Vietnam and cambodia what to see

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam’s rise of three ranking positions to 8th overall is the fastest rise in the top half of the Index and displaces regional partner Thailand in the top 10.

Vietnam moved up three places to 8th in the top 10 countries of the Emerging Markets Logistics Index 2021 by Agility, one of the world’s top freight forwarding and contract logistics providers.

Cargos handling at Dinh Vu port, Hai Phong. Photo: Pham Hung

Among countries in ASEAN, Vietnam stood at third behind Indonesia (3rd overall) and Malaysia (5th), and was above the likes of Thailand (11th), the Philippines (21st) and Cambodia (41st).

According to Agility, Vietnam’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most successful globally, with data from Johns Hopkins University showing less than 1,500 reports of Covid-19 cases in the country in 2020.

The combination of social and economic restrictions with a strict and comprehensive testing and tracing system, saw lockdowns last less than three months, and by June many factories were reopened and domestic operations were recovering quickly, it said.

“The steps taken by Vietnam in 2020 propel it into the top 10 ranking in 2021 – its rise of three ranking positions to 8th overall is the fastest rise in the top half of the Index and displaces regional partner Thailand in the top 10,” stated the logistics firm.

“The country’s economy has performed well as a result of the minimal domestic disruptions and is set to be one of the best performing globally in 2020,” noted the report.

The foundation provided by the strong performance in 2020 is expected to underpin a 2021 expansion of 6.5% as domestic and international conditions normalize and the Covid-19 pandemic recedes.

In recent years, Vietnam has added significant hightech manufacturing capacity, helping attract investment from producers higher up the value chain as costs in China increased.

The option to avoid additional costs associated with the US-China trade war has added further motivation for manufacturers to choose Vietnam, noted Agility.

Samsung, which alone contributes a quarter of Vietnam’s exports through smartphone manufacturing activity in the country, will shift PC manufacturing to Vietnam after it shut down a Chinese factory in 2020. Apple is also reported to have requested that Foxconn open a Vietnam production location to add production capacity for iPads and MacBooks.

When the production lines become active in the first half of 2021, it will be the first time iPad manufacture to take place outside China. Meanwhile, chip manufacturer Intel will operate its largest assembly plant in the country and South Korea’s LG electronics announced investment plans during 2020.

With Covid-19 further exposing the risks of over-reliance on China, Vietnam will be an attractive option for relocation – indeed, when asked, 19.2% of survey respondents cited Vietnam as the number one location for those seeking to diversify production locations outside of China.

However, so rapid has the investment and arrival of new businesses been that it is creating challenges of its own, including a shortage of skills and knowledge to produce the highest value goods.

Navigos Group, which owns the country’s largest jobs site, reports that 71% of employers cite a lack of IT skills as their most significant challenge.

The Hanoitimes – As of March, the pandemic has spread to the Mekong Delta due to illegal immigration from Cambodia.

Vietnam confirmed no new coronavirus infections on March 1, keeping the total caseload at 2,448, including 572 active cases.

COVIVAC Covid-19 vaccine developed by Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) of Vietnam. Photo: IVAC

Meanwhile, the number of death remains unchanged at 35.

More than 60,600 people including those returning from the pandemic-hit areas and those in close contact with Covid-19 patients have been under quarantine, including at hospitals, at quarantine sites, and at home.

Ten affected cities and provinces including Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City have undergone 16 consecutive days without any locally-transmitted infections, while Hanoi has recorded 14 straight days of no new cases.

As planned, Vietnam will conduct from March the second human trial for COVIVAC Covid-19 vaccine developed by Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) of Vietnam.

Vingroup, the leading private conglomerate in Vietnam, has financed VND20 billion (US$869,000) for the development of COVIVAC vaccine.

Preclinical studies conducted in India, the US, and Vietnam has shown good results, according to Dr. Duong Huu Thai, head of IVAC, the developer of the vaccine.

Once offered for vaccination, domestic vaccines will be priced at around VND60,000 (US$2.6) per dose.

People wear masks in the Philippines to guard against COVID-19 (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended partial lockdown in the capital until the end of March, as the country awaits the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines.

In a statement on February 27, spokesperson of the Philippine President Harry Roque said the decision follows a report of 2,651 new virus infections, the highest daily increase in more than four months.

The Philippines will be the last in the region to get its first shipment of vaccines, comprising 600,000 doses of Sinovac Biotech’s vaccines donated by China, to be delivered on February 28, and earmarked for healthcare workers and military troops. The country has the second largest numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia. Health Ministry on February 27  announced the establishment of a security sub-committee to oversee all quarantine facilities nationwide.

As of morning the same day, Cambodia recorded a total of 766 infection cases./.

At the launch of the “Empowering women for sustainable peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN” (Photo: asean.org)

Jakarta (VNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Canada and UN Women recently launched a five-year programme to expand and strengthen women’s leadership and participation in conflict prevention, resolution and recovery in Southeast Asia.

The 8.5 million CAD (6.36 million USD) programme, “Empowering women for sustainable peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN”, is funded by Global Affairs Canada to support ASEAN and the implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action 2021-2025, with the support of UN Women as a lead UN partner.

“ Canada is proud to launch this flagship initiative that uses the women, peace and security approach to promote inclusive and sustainable peace and security in the region, while addressing the systemic gender inequality,” said Diedrah Kelly, Canada’s Ambassador to ASEAN .

ASEAN has made important strides to advance women, peace and security agenda, including the adoption of the first ‘Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN’ in 2017, the launch of the ASEAN Women’s Peace Registry in 2018, and convening the first ASEAN Symposium on Women, Peace and Security in 2019 and the ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Strengthening Women’s role for Sustainable Peace and Security in 2020.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi said, “ASEAN is working concertedly to advance women, peace and security agenda across the three ASEAN Community Pillars as part of our commitment to promote gender equality and the roles of women in the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.”

The COVID-19 impact has increased the risks for women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected contexts and this challenges us to re-examine threats to human security. “The pandemic highlights the important linkage between peace, humanitarian and development and the critical need for women’s leadership and participation to ensure effective and comprehensive response, from policy decision-making to peace building and pandemic response,” said Jamshed Kazi, UN Women Representative and Liaison to ASEAN.

The new programme reflects the commitment of ASEAN and Canada to promote gender equality and to respond to an increasingly widespread call across the globe for women to be empowered to lead and participate in peace and development.

ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam./.