Hcmc gets busy with welcome party for lunar new year vnexpress international

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong during the press conference held after the conclusion of the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi on February 1, 2021

Leaders of many countries, including the US, Russia, France, South Korea, and ASEAN countries, have extended their congratulations to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong over his re-election as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the 13th tenure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message says Russia values the personal contribution of the Vietnamese Party leader to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

It expresses his belief that with joint efforts, the two countries will continue to promote bilateral constructive dialogues and effective cooperation in all fields, which meets the interest of the people of both Russia and Vietnam and contributes to ensuring stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden appreciated the commitments made by General Secretary Trong to promoting the US-Vietnam partnership, and expressed his wish to further bolster the bilateral ties.

He also welcomed the Vietnamese Party leader’s efforts in fighting corruption and promoting good governance, and wished the Party General Secretary success in his position.

The US President stressed that cooperation among the US, Vietnam and the ASEAN community, was very important to promoting shared priorities in the context of grave challenges facing the international community.

The message from Indian President Ram Nath Kovind notes that under General Secretary Trong’s leadership, the special and time-tested relations between India and Vietnam have witnessed unprecedented development in the past decade with the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016.

The President wished to continue working with the Vietnamese leader to further promote the relationship between the two nations, saying that the close coordination and partnership between the two countries in the post-pandemic world will contribute to peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said he was honoured to meet and talk with General Secretary Trong during his visit to Vietnam, his first trip abroad after taking office. He expressed a hope that he and the Vietnamese Party leader would continue to coordinate in the future to further develop and deepen the extensive strategic partnership of the two countries across the fields from politics and security to economics and trade.

As the world is facing unprecedented threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan wishes to stand side by side with the international community, including Vietnam, to overcome difficulties and challenges, Suga’s message reads, noting his hope that the Japan-Vietnam cooperative relationship will continue to be strengthened even during the pandemic.

President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in praised the efforts of the Vietnamese Party leader to develop the RoK-Vietnam ties. He hopes to continue working with General Secretary Trong for the development of the two countries’ strategic cooperative partnership in the time ahead.

In his message, French President Emmanuel Macron notes that the two countries have made joint efforts to enhance their friendship and cooperation for many years. It highlights the visit by General Secretary Trong to France in March 2018 as a strong boost to bilateral ties. France wants to work together with Vietnam to overcome great global challenges, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and preservation of biological diversity.

Macron hopes that the two sides will join hands to further deepen bilateral ties in economics, culture, health care and national defence. The message reiterates France’s strong commitment to ASEAN and close cooperation in multilateral institutions such as the UN Security Council on the basis of international law.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s message says that under the leadership of General Secretary Trong, Vietnam has made strong leaps in the past decade. The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam marked the start of a new key period in Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

Singapore and Vietnam are both traditional friends and strategic partners, and have always cooperated closely and effectively in both bilateral and ASEAN frameworks. The message affirms the Prime Minister’s belief that the close bilateral relations will continue to be promoted in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha wrote that the outcomes of the Congress demonstrated the trust of the Vietnamese Party and people in Party General Secretary Trong.

“I believe that under your sound leadership, Vietnam will continue to develop more strongly,” he wrote, and re-affirmed Thailand’s firm commitment to further deepening the enhanced strategic partnership with Vietnam.

The Thai PM wishes that the two countries will cooperate more closely for the interest of their people and for peace and development in the region.

VNS

Party delegates voted to adopt the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress at the final session of the Congress held on February 1, 2021.

The goals are part of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress held from January 25 to February 1, the entirety of which has just been released by the Office of the Party Central Committee.

The Resolution noted the highlight of the 12th tenure was the successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in significant economic achievements – including stable macroeconomics, controlled inflation and high GDP growth, while people’s living standards were improved. The fight against corruption, loss and waste was intensified, while the socio-political situation remained stable, foreign relations deepened and Vietnam’s profile on the international stage grew.

However, numerous shortcomings – including slow modernisation and industrialisation, shifting in the growth model, limited competitiveness and quality and productivity of the economy, inadequate adaptation to climate change and environment protection demands, drawbacks in Party building and rectification, that science and technology has not been the driving engine of socio-economic growth and the lives of certain groups of people remain difficult – of the 12th tenure have been identified in the Resolution.

