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The Hanoitimes – Shopee and Phimmoi have been accused by the US of tolerating counterfeiting and piracy activities in 2020.

The United States Trade Representative Office (USTR) pointed out that online shopping platform of Shopee and the film website of phimmoi are involved in counterfeiting and piracy activities in its newly released report entitled “2020 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy”.

An advertorial of Shopee. Photo: Kinh te & Do thi.

“Shopee is an online and mobile e-commerce market based in Singapore with individual country-focused platforms serving the Southeast Asia region and Brazil,” the report stated.

Related sites include shopee.com.my, shopee.ph, shopee.co.th, shopee.vn, shopee.co.id, and shopee.com.br.

Right holders report very high levels of counterfeits being sold on all of Shopee’s platforms. Shopee reportedly has no procedures for vetting third-party sellers and preventing infringers from re-registering on the platforms, and sellers of counterfeit goods seem to have their accounts frozen only after multiple escalating actions.

In addition, Phimmoi.net (with hosting  server in Vietnam) and phimmoizz.net are accused of illegally posting thousands of movies and TV shows.

The domain phimmoi.net was subsequently blocked by the Vietnamese government, with most of its traffic moving to phimmoizz.net, which is believed to be run by the same operator. The new domain remains one of the most popular websites in Vietnam.

The Mou between Vietnam and West Virginia will facilitate the $100 billion bilateral trade turnover target with the US in 2021

With this MoU, the MoIT of Vietnam and West Virginia provide a comprehensive cooperation framework to facilitate trade and investment exchanges in the sectors of export-import, trade, industry, and energy. At the same time, the two countries also aim to increase information sharing about potential business opportunities, supporting projects and activities of businesses from both sides.

Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade said that it is the priority of the Vietnamese government to improve the business and investment environment, and facilitate US projects.

“Vietnam, together with the US, has developed an action plan with particular solutions, towards sustainable and harmonious trade balance between the two countries,” Minister Tuan Anh said.

He believed that this is an appropriate time for the two countries to enhance in-depth cooperation, promote economic recovery, and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam has joined several free trade agreements with 54 country partners, including most of the G20 countries. Thus, businesses of West Virginia or the US have a chance to access a broad market of Vietnam.

Congresswoman Carol Miller affirmed the signing of the MoU marked a beginning of a strong friendship between Vietnam and West Virginia. It brings practical economic benefit for both sides, promoting balance and harmony in the bilateral trade relationship between Vietnam and the US.

Trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and the US has continuously grown year-over-year.

According to the MoIT, 2020 marked the first year that the total trade turnover between the two countries reached $90.8 billion, surpassing $90 billion, and looking for $100 billion in 2021.

Over five years, Vietnam’s export turnover to the US rose by 230 per cent, while export from the US to Vietnam has also increased by over 175 per cent.

The Hanoitimes – China Coast Guard vessel has tracked to approach the oil platform within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

Vietnam said its authorities keep a close eye on all movements in the East Sea [referring to the South China Sea] to protect its sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in Vietnamese waters.

Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: VGP

Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the statement in response to a question on the approach to Vietnam’s waters earlier this month by Chinese Coast Guard ships.

“All countries in the East Sea need to ensure its activities to be in line with international laws and respect sovereignty and jurisdiction rights of littoral countries as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, stability, and cooperation in the sea,” Hang said at a press conference on February 25.

International ship-tracking data showed that on February 22, China Coast Guard (CCG) 5304 approached Hai Thach Production & Quarters Platform (PQP-HT) in block 5-02 of Vietnam platform after sailing out from China-occupied Subi Reef at Spratly Islands.

The harassment on February 22 was not the first time. Ship-tracking data show CCG 5304 “disappeared” at Fiery Cross Reef on February 04 after sailing out from Sanya on January 31.

From 2019, China Coast Guard vessels have repeatedly appeared in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), troubling oil operations of joint ventures between Vietnamese companies and foreign partners.

The typical case happened to oil operations partly invested by Russia’s Rosneft in Bai Tu Chinh (Vanguard Bank) within Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Torben Minko, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam’s (EuroCham) Medical Devices and Diagnostics Sector Committee

Healthcare is among the sectors said to be less impacted by the global health crisis in 2020. How did members of EuroCham’s Medical Devices and Diagnostics Sector Committee (MDDSC) play during the year?

Expectations for 2020 were high. However, in a world where normal business operations have been altered because of COVID-19, growth in the entire global economy is under threat. This affects medical device companies in the same way, globally and in Vietnam.

We highly value all proactive, transparent, and effective efforts made by the government in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. The actions have been successful and recognised internationally.

Since the first outbreak in Vietnam, MDDSC members have ensured a stable supply and import of sustainable, innovative and high-quality healthcare products to meet the demands of effectively preventing and fighting against the pandemic as well as treatment activities.

At that critical moment, we made a practical contribution, donating test kits to detect COVID-19 worth $25,000 to support the government.

