Support the learner

The event was attended by Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and Major General Nguyen Hong Son, Director of Military Hospital 175, among others.

Previously, a group of personnel of the hospital left Ho Chi Minh City for South Sudan on March 24 on the Royal Australian Air Force’s Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. After the required quarantine time, they moved to Bentiu to replace their colleagues at the L2FH Rotation 2.

Speaking at the event, Major General Nguyen Hong Son required the personnel of the L2FH Rotation 3 to strictly observe the discipline of the Vietnam People’s Army and regulations of the host country, especially the ones related to COVID-19 prevention and control.

He hoped that they will promote solidarity, responsibilities, mutual support, and the good virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, contributing to fulfilling all assigned missions.

The People’s Army Newspaper would like to introduce some images of the hospital’s personnel at the send-off ceremony.

Translated by Trung Thanh

In an interview given to the People’s Army Newspaper’s reporters, General Thai stressed that the two countries’ efforts and close cooperation have helped maintain the system of border markers and security and order along the shared borderline.

The Vietnamese border chief also highlighted the results of the border defense friendship exchanges and related activities engaged in by the Party committees, authorities and people of seven border provinces in Northern Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan. He noted that the two sides’ economic-trade cooperation via border and border gates has been constantly growing with trade turnover accounting for nearly 85 per cent of the total turnover of goods via border between Vietnam and neighboring countries. Moreover, the development of many busy cities and border areas along the shared borderline together with the opening and upgrading of border gates have met the increasing trade demand between the two nations.

According to General Thai, the two sides have worked closely to effectively implement three legal documents on border, the agreement on protection and exploitation of tourism resources in Ban Gioc waterfall, and the agreement on free navigation at Beilun estuary. Attentively, the friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese border guard force and Chinese border protection force and between the people living on both sides of the shared borderline have developed. In addition, achievements have been seen in exchange activities, such as the twinning model connecting residential areas on both sides of the shared borderline, between border guard stations, cultural exchanges, and economic development assistance.

“We can confirm that the Vietnam-China land border not only plays a role in defining the territorial boundaries of each country, but also is a space for cooperation, development, and a bridge of solidarity, and friendship between the two countries, especially among border people,” said Chief of the Vietnam Border Guard Command.

Recalling the success of the first Vietnam-China border defense friendship exchange in March 2014 in the Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh and the Chinese province of Guangxi, General Thai stressed that this important event opened a new page and laid a good foundation for the bilateral border defense cooperation. Thai added that after each exchange, the cooperative mechanism between the two countries’ border protection forces has been very effective. He also highly valued the good outcomes in border management and protection, cross-border immigration control and cross-border crime prevention and control. Thanks to the good coordination in monitoring borders, the two border protection forces have effectively carried out COVID-19 prevention and control and prevented illegal immigration across borders.

General Thai also emphasized the outcomes of the five previous exchanges, including the signing of numerous important cooperation agreements on border and border gate management, settlement of newly arising border issues, handling of non-traditional security challenges, and the successful organization of anti-terrorism exercises, to name but a few. According to General Thai, these have made important contribution to enhancing friendship, mutual trust and understanding between the two countries militaries and people.

Regarding this year’s Vietnam-China border defense friendship exchange, the sixth of its kind, slated for April 24, General Thai spoke highly of the thorough preparations for the event of relevant bodies of the two defense ministries and the support from the Party committees, authorities, and people of Quang Ninh (Vietnam) and Guangxi (China) provinces. He informed that apart from the exchange, the seventh Vietnam-China Defense Strategic Dialogue and the Chinese Minister of National Defense’s official visit to Vietnam will take place.

General Thai also mentioned the participation of the high-ranking Vietnamese and Chinese military delegations in various activities within the framework of the exchange and emphasized that these demonstrated the thoughtfulness of the two Parties, States, and militaries concerning the border areas, and socio-economic and cultural life of the people living along both sides of the shared borderline.

About the future cooperation between the border protection forces of the two countries, General Thai said that they will continue to realize agreements reached by the two defense ministers during the exchange. They will boost coordination to ensure law enforcement and the protection of the shared borderline and border markers and consolidate trust and promote cooperation for mutual benefits in a substantive, friendly, harmonious, and sustainable manner.

