Vietnam

Đưa thương mại song phương Việt Nam-Hàn Quốc đạt 150 tỷ USD

Prime Minister | Local Language | Government | Nov. 21, 2024 | UndeterminedTrade Issues and Numbers

On November 18, at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held discussions with various international leaders. He conveyed warm greetings from key Vietnamese officials and invited leaders to visit Vietnam, highlighting the country's commitment to international cooperation.

Chinh emphasized Vietnam's goal of enhancing diplomatic relations and partnerships. Summit leaders recognized Vietnam's socio-economic progress and expressed interest in fostering multi-faceted cooperation, looking forward to establishing stronger relationship frameworks and visiting Vietnam.

During a meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, Chinh proposed three initiatives to strengthen bilateral relations: continuing delegation exchanges, increasing Korean Official Development Assistance for infrastructure and climate change, and enhancing economic cooperation with a trade target of 100 billion USD by 2025 and 150 billion USD by 2030.

President Yoon supported these proposals and expressed openness to hosting Vietnamese leaders in Korea in 2025. He also committed that Korean agencies would collaborate with Vietnam to implement the agreements made in recent high-level visits.

Bộ Y tế hỗ trợ Hà Giang về công tác y tế, khắc phục hậu quả thiên tai

MOH | Local Language | Government | Nov. 21, 2024 | Natural Disasters

On November 18-19, a delegation from the Ministry of Health, led by Deputy Minister Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan, met with the Ha Giang Provincial People's Committee. The team included representatives from key health departments and local officials, including Vice Chairman Mr. Tran Duc Quy and Health Department Director Mr. Nguyen Van Giao.

The Ha Giang Provincial Department of Health reported a stable infectious disease situation, but highlighted challenges with public hospital bed capacity at 28.8 beds per 10,000 people, amid a rising bed occupancy rate exceeding 130% annually. In the first 10 months of 2024, there were five diphtheria cases, including one death, with no new cases reported since August. Other infectious diseases, such as seasonal flu and measles, showed stable or declining numbers.

The session revealed that 808,854 health insurance examinations were conducted, an 8% increase from the previous year. Cashless payments for hospital fees reached 20.1%, and electronic health record implementation was at 89.07%. The delegation noted concerns about workforce challenges, particularly due to resignations and inadequate recruitment at the grassroots level.

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan praised Ha Giang's health sector efforts and called for special training and resources for disadvantaged areas. He mentioned upcoming initiatives from the Prime Minister to provide allowances for health workers and projects aimed at improving healthcare access in remote regions.

The minister also supported local health staff at the Viet Vinh Commune Health Station with 250 million VND in cash and gifts for recovery from recent natural disasters. This assistance included donations to affected families and support for medical supplies. The delegation paid respects at the Vi Xuyen National Cemetery, reinforcing the ministry's commitment to healthcare and community support during challenging times.

IMF cảnh báo hậu quả khi châu Á trả đũa thương mại

VN Express | Local Language | News | Nov. 21, 2024 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF's Asia-Pacific Department, raised concerns about the impact of retaliatory import tariffs on the region's growth at a forum in Cebu, Philippines. He noted that such tariffs would complicate supply chains during a critical transition period for Asia, marked by uncertainties from rising trade tensions and the monetary policies of developed economies.

His warning aligns with President-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose significant import taxes, including a 10% tax on all imports and a 60% tax specifically on Chinese goods. These tariffs are expected to slow global trade, harm exporting countries' growth, and lead to higher inflation in the US, potentially prompting the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy despite sluggish global growth.

Trump's first-term tariff measures taxed up to 25% on $350 billion of Chinese imports, leading to retaliatory actions from Beijing, while the EU recently raised taxes on Chinese electric vehicles. A Fitch report indicates that Trump's second term could negatively affect the GDP of major Asian exporters, such as China, South Korea, and Vietnam, with declines of at least 1% in real GDPs.

Despite these challenges, the IMF projects Asia to remain a key driver of global growth, with world growth estimated at 3.2% for this year and next. Asia's growth forecasts are 4.6% for this year and 4.4% for the next. However, the IMF warns that a global increase in import taxes could lead to a long-term reduction in global economic growth by 7%, equivalent to the combined output of Germany and Japan.