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US warships in South China Sea, Vietnam appeals for peace

February 25, 2021 by e.vnexpress.net

Vietnam hopes all countries will continue contributing positively to maintaining peace and stability on the basis of international law in the East Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press meet Thursday.

In Vietnam, the South China Sea is called the East Sea.

Hang said maintaining peace, stability, order, security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, obeying the law, respecting sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of countries along the East Sea in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be the common goal, interest, responsibility and aspiration of all concerned states as well as the international community.

“The activities of all countries in the East Sea need to contribute to this common goal. As a responsible member of the international community and a member of UNCLOS, Vietnam abides by the convention’s provisions, including regulations relating to maritime and aviation operations in the sea area that have been set up in accordance with the convention,” she added.

The destroyer USS John S. McCain on February 5 sailed near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the East Sea in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the first such mission under President Joe Biden’s new administration.

On February 17, U.S. destroyer USS Russell conducted another freedom of navigation operation, sailing near Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands.

Washington has denounced what it calls Beijing’s attempts to bully neighbors with competing interests; and China has similarly denounced what it calls U.S. efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it regards as its internal affairs.

The recent actions suggest that the Biden administration is not about to scale back operations challenging Beijing’s claims after the ramp-up seen during the Trump administration, analysts have noted.

China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has been illegally occupying a number of reefs in the Spratly Islands since 1988.

Vietnam has repeatedly affirmed that it has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea in accordance with international law.

Vietnam’s economy to be Southeast Asia’s growth leader in 2021: Nikkei

February 24, 2021 by en.nhandan.org.vn

In its article, the leading financial newspaper of Japanese media giants Nikkei Inc., said Vietnam is targeting a growth rate of 6.5% this year.

The agency stated Vietnam’s exports will likely continue to be supported by US tariffs on Chinese goods and that in order to avoid US tariffs, importers have shifted demand from China to alternative suppliers, with this trend likely to continue.

According to the agency, before the pandemic, Southeast Asia achieved collective annual growth of about 5% for many years, making it one of the world’s best-performing regions.

The region also became an attractive investment destination, with a relatively young population driving demand and providing plenty of labour. These advantages remain in place, but first the region needs to stamp out COVID-19.

Nikkei also reported that Southeast Asian economies are aiming to this year regain the growth momentum they had before the COVID-19 pandemic caused historic declines in 2020. A look at early forecasts around the region, however, shows a wide range of scenarios as risk continues to lurk.

The agency said that Singapore hopes to achieve its forecast of gross domestic product growth of 4% to 6% for 2021, Indonesia expects GDP to grow by between 4.5% and 5.5% this year, the Philippines projects a growth range of 6.5% to 7.5%, while Thailand has lowered its targets, revising its 2021 forecast down to between 2.5% to 3.5% growth.

Vietnam concerned about use of force in international relations

February 25, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy , Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (Photo: VNA)

New York (VNA) – Vietnam is concerned about cases of using or threatening to use force in international relations, which go against the UN Charter and harm international peace and security, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has said.

Quy was addressing an UN Security Council (UNSC)’s videoconference Arria-formula meeting on February 24 themed “Upholding the collective security system of the UN Charter: the use of force in international law, non-state actors and legitimate self-defense” with the participants of nearly 30 member countries of the UN Security Council and the UN.

He stressed that all countries are obliged to build friendship relations and form a culture of upholding the UN Charter and international law as well as abiding by principles in sovereignty and territorial integrity, not interfering into internal affairs of other states, not using or threatening to use force, and dealing with disputes peacefully.

The diplomat said that the UNSC should work to enhance the observance of international law and promote the role of international law and UN Charter as a vital tool in maintaining international peace and security, while increasing its coordination with regional organisations and international legal agencies in coping with disputes, maintaining peace and preventing conflicts.

He underlined the need to avoid the abuse and re-explanation of the UN Charter, suggesting the UNSC continue to creating favourable conditions for countries to get access to affairs and documents of the council to promote open and transparent discussions in the field.

Noting that this topic has been mostly discussed among scholars, Naz Modirzadeh, Director of the Harvard Law School Programme on International Law and Armed Conflict, said that all countries are authorised and responsible in building international law, including the responsibility in protecting the principle of not using force.

She proposed that all countries should actively engage in open discussions on the theory of the rights to self-defence and improve the capacity to get access to announcements and discussions at the UNSC in the field.

Participants at the event underlined the principle of not using or threatening to use force, which is a foundation for the collective security system in line with the UN Charter and the UNSC’s function in maintaining international peace and security.

