Vietnam news in brief - October 5

Phu Quoc listed among the world's best islands: Condé Nast Traveler

The turquoise water of Bai Khem Beach in Phu Quoc Island. Photo: Lam Ngoc

On October 3, the American travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler named Phu Quoc as one of the best islands of 2023 in the category "Readers' Choice Awards 2023". Phu Quoc, the sole representative of Vietnam, also won the "Best Islands 2023" (Top Islands) category for the second year in a row.

Among the top 10 islands in Asia, Phu Quoc ranks eighth with a score of 88.89, surpassing Japan's Okinawa Islands and the Philippines' Siargao Islands.

Vietnam achieves gold medal target at Asiad 19

Vietnam bagged its second gold medal at the 19th Asian Games (Asiad 19) in Hangzhou, China on October 4 after the women's sepak takraw foursome defeated Indonesia 2-1 in the final. The performance moved Vietnam up three places to 17th in the medal tally with two gold, three silver and 14 bronze medals, reaching the minimum target of 2 gold medals.

Meanwhile, the women's volleyball team beat North Korea 3-1 to qualify for the semifinals for the first time.

Japan to issue electronic visas for Vietnamese visitors

Starting November 1, electronic visas will be issued to Vietnamese visitors coming to Japan for a 15-day stay and single entry for travel purposes.

According to statistics from the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of Vietnamese visitors to the country in January-August was among the top 10. During this period, Japan welcomed 397,000 Vietnamese visitors, an increase of 17.4% compared to the same period in 2019.

Fifty-six excellent teams to join Vietnam Water Rocket Competition Finals

The contest is held at Vietnam National Space Center. Photo: Vietnam National Space Center

Fifty-six excellent teams on October 8 will participate in the final round of "Flying into Space" - Vietnam Water Rocket Competition (VWRC 2023) with the theme "Vietnam Soaring to New Heights" for primary and secondary school students nationwide. 

It helps to inspire and raise awareness of the value of space science and technology, discover young talents, and provide motivation and opportunities for participants to pursue national and international competitions.

Consortium plans to develop Vietnam's largest rare earth mine in Lai Chau

Vietnam Rare Earth JSC and Australia-based Black Stone Minerals plan to bid for the exploration of Dong Pao in the northern province of Lai Chau, Vietnam's largest rare earth mine. The mine will be operated to European environmental standards.

In December 2014, Lai Chau Rare Earth JSC and its Japanese partner were due to explore the mine, but operations have since encountered technical issues. Vietnam aims to produce 2 million tons of rare earths per year over the next decade and beyond.

Vietnamese police officers awarded medal by UNMISS

On October 4, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) honored the first three Vietnamese police officers for their dedication, professionalism, discipline and high sense of responsibility.

Colonel Le Quoc Huy, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Viet Hung, and Lieutenant Colonel Luong Thi Tra Vinh, who joined the UN peacekeeping force in Sudan at the Juba base, have been deployed to the UNMISS peacekeeping force since October 2022.

State-owned enterprises earn over US$2 billion from overseas investment

Sixteen State-owned enterprises have earned more than US$2 billion in returns from 72 projects, mainly in oil and gas, telecommunications, and agriculture. 

In the report submitted to the National Assembly, the government said that by the end of 2022, 30 State-owned enterprises directly or indirectly invested abroad through their first- or second-tier subsidiaries. The total overseas investment by these units was US$6.62 billion.