The achievements of 35 years of implementation of doi moi (Reform), 30 years of implementing the 1991 Party Platform and in the 10 years of implementing the 2011 Revised Party Platform have proved that the country’s path towards socialism is consistent with Vietnam’s practical situation and the times’ development trends, with the Party’s righteous leadership the leading factor in Vietnam’s revolutionary victories, the Resolution reads.

Amid rapidly shifting and complex developments in the global scene, the Party Platform continues to serve as the ideological flag to gather the collective strength of united peoples for the goal of a “prosperous-people, strong-nation, democratic, equitable, and civilised” Vietnam.

Development vision and orientations

In the coming years, the challenges and opportunities of a complicated world demand the entire Party and Vietnamese people to “unite” and continue to have major changes in mindset and make correct and timely forecasts of the situation to prepare and deal with any circumstance, to “bring the country forward on the path of rapid, sustainable development” and the attainment of many orientations, goals, and tasks.

The Resolution lists major guiding orientations of the years forward, including “persistent and innovative” implementation of Marxist-Leninism and Hồ Chí Minh ideology, persistent pursuit of socialism and independence and upholding national interests based on the principles of the United Nations’ Charter and international law and the spirit of equal and win-win co-operation, with national defence and security in mind.

It also aims to enhance patriotism, the spirit of resilience, national unity and people’s aspirations to develop a prosperous and happy nation, promoting socialist democracy, enhancing the quality of human resources and promoting innovation and science and technology – especially the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – in service of the country’s sustainable and rapid development.

In addition, Party building and governance are goals, working towards a streamlined and effective Party system with quality cadres and civil servants.

The “general objectives” are identified as improving the Party’s leadership and ruling capacity; building a pure, strong and comprehensive Party and political system; consolidating and raising people’s confidence in the Party, the State and the socialist regime; fomenting aspirations to develop a prosperous and happy country; promoting the will and strength of national solidarity; promoting comprehensive and synchronous đổi mới (reforms), industrialisation, and modernisation; building and firmly defending the Fatherland, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; and striving to become a developed country with socialist orientations by the middle of the 21st century.

The “particular objectives” are set on Vietnam becoming a developed nation with a modern industrial base and leaving the ranks of lower-middle-income countries by 2025 – the year marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the south and national reunification. By 2030, when the Party celebrates its 100th founding anniversary, Vietnam is hoped to become a developing country with a modern industrial base and upper-middle incomes. By 2045, the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vietnam is hoped to become a developed, industrialised nation with high income.

In 2021-25, the Resolution sets a target for average GDP growth of 6.5-7 per cent, GDP per capita by 2025 reaching $4,700-5,000, the contributions of total factor productivity (TFP) in economic growth reaching 45 per cent, the labour productivity increase hitting 6.5 per cent a year, urbanisation reaching 45 per cent, the ratio of processing and manufacturing industries in the GDP exceeding 25 per cent, and the digital economy accounting for 20 per cent of the country’s GDP.

In this time frame, the Resolution aims for agricultural labour ratio staying at 25 per cent, the ratio of trained labour reaching 70 per cent, urban unemployment kept at below 4 per cent, the rate of multidimensional poverty maintaining a decrease of 1-1.5 per cent year-on-year, aiming for 10 doctors and 30 hospital beds for every 10,000 people, striving towards 95 per cent of the Vietnamese population being covered under the State’s health insurance, life expectancy reaching 74.5 years, and the ratio of communes obtaining new rural standards reaching at least 80 per cent, including 10 per cent meeting the requirements of exemplary new rural standards.

In terms of environment, by 2025, the goals are to have 95-100 per cent of the urban population and 93-95 per cent of rural population having access to clean and hygienic water, 90 per cent of urban waste properly collected and treated, 92 per cent of active industrial-processing zones outfitted with proper wastewater treatment facilities; 100 per cent of all businesses polluting the environment punished; and upholding the national forest coverage at 42 per cent.

The 13th tenure has “six central tasks”, with the first being Party building, building rules-based socialist State, with effective, corruption-free governance. The second task is controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring COVID-19 vaccination coverage, while engaging in economic recovery, pursuing the transformation of growth model and economic restructuring, implementing national digital transformation strategy, raising labour productivity and innovation, and third is upholding independence, improving the effectiveness of foreign affairs and international integration, building modern and elite armed forces, and maintaining peaceful and stable environment for development.