They affirmed that the only exception is the case that is allowed by the UNSC or to implement the right to self-defence. They called for the upholding of the UN Charter in maintaining international peace and stability, while exchanging ideas on the explanation and application of Article 51 of the UN Charter on the legal basis for the use of force as a means of self-defence, as well as on the situation in specific countries and regions./.

VNA

Vietnam lures 5.46 billion USD in foreign investment

February 25, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

As much as 5.46 billion USD worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) is injected into Vietnam as of February 20. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – As much as 5.46 billion USD worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) was injected into Vietnam as of February 20, equivalent to 84.4 percent of the figure recorded in the same time last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment .

As many as 126 foreign projects were granted investment licences with total registered capital of 3.31 billion USD, a year-on-year fall of 33.9 percent.

Meanwhile, 115 existing projects adjusted their investment capital with a total additional sum of 1.61 billion USD, or 2.5 times higher than the same time last year.

Capital contributions and shares purchases by foreign investors stood at 543.1 million USD, down 34.4 percent.

Foreign investors pumped capital in 17 sectors, with processing and manufacturing holding the lead with over 3 billion USD or 55.7 percent, followed by power production and distribution with 1.44 billion USD (26.5 percent), real estate 485 million USD, and science-technology nearly 153 million USD.

Japan topped the list of 46 countries and territories landing investment in Vietnam , with 1.64 billion USD, equivalent to nearly 30 percent of the total. Singapore came second with 1.07 billion USD (19.6 percent), and the Republic of Korea third with 1.05 billion USD (19.3 percent).

The ministry said the southern province of Can Tho lured the lion’s share of FDI with 1.31 billion USD, accounting for 24.2 percent of the total. Hai Phong city was the runner-up since it attracted nearly 918 million USD, or 16.8 percent. Bac Giang came third with nearly 573 million USD (10.5 percent).

So far this year, the foreign-invested sector has earned 38.07 billion USD from exports, up 34 percent year-on-year, and making up 76.1 percent of the nation’s total export turnover. At the same time, it spent 31.6 billion USD on imports, up 31.2 percent year-on-year, and accounting for 66.6 percent of the country’s total import value. That resulted in a trade surplus of nearly 6.5 billion USD./.

VNA

Vietnam confirms eight new Covid-19 infection cases on Thursday

February 25, 2021 by dtinews.vn

Eight more people have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Vietnam, raising the total number of patients in the country to 2,420, the Ministry of Health reported on Thursday evening.

Illustrative photo

According to the ministry’s report, seven of the new patients are from Hai Duong Province.

The imported patient is a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman who entered Vietnam through the Moc Bai International Border Gate on February 22. She was sent to a quarantine area upon arrival and tested possitive for two days later.

The patient is now being treated at the Tay Ninh Provincial General Hospital.

With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 2,412, including 1,520 locally-transmitted cases with 827 cases reported since the new outbreak started in Hai Duong on January 28. Hai Duong Province alone has recorded 643 cases.

Vietnam repatriates more than 13,000 citizens so far: Spokesperson

July 17, 2020 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – The repatriation has started from April 10 and all returnees need to undergo mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

Vietnam has brought home more than 13,300 citizens who were in need in different parts of the world amid the global health crisis.

Vietnamese people on way home. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

“As many as 13,323 returnees who were stranded in many countries and territories have been back to homeland on 55 repatriation flights since April 10,” Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said at a press conference on July 16.

Hang said that since the spread of Covid-19 from the beginning of the year, many countries have imposed movement restrictions and suspended commercial flights, leaving a number of Vietnamese people stranded across the world.

For that reason, Vietnamese authorities have cooperated with foreign countries’ agencies and airlines to make repatriation flights possible. The repatriation has closely followed requirements on temperature screening and mandatory quarantine, Hang said in a statement.

She added that Vietnam would continue operating repatriation flights basing on demand and domestic quarantine capacity.

Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: MOFA

Regarding cheats that may happen online to Vietnamese people who need to return home, the spokesperson said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Department and overseas Vietnamese missions have publicized news and ticket buying procedures to provide official information on the repatriation.

With the registration for flights home, authorized agencies have a list of people in deed and the authorities themselves email each person involved.

“We advise Vietnamese people to closely follow instructions by the Vietnamese missions abroad and proceed with the ticket buying only when receiving email from those agencies,” Hang warned.

Earlier this month, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked government agencies to bring home another 14,000 Vietnamese citizens in the course of rising global infections of coronavirus.

The returnees will be those in the priority list: Children under 18, the elderly, the sick, laborers with expired contracts or no accommodation, students without dormitories, stranded tourists, and others of special cases.

In addition, the repatriation needs to meet requirements on safety and quarantine capacity.

All expenses for the 14-day quarantine in Vietnam are free of charge.