Vietnam News Highlights for July 21, 2023

Vinh Phuc eyes three railroads with Hanoi

Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Photo: Airports Corporation of Vietnam

The northern province of Vinh Phuc plans to build three 90-100 kilometer railways to connect it with Noi Bai International Airport and Son Tay City in Hanoi. The three lines are estimated to stretch a total of 90-100 kilometers and will boost travel between Hanoi and Vinh Phuc Province.

On July 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged northern provinces and the cities of Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Ha Nam, Hung Yen and Bac Ninh to build more railways to improve transportation networks in the Red River Delta region.

Automobile imports into Vietnam up 5.2% year-on-year to US$1.65 billion

Vietnamese purchased nearly 71,000 Completely Built Unit (CBU) cars worth US$1.65 billion from overseas suppliers in the first half of the year, up 11.4% in volume and 5.2% in value year-on-year. Thailand and Indonesia were the top two sellers, exporting some 58,300 cars worth US$1.03 billion. The figures were up 22.3% in volume and 22.9% in value from last year.

Other car exporters to Vietnam with rising sales in H1 were the US, UK, France and Russia.

8th Vietnam International Martial Arts Festival to begin in early August

The Vietnam International Martial Arts Festival 2023 will be held in the southern province of Binh Dinh from August 2 to 5. Now in its eighth year, the festival will feature martial arts performances and a workshop to discuss ways to develop Vietnamese martial arts. The event is expected to pave the way for Binh Dinh martial arts to be recognized as an intangible heritage.

The international martial arts festival has been held seven times in the past 17 years, drawing the participation of thousands of athletes from around the world.

Vietnam retains 95th place in FIFA world ranking

Vietnam remained 95th in the July FIFA World Ranking with 1,283 points due to the absence of international matches during the month. In the latest rankings, Vietnam secured the top spot in Southeast Asia, followed by Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

In the world, Argentina is still the best national team, followed by France, Brazil and England. In Asia, Japan is the strongest team, with Iran, Australia and South Korea following.

UAE opens third trade office in Southeast Asia in Ho Chi Minh City

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) opened the UAE-Dubai International Chamber in Ho Chi Minh City on July 20, its third trade office in Southeast Asia after Singapore and Indonesia. The chamber will help Vietnamese and UAE businesses tap local and international markets and boost bilateral trade between the two countries. The trade value between Vietnam and the UAE hit US$7.7 billion in 2022.

The UAE has established 22 trade offices worldwide and plans to set up a total of 50 chambers by 2030.

Overseas Vietnamese Union established in Italy

A union of presidents of Vietnamese people's associations in Italy was established on July 20 to promote bilateral friendship and cooperation between the two nations. The union aims to popularize Vietnamese values in Italy, improve bilateral relations, and further develop the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The union will meet once a year to discuss important issues. Its establishment is significant for the 6,000 Vietnamese living in Italy, said Ambassador Duong Hai Hung.

National online trading platform to be developed

The Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency will develop a combined online trading platform to help all 63 provinces and cities improve their production and sales. Through the combined platform, localities will be able to capture a larger market share in other trading networks.

The agency expects to narrow the gap among all localities in online trading, foster the development of e-commerce among businesses and communities, promote outstanding local products, and develop a sustainable e-commerce sector.