Vietnam news in brief - April 10

Vietnamese food scores top spot for tastiest dumplings

The Vietnamese banh bot loc. Photo: cnn.com

The CNN has announced the list of 35 of the world’s most delicious dumplings, including banh bot loc (Vietnamese rice dumpling cake), along with the other famous dishes such as Chinese Dimsum, Sichuan wonton soup, Ravioli noodles (Italia), Siomay fish dumpling (Indonesia), Coxinha fried chicken pie (Brazil).

According to CNN, Vietnamese dumplings consist of pork and shrimp variants, with wrappers made from tapioca flour. When cooked, the tapioca flour becomes clear, giving the dumpling its appearance and the casing its chewy texture.

Danang to run new bus lines to Hoi An old town

The central coastal city of Danang announced on April 9 that it would launch two public bus services to Quang Nam Province during the upcoming national holidays (April 30-May 1). The buses will be operated by Phuong Trang Futa Bus Lines without any public subsidies.

One of the lines will take passengers directly to the old town of Hoi An at a fare of VND35,000 (US$1.40). 

Saigontourist, Vietnam Airlines to strengthen presence in China

Saigontourist Travel and Vietnam Airlines co-hosted an event in Beijing, China on April 9 to promote Vietnam as an attractive destination for Chinese people and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of direct flights between the two countries. At the event, the two Vietnamese companies signed agreements with Chinese partners to strengthen tourism ties between Vietnam and China.

The event is part of a series of activities aimed at rebuilding the domestic tourism sector, attracting more international travellers and exploring other markets in the post-pandemic phase.

Vietnam tourism website ranked second in Southeast Asia

Vietnam's mainstream tourism website vietnam.travel has outperformed others in Southeast Asia, ranking 132,676th in the world in March, according to global traffic management company Similarweb. The Vietnamese website ranked second in Southeast Asia after Singapore's (84,176th), and its position is much better than Thailand's (136,108th), the Philippines' (808,295th) and Malaysia's (881,886th).

The website of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism also received a higher number of international visitors and a lower page abandonment rate, reflecting the positive efforts of government agencies to attract foreign tourists to the country.

Vietnam leads APAC with best workplace satisfaction: Intellect report

A  factory in Vietnam. Photo: VGP

Workplace satisfaction is improving across Asia Pacific, with Vietnam leading the region at a score of 65.09, according to Asia's largest mental health company, Intellect. Vietnam is followed by its Southeast Asian neighbors such as Thailand (65.01), the Philippines (64.44), Malaysia (64.22) and Singapore (63.98).

Vietnam also ranks second among the leading countries in employee productivity, with a score of 77.33, behind Japan (77.49), and first in organizational health, with a score of 65.10.

Vietnam and WIPO strengthen cooperation on intellectual property

Vietnam seeks the continued support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in activities related to intellectual property, said Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations in Geneva, during a meeting with the Organization on April 9. He highly appreciated WIPO's effective support in implementing technical assistance projects and building professional capacity in the field of intellectual property in Vietnam.

The Ambassador highlighted the importance of intellectual property for economic growth and Vietnam's commitment to it, particularly in the context of reducing emissions and the critical role of new technology in achieving this.

Bach Hoa Xanh sells 5% stake to Chinese partner

Bach Hoa Xanh grocery chain, a subsidiary of Mobile World Investment Corporation (MWG), will sell a 5% stake to Chinese asset management company CDH Investments. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but the proceeds will be used for operations and business development. The chain had originally planned to sell a 20% stake, but due to positive cash flow and improved business results, there is no need for further divestments.

In the first two months of the year, Bach Hoa Xanh achieved the highest growth rate in the MWG system, with revenues reaching nearly VND6 trillion (US$240.1 million), up 47% from the same period in 2023.

Hanoi to develop labor supply and demand database

Hanoi plans to build databases on the city's workforce, job seekers and employers by 2025. The labor databases will be linked to the national population database, serve as a basis for labour management, and create an electronic labor record for workers.

It will provide input for the formulation of policies on labor, employment, vocational training, human resource development and the preparation of local socio-economic development plans.