Additionally, they will invest in upgrading border gates and apply IT to immigration control. Especially, once the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled, the two sides will organize more talks, joint patrols, anti-terrorism and disease prevention and control exercises, cultural exchanges, and military sports festivals.

Translated by Mai Huong

The two sides shared their experience at the meeting and discussed how to effectively coordinate together in containing the spread of COVID-19.

Long highly valued Cambodia’s efforts and measures to respond to the pandemic, saying that if Buncheng agrees, Cambodia’s pandemic-related health facilities will be connected to Vietnam’s.

Remote consultation proved an effective and successful tool for Vietnam during its first two waves of COVID-19, he said, adding that it was also successful in treating infections during its third outbreak, when no fatalities were recorded.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister has decided to present Cambodia with 800 breathing machines, 2 million medical face masks and 300,000 N95 face masks, as well as other medical equipment given the complex developments of the pandemic in Cambodia, Long said.

This is one of the largest support packages Vietnam has given to another country to help it prevent and control the pandemic, he noted, saying that if the Cambodian side agrees, the Ministry of Health will transport the equipment from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Cambodia as soon as possible.

Long proposed the Cambodian side enhance COVID-19 prevention measures in border areas amid an increasing number of illegal border crossings, while affirming that Vietnam will also perform this task well.

He thanked the Cambodian side for the support and health care offered to Vietnamese people living in the country, and expressed his hope that it will swiftly overcome the difficulties and challenges in fighting the pandemic.

For his part, Buncheng expressed his gratitude for Vietnam’s assistance in preventing the health crisis, saying that the Cambodian side will officially discuss with Vietnam the receipt of the support through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: VNA

“Cargill Food manufacturers in Asia face the challenge of meeting rising consumption demand, especially within the convenience and foodservice categories. As leaders in the modified starches industry, this partnership with Starpro will allow us to leverage our collective strengths more effectively to generate greater opportunities for growth, as well as support new innovations and solutions in the future,” said Franck Monmont, managing director of Cargill Starches, Sweeteners & Texturizers Asia. “Our ambition is to be the partner-of-choice for customers in the region by combining deep market and technical knowledge, a robust product offering, and cost optimisation through local manufacturing.”

With the Cargill – Starpro partnership signing ceremony, Cargill expands specialty tapioca starch offerings for Asian food customers, reaffirms commitment to Asia Pacific region

Johnney Hsueh, consultant at Starpro added, “Through this cooperation between Cargill and Starpro, we look forward to promoting the wider use of quality modified tapioca starch among food manufacturers across the world.”

The agreement will cover a full range of locally-manufactured modified tapioca starches for the food industry across markets in the Asia-Pacific as well as globally. In addition to this high-quality tapioca starch range, Cargill also offers a wide portfolio of starches and starch-based texturising solutions across different raw materials that provide multi-functional properties to meet the varied needs of Asian customers’ food processes and cuisines.

“Texture is a critical element in the Asian palate. From instant noodles to packaged foods and snacks like Chinese sausages, gyozas, and Japanese mochi, as well as beverages like the perennial favourite bubble tea, Asian consumers are known to seek out textural experience in their foods,” explained Monmont. “As a non-GMO botanical with unique textural properties such as chewiness, springiness, and a clean taste profile, tapioca starch is well suited to help food manufacturers meet the product expectations of Asian consumers.”

This signing with Starpro is the latest move by Cargill to grow its specialty starch portfolio in the Asia-Pacific, after the announcements of the expansion of a cold-water swelling starch line at its sweetener plant in Pandaan, Indonesia, as well as the construction of a modified starch plant in Songyuan, China.

As part of the company’s long-term strategic vision to grow its presence in the Asia-Pacific, Cargill has also made many significant investments in the region in recent years:

• Construction of a new $100 million corn wet mill and starch dryer in Pandaan, Indonesia;

• Launch of its first chocolate manufacturing operation in India;

• Openiing of ts first food innovation centre in Singapore;

• Celebrating 40 years in Malaysia and total operational investment of nearly $450 million;

• Growth in Thailand with $70 million investment in seafood and poultry, total investment of more than $1.15 billion after 50 years in the country.