Vietnam news in brief - October 6

Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Vietnam

Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko will visit Vietnam on October 10-11 at the invitation of her Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son. During her visit, the Japanese diplomat will have talks with Minister Son and other senior Vietnamese government officials.

The visit is among nearly 500 events and activities to be held this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. In late September, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko paid a six-day visit to Vietnam.

Ministry of Transport to add eight major transport infrastructure projects

Construction of the Ha Giang-Tuyen Quang Highway. Photo: Ha Giang Newspaper

The Ministry of Transport has proposed the Government include eight highway projects in the National Transport Infrastructure Development Plan. The highways include the route between Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang, Tan Phu and Bao Loc, and Cao Lanh and An Huu.

According to the ministry, the implementation of these projects requires special regulations on land clearance, finance, environmental protection, and construction. As of August 2023, there were 12 major national transport infrastructure projects.

Vietnam, Singapore seek further cooperation in national defense

The defense ministries of Vietnam and Singapore will strengthen ties through delegation exchanges, further collaboration on issues of mutual concern, and improving cooperation agreements, according to a meeting on October 5. The two ministries will boost mutual support in the Navy and Air Force and explore potential cooperation in cybersecurity, digital transformation, military industry, and legislation.

On the same day, Vietnam and Singapore finalized an agreement on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Vietnam sends 13 extradition requests in 2023

The Ministry of Public Security said it had sent 13 extradition requests from the beginning of this year while working with its counterparts in other countries to complete the necessary documents. On the other hand, Vietnam extradited two men to Russia.

So far this year, the ministry has agreed to hand over one Korean and two Australian convicts to their governments, while Vietnam has submitted about 40 requests for the extradition of Vietnamese serving sentences in foreign prisons.

October - Digital Consumption Month takes place this month

The "October - Digital Consumption Month" event will take place this month in response to the annual National Digital Transformation Day (October 10), which aims to help people benefit from digital transformation while Vietnamese businesses gain access to more customers.

The event has attracted more than 50 enterprises focusing on telecommunications, digital payments, e-books, and digital signatures, offering various promotional programs.

Vietnam sends over 111,500 workers abroad in Jan-Sep

Local job seekers attend a job fair in Me Linh District, Hanoi. Photo: Tran Oanh/The Hanoi Times

Statistics by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs showed that more than 111,500 Vietnamese workers were sent abroad in the first nine months of 2023, reaching 101.37% of the year's target and up 108.23% year-on-year.

Japan is the largest recipient of Vietnamese workers, with 55,690, followed by Taiwan, South Korea, China, Hungary, Singapore, and other markets such as Romania, Poland, and Saudi Arabia.

Logistics costs remain high in Vietnam

Transportation costs account for over 60% of total logistics costs in Vietnam, which is about double compared to other countries, said Pham Thi Bich Hue, Chairwoman of Western Pacific Company.

Vietnam's logistics industry has a promising development path, but it is necessary to reduce the logistics cost to facilitate businesses and spur economic growth.

441 fraudulent online sites blocked in September

In September, 441 websites that violate the law and engage in online fraud were detected and blocked by the national malicious domain blocking system, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications. Three common forms of online fraud include website impersonation, phishing scams, credit card fraud and asset appropriation through QR codes.

The department also advised users not to provide personal information to unknown individuals, not to access or log into unknown links or websites, and not to open email attachments from unknown senders.