Vietnam News Highlights for May 20, 2023
Keep up to date with the latest news and events in Vietnam.
US President vetoes bill on solar tariff waivers
| Solar power panels installed in Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Anh/The Hanoi Times |
US President Joe Biden has vetoed a bill passed by the US Congress to revoke exemptions from US tariffs on solar panels imported from Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam. The waivers were granted by Biden in June 2022 and were to last for two years.
The exemptions are intended to help the US manufacturing industry ramp up and supply domestic projects in the fight against climate change. The US Solar Energy Industries Association praised the veto, calling it a "reaffirmation" of the administration's commitment to business certainty in the clean energy sector.
Sojitz proposes renewable energy expansion, industrial parks in Vietnam
Sojitz Corp. President and CEO Masayoshi Fujimoto proposed expanding operations in Vietnam on May 19 during a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Japan. The executive thanked the Vietnamese Government for its assistance during the pandemic and pledged to continue long-term investment in the country.
For his part, Prime Minister Chinh praised Sojitz's investment in building industrial parks in Vietnam and highlighted the country's focus on developing renewable energy. He welcomed Sojitz's proposal to expand its operations in Vietnam, saying the idea aligned with the Government's new focus on attracting foreign investment.
Gojek partners with Dat Bike for EVs in Vietnam
Ride-hailing firm Gojek on May 19 partnered with local electric vehicle startup Dat Bike to pilot electric motorbikes in its transportation, logistics, and food delivery network in Vietnam. Gojek will be the first tech company in Vietnam to use Dat Bike's electric vehicles and the first to pilot mobility services via electric motorbikes.
Under the partnership, Dat Bike will provide Gojek driver-partners with access to Dat Bike Weaver++ motorbikes which can be fully charged in three hours, have a top speed of 90km/h, and a range of 200km on a full charge. The partnership supports Gojek's commitment to transition its fleet to 100% EVs.
Vietnamese in southern Laos pay tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh
The Vietnamese Consulate in Pakse City, Attapeu Province, Laos, and Vietnamese residents in the four southern provinces of Laos held a ceremony to commemorate the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh. The celebration included an offering of incense to the late president and a soccer tournament won by the team from the Vietnamese community in Champasak.
Vietnamese AI expert provides top solution for breast cancer
Vietnamese cyberspace expert Nguyen Hong Dang has won the "Detecting breast cancer through mammography screening" competition organized by the Radiological Society of North America. Dang's AI solution can detect signs of breast cancer from a small area in a mammogram and improve the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment through integration with computer-aided diagnosis systems.
The solution can solve data imbalance issues in AI model training. Viettel Cyberspace is perfecting the solution into a service to optimize time and cost for hospitals, medical organizations, and individuals.
Vietnam top seeded, home team for AFC U23 Championship qualifiers
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the list of 11 host nations for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, which includes Vietnam. Vietnam is the top seed in the qualifying round, alongside Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. The team performed well at the 2022 tournament, reaching the quarter-finals.
This is Vietnam's second time to host the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. The previous time, in 2020, the Vietnam U23 team beat Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand to qualify for the final tournament.
