Vietnam news in brief - August 30

US remains Vietnam's biggest export market in first 8 months

Containers waiting to be loaded onto ship for export. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The US remained Vietnam's largest export market, worth US$62.3 billion in the first eight months of this year, while China took top spot on Vietnam's list of importers, spending an estimated US$68.1 billion on Vietnamese goods, according to the General Statistics Office.

About 30 commodity groups recorded export turnover of more than US$1 billion each.

Vietnam, China to hold border guard exchange

A border guard exchange conference between Vietnam and China will be held in Vietnam's Lao Cai and China's Yunnan Province on September 7 and 8. The event aims to enhance cooperation between border provinces for a stable and prosperous border zone.

The event's main activities include a visit and gift presentation to Kim Dong Primary School in Lao Cai City and the inauguration of Huu Nghi Community Hall in Ban Phiet Commune, Bao Thang District.

Vietnam welcomes Japan's assistance in internal security

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering launching a security assistance package worth JPY5 billion (US$34 million) for six countries, including Vietnam, in 2024. The assistance will help beneficiaries improve their capabilities in homeland security, anti-terrorism, and anti-piracy with the delivery of equipment, ships, and radars and aid for port construction.

In 2023, Japan provided JPY2 billion yen (US$17 million) worth of assistance to four friendly nations, including Malaysia, Bangladesh, Fiji, and the Philippines.

Vietnam Food Travel Map to be unveiled 

The Vietnam Food Travel Map, featuring a record-breaking 126 delicious dishes from across the country, will be unveiled at the Vietnamese Culinary Heritage Festival on October 20-22 at the Thong Nhat Conference Hall in Ho Chi Minh City. It will celebrate the culinary profession on International Chefs Day (October 20). Visitors to the festival can taste regional specialties prepared by professional chefs, including those from five-star hotels, artisans from Ho Chi Minh City, and local chefs.

Elderly residents of Long Bien District participate in a community-based elderly care model called Tsuyama. Photo: Ha Linh/The Hanoi Times

Vietnam to enter the aging population phase by 2036

Vietnam is projected to enter the aging population phase by 2036, with the proportion of the population aged 65 and above reaching 14.2% of the total. The number of elderly in Vietnam is predicted to increase to 16.8 million by 2039 and 25.2 million by 2069. Vietnam will enter the phase of a super-aging population within 20 years (2036-2055).

The information was shared at the Japan-Vietnam Experience Exchange Workshop on Adapting to Aging and Caring for the Elderly, held in Hanoi on August 29.

Vietnam pours over $416 million abroad in Jan-Aug

Vietnam's overseas investment has reached an estimated US$416 million between January and August, up 5.2% year-on-year, the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported.

As of August 20, Vietnam invested overseas 1,665 valid foreign investment projects worth nearly $22.1 billion, mainly in the mining, agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. Laos is the biggest market for Vietnamese investors, accounting for 24.7%, followed by Cambodia at 13.3%. 

Spouses of Vietnamese and Singaporean PMs visits Silk Village

The wife of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Le Thi Bich Tran, and the wife of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Ho Ching, visited the Vun Art Cooperative in Hanoi's Van Phuc Silk Village earlier this week. Ho Ching accompanied her husband on a three-day official visit to Vietnam starting on August 27.

Vun Art is a collective economic model founded in 2017 by Le Viet Cuong, a person with a disability, to preserve and showcase traditional culture, create jobs for people with disabilities, and use leftover fabric to protect the environment.

Biggest full moon of the year is visible at sunset

The biggest full moon of 2023 (supermoon) will be visible from 5 p.m. today (August 30), according to the Hanoi Astronomy Society. At that time, the moon will be at its closest position to the Earth, estimated at 363,711 kilometers. At this position, the full moon will be 7% brighter than normal.

This is the third supermoon of the year and the second full moon of the month since August 1, also known as a blue moon. This phenomenon is predicted to occur again in 2037.