The fourth central task is inspiring patriotism among the people to develop a prosperous and happy nation, promoting the role of cultural values and the strength of Vietnamese people in nation-building and defence, with detailed policies to develop the culture of ethnic minority groups, carrying out social policies and ensuring social security for the people, raising living standards and happiness indexes of the Vietnamese people. Fifth is perfecting the legal system, institutions, and policies to promote socialist democracy. The final central task is to strictly manage, reasonably and effectively use land and natural resources, protecting the environment, and implementing adaptation measures to cope with climate change and natural disasters.

Breakthrough strategies

To achieve the goals, the Party sets three major breakthrough strategies – completing development institutions, developing human resources, and building modern infrastructure.

Regarding institutions, the Party identifies the need to improve development institutions for a socialist-oriented market economy; reforming State governance towards modernity and competitiveness; improving the legal system and institutions to create a favourable, healthy, and fair business and investment environment for all sectors of the economy where innovation can foster; mobilising, managing and using all resources – especially land, finance, public-private partnership – for development purposes; bolstering reasonable decentralisation, while enhancing inspections and keeping powers in check via the legal system.

For human resources, the Party wants a priority on high-quality human resources for leadership and management and key positions, based on “comprehensive and radical transformation of education and training quality in tandem with recruitment and incentive policies”; promoting research, transfer, application and development of science and technology, innovation; promoting the aspirations for national development, people’s sense of unity and national pride in nation-building and defence efforts.

The Resolution also states the demand for “modern and synchronous” social and economic infrastructure, with a focus on national key transport projects, climate adaptation projects, and information and communications projects to serve national digital transformation and the development of a digital economy and society.

VNS

Nguyễn Thanh Hà

Hà Nội is home to many famous specialities but few are as mouthwatering as thịt quay đòn (roast port belly) in the ancient village of Đường Lâm, about 44km from the city centre.

It is said that King Ngô Quyền (939-944), whose native village is in Đường Lâm, after defeating the Southern Han invaders from China ordered chefs to make roast pork belly to give a feast to his troops.

The dish was so tasty and delicious that troops said they couldn’t get enough, according to legend.

Kicker: A tasty and crispy roast pork belly made by people in Hà Nội’s Đường Lâm ancient village. Photo vov2.vov.vn

The dish has been the village’s claim to fame since then, said Nguyễn Đăng Thạo, head of Đường Lâm Ancient Village’s management board.

Nguyễn Thị Hương, a famous roaster in the village, said she has to order fresh pork belly from prestigious butchers. “It is to ensure that the roasted pork is crispy but fragrant.”

The pork belly should be carefully soaked with hung lìu (flavouring powder with five ingredients including cinnamon, anise and sweet basil), pepper, fresh onion, fish sauce and salt, said Hương, adding that the most important ingredient is the guava leaves.

Kicker: The fresh pork belly soaked with many ingredients including guava leaves help to make the dish much more enjoyable. Photo vov2.vov.vn

The young guava leaves are ground to cover the inside and outside of the pork belly while half-young guava leaves are used to wrap the meat before it is roasted.

She said the guava leaves should be grown naturally without being sprayed with pesticides to ensure the roast pork has a natural fragrance.

The raw meat should be soaked for at least two hours before roasting.

“Apart from guava leaves, we have to use a bamboo tube which is about two metres long to roast the meat. It needs between five and six hours to roast it over charcoal,” said Hương, noting that while roasting, the chef has to use a bamboo spit to make holes on the pork skin until it becomes brown and crispy.

Kicker: A cook is roasting the pork belly on charcoal. Photo vov2.vov.vn

The dish is more delicious when dipped in fermented soybean locally made in Đường Lâm or lime with salt, said Hương, adding that apart from locals and visitors to the village, many customers in Hà Nội and provinces such as Hải Dương, Hải Phòng and Quảng Ninh have ordered her dish.

The dish is a must-have for big parties such as Tết (Lunar New Year) or wedding parties.

“I sold several hundred kilogrammes of such dish a day at the recent Tết holiday,” Hương said, adding that she and her husband are teaching their descendants about the trade.

“The technique of making pork belly roast is rather difficult, it requires a cook to have the mind to invest his/her self in the job,” she said.

Kicker: Cooks are preparing to roast pork belly. Photo vov2.vov.vn

Phạm Tuấn Hải, a former judge of Việt Nam’s Master Chef TV programme, said he has never missed a chance to enjoy the dish when visiting Đường Lâm.

“I will never forget the roast pork belly for its savoury, soft, crispy taste and particularly the special fragrance of guava leaves.

