Vietnam news in brief - September 21

Vietnam Friendship Medal bestowed on Franco-Vietnamese vaccine specialist

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents the medal to Aurélia Nguyen in New York on Sept 20 (local time). Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 20 (local time) presented the Vietnam Friendship Medal to high-ranking global vaccine expert Aurélia Nguyen in New York for her efforts and contribution to Vietnam's success in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The Franco-Vietnamese vaccine expert is the Chief Program Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Aurélia was one of the key people who helped Vietnam receive 70 million vaccine doses from the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative. COVAX had pledged some 38.9 million doses to Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City commemorates Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations

A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 20 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. According to Ho Chi Minh City Mayor Phan Van Mai, bilateral relations have made remarkable progress, bringing the ties to the level of strategic partnership.

The mayor pledged that the southern city would facilitate Japanese investors to invest more in infrastructure and transportation development, logistics and healthcare projects, urban planning, digital economy, and green growth.

Australian firms seek networking with Vietnamese brands

About 100 Australian delegates will tour Vietnam's three major cities, Cantho, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, to promote their brands in the education and food industries. The tour, which began on September 18 and ends on September 22, will introduce Australian food and education products and services and connect Vietnamese and Australian businesses to expand economic ties between the two countries.

The event is part of a series of activities celebrating the 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia.

Hanoi launches inspection of city tour vehicles

A jeep carrying foreign tourists in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Cong/The Hanoi Times

Hanoi authorities on September 20 launched a citywide inspection of jeeps and UAZ cars used for city tours in recent years. An interdisciplinary task force set up for the purpose has found that many vehicles lack standardized parts and third-party insurance. The Hanoi transport and tourism departments are also investigating whether the operators of such vehicles are violating any regulations.

City tours in jeeps and UAZ cars have become attractive for tourists, especially foreigners coming to Hanoi. According to Tripadvisor, it is one of the top 25 must-do experiences in the world.

Nho Que River boat tours back in business

Boat traffic on the Nho Que River in the northern mountain province of Ha Giang will resume today [September 21] after a five-day suspension following a meeting between relevant parties. The resumption is valid until December 31, 2023, and will be reviewed to avoid recurrence in the future.

Boat trips on the river were suspended on September 16 due to "economic benefit conflicts" between Tu San Tourism Services and Agriculture Cooperative and Nho Que 1 Hydropower JSC.

Asiad 19 not to be televised in Vietnam

According to the Vietnam Sports Authority, Vietnamese broadcasters have not secured the rights to broadcast the competitions of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games (Asiad 19). Although the price of the ownership has reportedly dropped by half to US$7 million, it is still expensive for Vietnamese broadcasters. Failure to secure the broadcast rights would deprive Vietnamese fans of the opportunity to watch their favorite athletes compete in the sporting event.

The sports authority will update on the performance of Vietnamese athletes during the games on its website and in sports news.

Vietnam's timber exports remain above US$1 billion 

Vietnam's timber and wood exports reached more than US$1 billion in August, it was announced at the Vietnam Wood 2023 Expo on September 20. The value of wood exports remained above US$1 billion for the second consecutive month, proving the sector's recovery amid global recessions.

The expo runs until September 23, bringing together some 320 companies with 600 pavilions from Europe, China, Taiwan (China) and 28 other countries and territories. The venue is the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.