We understand that medical device and diagnostic sectors are considered systemically important for the country’s healthcare infrastructure. In the coming time, those efforts will be continued and enhanced even further.

Domestic and foreign-invested enterprises here have looked into new business models to stand firm and develop. Have you seen any similar moves among MDDSC member companies?

Vietnam’s healthcare infrastructure has developed rapidly in recent years, thanks to the significant efforts of the Vietnamese authorities to improve public infrastructure across the country and to open the market to private healthcare providers.

The related double-digit growth of the medical devices and diagnostics market has stimulated multinational corporations to better serve the market through investments in a solid local network of partners.

This has involved the set-up of representative offices or, very often, the creation of local branches employing and training highly-qualified Vietnamese experts. It has also created opportunities for some of the multinationals to establish local production to serve the market with high-quality healthcare products.

The Vietnamese government, especially the Ministry of Health, has made a number of legal changes in a move to further facilitate business activities. Are they yet good enough for EuroCham members, and what other changes should Vietnam focus on in this regard?

Continuous improvements in regulations are the key to access innovations for the healthcare community, as well as an increase in pre-sales and post-sales service levels to healthcare providers. Decrees on medical device management, which have been largely aligned to international standards, are only some examples and significant milestones for the improvement of the regulatory landscape.

Consistent implementation will foster a more efficient and quality-oriented supply of medical devices and diagnostics solutions in Vietnam for the benefit of patients. A number of issues still need to be addressed in order to stay on the path to a state-of-the-art healthcare system, giving efficient access to innovative and high-quality healthcare to all citizens. We will continue working with regulators on improving the regulatory and legal framework. Our four cornerstones for 2021 will be digital transformation; remote care access for patients and looking at infrastructure, reimbursement, and capability building; policy framework for value-based procurement to provide top access to high-quality medical devices; and training for healthcare providers and professionals.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement has been in effect for around six months. Have you seen any movements among MDDSC members to tap into its benefits, and what other investment activity trends do you foresee?

We welcome the opportunities created by the agreement. It comes with further improvements of regulatory standards, exchanging information on customs requirements, investing in the modernisation of customs procedures, and ensuring transparency. New market access opportunities will be created to become long-term partners across Vietnam. Our mission is to engage with governments, regulators, healthcare providers, and many others in order to advocate good practice, promote high industry standards, and help develop policies which will shape the future of healthcare in Vietnam. This will enable timely access to sustainable, innovative, and high-quality healthcare for all.

The MDDSC, which consists of 26 global groups responsible for the majority of the medical device and diagnostic market, is happy to work with respective departments for the benefit of Vietnamese patients.

Ideas for startups can originate from simple things that can be seen every day.

Ericsson has been recognised as a Leader in 5G network infrastructure

Ericsson’s Leaders quadrant recognition in the February 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G Network Infrastructure for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) report recognises the company’s Leader position in both completeness of vision and ability to execute.

Vendors offering 5G solutions for communications service providers were comprehensively and independently assessed and evaluated by Gartner experts on their completeness of vision and ability to execute to provide a market snapshot on 5G infrastructure abilities.

End-to-end 5G network infrastructure vendors were evaluated on how they enable IT provider performance to be competitive, efficient, and effective and to positively impact revenue, retention, and reputation within Gartner’s view of the market. The assessment of ability to execute included Ericsson’s products and services, Market Responsiveness and Track Record, Marketing Execution, Customer Experience, and Overall Viability.

Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of Networks, Ericsson, said: “From research to rollout, we have invested heavily in 5G to ensure we have the best products, skills, and field personnel to meet our customers’ needs. We believe that recognition as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant from Gartner reflects our technology leadership, market competitiveness, determination to innovate, and commitment to our customers.”

Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G network infrastructure for communications service providers

Ericsson, as an industry leader in 5G networks, currently has more than 130 commercial 5G agreements with unique CSPs and powers 79 live 5G networks across the globe.

Ericsson continuously evolves its end-to-end 5G offerings, which include Ericsson Radio System, 5G Core, Orchestration and 5G Transport, as well as professional services. The company has introduced innovative software solutions such as Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, 5G carrier aggregation, and Uplink Booster, which significantly improve coverage, user throughput, and spectral efficiency.

These solutions support service providers in deploying and evolving 5G to ensure the best end-user experience. In addition, Ericsson Radio System products delivered since 2015 can support 5G New Radio (NR) capability through remote software installation.

Ericsson Digital Services offers a dual-mode 5G Core solution for smarter networks to drive smarter business, allowing communications service providers to offer a multitude of new business opportunities for mobile users and industries.

Ericsson’s 5G Core solution combines an Evolved Packet Core and 5G Core network functions into a common cloud-native platform that supports 5G NR Standalone and Non-standalone, plus 4G, 3G, and 2G.

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business. It is designed to help the customers go digital, increase efficiency, and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York.