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Over 2,000 delegates attend 10th National Patriotic Emulation Congress in Hanoi

Over 2,000 delegates attended the 10th National Patriotic Emulation Congress which took place at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on December 10.

Addressing the event, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong on December 10 highlighted the contributions of the patriotic emulation movement to the socio-economic achievements of the country over the past years.

He expressed his hope that in the future, the movement will show stronger performance in encouraging ministries, sectors, agencies, localities and people nationwide to weather difficulties and challenges, optimising opportunities brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution to continue boosting the growth of the nation and completing all targets and tasks set in the socio-economic development plan for the 2021-2025 period.

On the occasion, outstanding collectives and individuals in emulation movements in the 2016-2020 were honoured for their achievements and great contributions to the society’s development.

Prime Minister attends ACMECS, CLMV and CLV Summits

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the CLMV Summit (Photo: VGP)

At the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the 9th Ayeyarwady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit, the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit and the 11th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV) Summit in the virtual form on December 9.

The Vietnamese PM’s attendance at these summits demonstrates that Vietnam attaches importance to ACMECS, CLMV and CLV cooperative mechanisms, strengthening the linkage between the regional countries and creating a favourable environment for sustainable development in each country towards common prosperity and sustainable development across the whole region.

ADB raises Vietnam’s GDP growth to 2.3% in 2020

The Asian Development Bank has adjusted its forecast for Vietnam’s economic growth from 1.8% to 2.3% in 2020 thanks to the promotion of public investment, the recovery of domestic consumption, the increase in trade exchanges and the rapid recovery of neighbouring countries. The growth forecast was made in a regular supplement to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020 Update released on December 10.

Vietnam’s economy expanded rapidly from a rate of 0.4% in the second quarter of 2020 to 2.6% in the third quarter of 2020, raising the average growth rate in the January-September period to 2.1%.

Thus, the ADB raised Vietnam’s economic growth for the entire of 2020 from 1.8% to 2.3%, attributable to the boosting of public investment, the recovery of domestic consumption, the increase in trade exchanges and a rapid recovery in China.

Vietnam attends 6th China – South Asia Expo 2020

Vietnamese products showcased at the expo. (Photo: NDO)

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai attended the online opening ceremony for the 6th China – South Asia Expo held in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China, on December 12.

More than 130 Vietnamese enterprises in various fields including agriculture, seafood, processed food, wood products, consumption goods and others participated in the event in an online format.

During the week-long event, participating enterprises also had opportunities to attend online forums on trade exchange and import and export activities within the framework of the expo.

Network of pioneering businesses for renewable energy makes debut

A network of pioneering businesses for renewable energy was announced at the Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum 2020 in Hanoi on December 10 as an initiative jointly launched by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD) under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the Clean Energy Investment Accelerator (CEIA).

It aims to encourage enterprises in Vietnam to promote sustainable development through the use of renewable energy, thereby creating a stronger position in such a competitive market as Vietnam.

Accordingly, the network will promote the participation and support companies in exploiting the renewable energy opportunities and potential, thus helping Vietnam in reducing emissions to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, create green jobs and promote the transition towards a greener economy using renewable energy.

First Vietnamese scientist receives Noam Chomsky awards

Associate Professor Tran Xuan Bach

Associate Professor Tran Xuan Bach, a lecturer from the Hanoi Medical University, is one of two scientists who have been presented with the Noam Chomsky Global Connections Award in 2020, marking the first time a Vietnamese scientist has received the accolade.

The award presentation ceremony was held at the headquarters of STAR Scholars Network in the US on the evening of December 8 (local time).

Bach was honoured with the Shining Star Achievementaward in the Research category in recognition of his research in the application of epidemiological-economic models to explore the determinants of infectious diseaseoutbreaks, assess nations’ vulnerability and identify cost-effective systems and human behavioral responses.

“Mat Biec” to represent Vietnam at 93rd Oscars

Vietnamese drama film “Mat Biec” (Dreamy Eyes) has been chosen to be sent to the qualifying round of the 93rd Oscars Academy Awards, said the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The film will compete in the category of international film.

Based on a novel of the same name written by bestselling children’s author Nguyen Nhat Anh, the film was directed by Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu and produced by Galaxy Studio.

“Mat Biec” tells the love story of Ngan, a rural boy from Quang Nam province, and his childhood friend, Ha Lan, during their school years.