“This year, I plan to learn the roasting technique to apply it to my restaurant chains across the country to serve locals and foreign guests,” said Hải. VNS

There are many festival across the year in Vietnam, with some main events as above:

1. Tet (Lunar New Year) is the largest, most important festival in Vietnam when many people return home to celebrate the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese lunar calendar with their families.

2. The Hue Festival is a famed biennial international event in the central province of Thua-Thien Hue with a host of alluring artistic and cultural activities provided by performers from Vietnam and many other countries.

3. The Hoi An Lantern Festival is probably one of Vietnam’s most famous and unique festivals. In the ancient city of Hoi An, they turn off the electricity on the 14th day of every lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. Then, colorful lanterns are lit to brighten up the city, giving visitors a sense of peace and nostalgia.

4. The Da Lat Flower Festival is a biennial event which honors flowers and horticulture in the namesake capital city of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. It is known for its luscious displays of locally-grown flowers that are a perfect backdrop for a photo shoot.

5. The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tet Trung Thu in Vietnamese, also known in Vietnam as the Children’s Festival or Full Moon Festival, is observed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year to celebrate the harvest season.

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A seven-seat car collided with an ambulance in Mekong Delta Tiền Giang Province on February 13, injuring four people. — VNA/VNS Photo

Khuất Việt Hùng, Vice President of the National Committee on Traffic Safety, talks to the Voice of Việt Nam about the number of traffic accidents in Việt Nam

What are the main factors leading to a reduction in traffic accidents in the country in 2020?

According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, the traffic accident rate in the five-year period from 2016-2020 compared to the previous five years has seen a 43 per cent drop in accidents, a 19.01 per cent reduction in fatalities and the injured rate also dropped by 53.91 per cent.

Last year was the first year that our national Law on Preventing and Combating the Harmful Effects of Liquor and Beer and the Decree No.100/2019/ND-CP came into effect calling on all drivers not to drink and drive.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation nationwide dropped considerably, yet the police forces still applied many measures to ensure traffic safety.

The Ministry of Transport has regularly instructed the Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam and concerned agencies nationwide have applied many specific measures to fight back against the COVID-19 while calling on all road users to practise traffic safety. As a result, in the last 10 years, traffic accidents nationwide reduced by 17.66 per cent while the injured cases reduced by 20.7 per cent and the fatality rate by 12.2 per cent (the fatality rate dropped to under 7,000 people).

What measures have the Ministry of Transport and the National Steering Committee on Traffic Safety adopted?

From 2016, all Vietnamese agencies nationwide have strictly implemented Instruction No.18 of the Party Secretariat and the Resolution 88 of the Government on road traffic safety, railways, waterways and other means of transport.

In addition, Việt Nam’s traffic infrastructure has been improved and expanded. Non-stop toll-fee stations were erected nationwide while a mass communication campaign was launched to encourage all motorbike riders wear helmets. As a result,80 per cent of motor riders wear helmets compared to 38 per cent rate in 2017.

Has the Government Decree 100 helped cut down the country’s traffic accidents significantly?

In 2019, the Law on Preventing and Combating the Harmful Effects of Liquor and Beer was promulgated and came into force on January 2020 and the Decree 100 giving sanctions on people who are drinking and driving.

The Decree 100 is a spotlight action of the Government in its current tenure.

Last year, the Public Security forces, particularly the transport police, played a pivotal role in putting the Government’s Decree 100 into life and since then the Decree has become a driving force for people nationwide to abide by traffic laws – a key factor in the reduction of traffic accidents.

How do you respond to a report saying that some statistics about the traffic safety is not really reliable?

Under the country’s Statistic Law, the Ministry of Public Security is the agency that will gather all information on transport accidents and make it available to the public. The National Steering Committee on Traffic Safety will then use the information from the Ministry of Public Security to write their reports and make those available to the public as well.

Under the Statistic Law, the Ministry of Health has the responsibility to make a report on the total injury number nationwide. However, due to different methods used in injury calculation, it leads to some disparity in the figures announced by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security.

Adding to that the number of traffic fatalities made public by the Vietnamese Government and the WHO is somehow slightly different. The main factor is that the definition of road fatality in Việt Nam is slightly different from that of the WHO. Under the Vietnamese Law, only people who are killed at the scene of the accidents are considered as accident fatality. Meanwhile, the WHO calculated the accident fatality case within 30 days from the day the accident happened.

It is reported that the Ministry of Public Security will soon make public a new regulation on road traffic accident calculation to make in line with the international law and practice. VNS

By Mai An – Translated by Kim Khanh