Vietnam news in brief - April 5

Vietnam and Armenia to strengthen health cooperation

Vietnam and Armenia have agreed to deepen cooperation in the health sector, with a focus on training quality human resources, disease prevention, and medical research. During National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's official visit to Armenia from April 1-5, the two sides pledged to strengthen ties in traditional medicine, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines, with a memorandum of understanding to be signed soon.

Vietnam's billionaire count drops to four following us tariff move

Forbes reports that Vietnam now has only four billionaires following the US’s new reciprocal tariffs. The list includes Pham Nhat Vuong (Vingroup), Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (VietJet Air), Tran Dinh Long (Hoa Phat Group), and Ho Hung Anh (Techcombank). Nguyen Dang Quang (Masan Group) and Tran Ba Duong (Thaco) dropped off the list. While most stocks dropped after the tariff announcement, Vingroup’s shares have since recovered and increased in value.

Prime Minister orders Defense Ministry to boost cyber surveillance

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has directed the Ministry of National Defense to intensify its monitoring of cyberspace to swiftly address activities that may pose risks to national defense and security. The ministry is also tasked with leveraging advanced technology to enhance surveillance and develop an information system to track potential threats.

Binh Phuoc delegation celebrates Khmer new year in Cambodia

A delegation from Vietnam's southern province of Binh Phuoc visited Cambodia's Mondulkiri and Kratie provinces on April 5 and 6 to celebrate Chol Chnam Thmay, the Khmer New Year. The visit also aims to review three years of cooperation under the 2022-2027 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and reaffirm the commitment to strong, friendly, and effective cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

Cantho sends 245 property cases to police 

The Cantho Regional Tax Office on April 5 reported that 245 cases of alleged tax evasion in real estate transactions have been referred to the police. These cases involve parties signing contracts with values lower than those stated in notarized annexes. As of now, nearly VND130 billion (US$5,000) has been collected from 1,229 processed cases, with total taxes and fines amounting to VND145.4 billion (US$5,600).

Nha Trang beach festival to open this month

The southern province of Khanh Hoa will host the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Beach Festival 2025 from April 10 to June 27. The festival will feature 39 events in culture, arts, sports, trade, and science. This is the 11th time the event has been held since 2003. Khanh Hoa, one of Vietnam's top tourist destinations, welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors in the first quarter and is targeting 11.8 million this year.