FIFA Rankings: Vietnam wrap up 2020 as no. 1 team in Southeast Asia

FIFA Rankings: Vietnam wrap up 2020 as no. 1 team in Southeast Asia

The Vietnamese team concluded 2020 in 93rd position in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings released on December 10, 18 places clear of Southeast Asian arch rivals Thailand.

Compared to the beginning of the year, Park Hang-seo’s side moved up one position, having surpassed Madagascar who dropped to 94th following some poor international matches.

With 1,258 points, Vietnam remained no. 1 in Southeast Asia, followed by Thailand (111th in the world), the Philippines (124th), Myanmar (137th) and Malaysia (153rd).

Regarding the Asian rankings, the Golden Stars settle for 14th position, while Japan and Iran occupied the top-two spots as world no. 27 and 29, respectively. Qatar moved up one place to 58th following their victory over Bangladesh in the 2022 World Cup AFC qualifiers.

But the city, the country’s largest, also has a great deal of historical value related to the wars of resistance against the French and Americans to offer interest to tourists as well as locals.

One of the most fascinating destinations is Cu Chi guerrilla warfare tunnels, located about 70km from downtown HCM City.

Built by South Vietnamese liberation forces as shelter from US and Sai Gon troops during the war, the site is known over the world, but even many locals have yet to visit the tunnels.

Revolutionary spirit

First formed in 1948 during the resistance war against the French colonialists, the original network of tunnels was in Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An wards.

Initially, the tunnels had only short paths and simple structure that were used to hide documents, weapons and resistance members deep inside the enemy-controlled area.

Only during the anti-American war were the tunnels reinforced and widened.

Beginning in 1961, when the Party Committee and headquarters of the Sai Gon-Gia Dinh Military Region of the liberation forces chose Cu Chi as an operating area, the tunnel system maximized its use for years, especially in 1966, against the Americans broadening the war in the South.

With their indomitable strength, Cu Chi’s resistance forces and local people created a system of crisscrossing tunnels with multiple floors, with more than 200km of underground trenches in total.

For a long time, the enemy attacked the base and the tunnel network relentlessly by pumping water into the tunnels, using German shepherd dogs to hunt and identify the tunnels then using bombs to destroy them.

The US forces were involved in 5,000 attacks that aimed to wipe out the Cu Chi resistance base. In addition, thousands of tonnes of various chemical toxins were sprayed on the area.

But, relying on the tunnel network, the Vietnamese liberation soldiers and Cu Chi locals were able to counter all the enemy attacks.

They engaged in 4,269 big and small fights, eliminated 22,582 enemy troops, destroyed and took over 5,168 military vehicles (mostly tanks and armoured vehicles), shot down and destroyed 256 airplanes (mainly helicopters), sank and burned 22 warships and boats, and captured 8,581 guns of all types. They also destroyed 270 enemy stations in Cu Chi District.

The Cu Chi tunnel relic site includes the Ben Duoc Tunnel (Sai Gon-Gia Dinh military base, Zone A), Sai Gon-Gia Dinh base (Zone B), and the Ben Dinh Tunnel (Cu Chi District base).

The tunnel system runs in a zig-zag shape underground, and the main route branches out in multiple directions that connect in some areas, depending on the terrain.

Many exits open to the Sai Gon River so that when emergencies occurred people could take river route to Ben Cat resistance base in Binh Duong Province.

The tunnel system is bulletproof and can withstand the weight of tanks and armoured vehicles.

Some tunnels have structures that include two to three floors. Stairs between floors have lids that go to secret vaults.

Seeking UNESCO’s recognition

Recently, the city’s authorities sent a proposal to the Ministry of National Defence to seek the UN culture agency UNESCO’s recognition for the Cu Chi Tunnels as a World Heritage Site.

Vietnam is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An Ancient Town, the Complex of Hue Monuments, and the Citadel of the Ho dynasty in the central region.

The other sites are Ha Long Bay, the Trang An Landscape Complex, and Thang Long Imperial Citadel, which are located in the north.

If the Cu Chi Tunnels network is recognised, it will be the south’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2015, the historic area was recognised as a special national relic site. For tourism purposes, more than 120km out of over 200km of the tunnels have been preserved.

Le Van Liem, vice chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the area in the outlying Củ Chi District is a “valuable historical and cultural site that reflects outstanding military and scientific work of the Vietnamese people”.

