedestrian bridge opened in Danang
| Danang's first beachside pedestrian bridge. Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn |
The central coastal city of Danang on July 1 opened the first beachside pedestrian bridge over the 13-kilometer Nguyen Tat Thanh coastal road.
The bridge, worth VND42 billion (US$1.78 million), is a gift that celebrates 50 years of diplomatic ties and friendship between Vietnam and Japan, featuring Japanese architectural traits and two observation towers for visitors. Built by Japanese firm Mikazuki in five months, it's expected to boost travel and tour activities in the city's western side.
Berlin, Hanoi look forward to further local-to-local partnership
The Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf hopes to foster relations with Hanoi's Hoang Mai District in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The German district administration and local businesses will visit Hoang Mai District in November 2023 to discuss the issues that concern both sides, as the Vietnamese locality is one of its six global partners.
District Mayor Nadja Zivkovic also highly appreciates overseas Vietnamese contributions to the borough's development and pledges to facilitate the living of approximately 5,000 Vietnamese there.
Vietnam sells 1.5 million tons of rice to the Philippines in January-May
Vietnam’s rice exports to the Philippines in January-May rose 31% on-year to a record high of 1.5 million tons, worth US$772.4 million. So far, Vietnam remains the largest rice supplier of the Philippines, accounting for 90% of the importer's total. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country's demand for rice imports is increasing due to El Niño, which is forcing all nations to increase rice stocks for food security.
In the five-month period, Vietnam sold a total of 3.6 million tons of rice to the world.
Vietnamese fruits conquer the US market
The first batch of fresh lychee has arrived in the US, opening up great opportunities for other Vietnamese fruits to conquer this demanding market. Among Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products, the US has purchased the most cashew nuts, aquatic products, timber, and fruits.
Vietnam Community Nutrition Day underway in Hanoi
The Vietnam Community Nutrition Day took place on July 2 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square around the pedestrian streets of Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi. The event features 10 booths where visitors can receive health advice from nutrition experts. Participants had their health indicators checked and received nutritional advice directly from leading nutrition experts.
The event aims to promote the adoption of healthy eating habits, scientific exercise, and the development of strong physical and mental health, as well as to improve the stature and intelligence of the Vietnamese people