The tunnels have been a popular tourism landmark for years, attracting thousands of visitors each day. Visitors are able to experience the resilience and unyielding will of the people who lived in the tunnels during wartime.

Dr Phan An, head of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences, said: “The Cu Chi Tunnels’ architecture is one of a kind. UNESCO World Heritage Site acknowledgement would not just introduce global friends to it, but would also be a chance for Vietnamese nationwide to appreciate the relic more.

“The site has not yet received the acknowledgement it deserves. Many HCM City residents have never visited the site despite its historical importance. Publicity is still limited, leading to inadequate attention for preservation of the relic site. Only a small part is preserved for visits and tourism.

“It runs a high risk of destruction from natural and human impact. So, if UNESCO acknowledges it as a World Heritage Site, local authorities and residents will be more responsible and collectively care for and preserve the entirety of the tunnels. At the same time, it would heighten public awareness about heritage sites like this.”

Chuck Searcy

Officials of both the Vietnamese and U.S. governments could derive satisfaction from knowing that the Agent Orange/dioxin legacy of war is now being addressed, after a troubling post-war history of misinformation and controversy, accusations and doubts.

Not just public officials, but veterans and ordinary citizens of both countries can take pride in looking back over the remarkable transformation that has taken place in the past two decades, from early years of mistrust and recrimination to a positive, working partnership between Vietnam and the U.S. today.

That relationship is now built on mutual trust and respect.

A cornerstone of our dramatically improved relationship is a clear, shared commitment between the people of both countries to address the legacies of war, Agent Orange/dioxin, explosive ordnance (EO), and wartime Missing In Action (MIA) personnel from all sides, in an open and honest manner. We now recognize that the humanitarian component of these challenges rises above politics and demands a concerted, selfless effort of all concerned.

How did we come to this point?

Twenty-five years after Vietnam and the U.S. normalized diplomatic relations on July 11,1995, is an appropriate moment to observe and reflect.

I have been a personal witness to this history: first, as a U.S. Army soldier in the war, in 1967-68, then as a veteran who returned to Vietnam in 1995 to try to contribute to the rebuilding, recovery, and reconciliation that was being painfully pursued by the Vietnamese. Working at the Swedish Children’s Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi to provide orthopedic braces for disabled children, one of the first projects funded by USAID, I learned of the terrible toll in deaths and lifetime disabilities among ordinary people throughout Vietnam as a result of wartime bombs and mines still remaining in the ground.

I was shocked to discover that more than 100,000 Vietnamese had been killed or injured by explosive ordnance since the end of the war in 1975. When I and other Americans discussed this humanitarian tragedy with U.S. Embassy staff and other government officials, there was cautious agreement that this grim challenge needed to be addressed, yes, and it was an area in which the U.S. could provide assistance.

Quietly, there emerged a consensus among U.S. officials that America should take some responsibility for the consequences of the massive bombing that had occurred during the war, which left behind an estimated 800,000 tons of lethal, unexploded munitions that remained a threat to farmers, villagers, school children everywhere.

Peace Trees was the first American non-profit organization to receive approval from officials in Quang Tri Province to clear a small site of explosive ordnance and plant trees there. The door was opened for further cooperation, with the engagement of a German demining organization, SODI, soon to follow, then the British Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Golden West Humanitarian Foundation (GWHF), and other organizations including Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) which supported Project RENEW, and international aid organization Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

Working together with Vietnamese officials and the Ministry of National Defense, these initiatives cleared a path for growing collaboration and a documented reduction in accidents and injuries caused by explosive ordnance.

The evidence is now clear: In the past three years, in Quang Tri Province, there have been zero accidents, zero injuries, and zero deaths caused by explosive ordnance. That is the result of everyone working together, at the national and the provincial level, Vietnamese and international colleagues arm in arm.

A team from Mines Advisory Group remove a Vietnam War bomb found in Quang Tri Province, central Vietnam, August 2020. Photo by Tran Van Minh.

The issue of Agent Orange/dioxin has been more complicated, and more controversial. Unlike the EO issue, which was embraced by many people of good will on all sides, AO/dioxin struck fear among the management and stockholders of U.S. chemical companies which had made the chemical defoliants, who were worried that they would be sued and would face huge financial liabilities. In fact, several court cases which were brought against these companies in the U.S., on behalf of U.S. veterans or Vietnamese plaintiffs, but they were either unsuccessful or partially so.

Yet the U.S. government stubbornly supported these companies in their utter denial of any connection between Agent Orange and birth defects, cancers and other diseases, lifetime disabilities, and other medical and mental limitations despite the evidence. The people of Vietnam knew these conditions existed widely, among their neighbors and extended families. U.S. refusal to acknowledge this problem and to face our responsibility to help the Vietnamese, especially when we were paying more than $10 billion a year in assistance to American veterans affected by Agent Orange, left a bitter taste with the Vietnamese.

The problem was eventually resolved with increasing involvement and pubic advocacy among a growing group of Americans, including veterans, medical experts, and media.

Of particular note is the role of the Ford Foundation and its Vietnam director at the time, Charles Bailey, who funded important field research, seminars and workshops, and professional studies to answer many questions posed by critics.

It became difficult for the U.S. government to remain on the outside, arguing against this humanitarian initiative, when the consensus was building so strongly that Agent Orange/dioxin was indeed a problem in Vietnam, and there are steps we can take to mitigate the disaster, including cleanup of the “hot spots” (such as Bien Hoa) and direct assistance to suffering families.

The U.S. government eventually came into the picture in a very visible and positive way, providing significant funding for the dioxin cleanup at the Da Nang international airport, and now the Bien Hoa airport cleanup which is underway.

USAID has pledged some $65 million over five years for disability programs in Vietnam, and the recent stimulus bill approved by the U.S. Congress contained $170 million for Vietnam to overcome the consequences of the war.

Meanwhile Vietnam’s 701 Committee on EO and Toxic Chemicals, the national umbrella organization that directs activities related to legacies of war, works closely with NGOs in Quang Tri and other provinces, to share data and other technological information, and the committee cooperates closely with the U.S. Embassy as well.

The collaboration is comprehensive and based on open exchange of information and tools to help both sides eventually bring “closure” to the war legacies that have been a powerful framework – nowadays a positive omen that benefits both governments, and the citizens of both Vietnam and the U.S.

Finally, we need to note a lingering, sad legacy that has also brought both sides together: the issue of Missing in Action (MIA), soldiers from all sides whose remains have not been found and not yet returned to their families or their homelands. When discussions began in the late 1980s, with the U.S. requesting Vietnam’s assistance in locating the sites of plane crashes or other incidents where bodies of U.S. personnel had not been recovered or accounted for, U.S. opponents of normalized relations with Vietnam were confident that this would be a “deal-breaker.” They were sure the Vietnamese, citing national sovereignty and their own 300,000 MIAs, would refuse to cooperate. Normalized relations between the two countries would be impossible. How wrong they were!

Vietnamese officials agreed to permit U.S. military personnel to come and work with Vietnamese teams to search all over the country for remains for U.S. airmen and other personnel, which led to growing respect and friendship between the two sides. Instead of a barrier, this issue had become a bridge of understanding and cooperation.

Today the MIA effort goes on, with shared technologies and methodologies between both sides, including forensic research, and each side assisting the other in its recovery efforts. Twenty-five year ago no one thought this would be possible.

We can thank enlightened government leaders of both countries, students and veterans, ordinary citizens of good will. Many participated in exchange programs hosted by the Foreign Ministry, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, or the Veterans Association of Vietnam, who refused to accept permanent barriers between our two nations.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and his colleagues have led the Vietnamese side of this collaboration, with leadership to ensure strong collaboration and new capacity-building. Soon-to-depart U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink has followed in the steps of his predecessors to bring about greater cooperation and tangible results in our mutual efforts to achieve closure on these legacies of war. A critical contribution over the years has come from U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy whose leadership on the Budget Committee has ensured that funding would be available to meet these challenges.

We can also thank the open and generous spirit of the Vietnamese people, who refuse to carry bitter grudges, who always find ways to accommodate old enemies. As an endearing example to the world, the Vietnamese became friends with Americans again, sharing one aspiration to create a prosperous and peaceful future for all our children – free, at last, from the tragic legacies of war.

*Chuck Searcy is a U.S. Army veteran of the American war in Vietnam who has lived and worked in Vietnam since 1995. He is President of Veterans For Peace Chapter 160, and international advisor to Project RENEW in Quang Tri Province.