May 8-14: President visits China

Nhan Dan Online reviews a number of outstanding events that made headlines over the past week.

President Tran Dai Quang and Chinese President Xi Jinping
President Tran Dai Quang and Chinese President Xi Jinping

President pays State visit to China

President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse arrived in Beijing on May 11 (local time) to begin a State visit to China until May 15 during which he also attended a high-level forum on the Belt and Road Initiative.

The President had a busy working agenda in China including meetings with Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Yu Zhengsheng among other senior leaders.

He also attended a seminar on Vietnam-China economic and trade co-operation in Beijing and witnessed the signing of many co-operation agreements between the two countries in addition to meeting with leaders of States who participated in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

PM attends World Economic Forum on ASEAN

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the 26th World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF-ASEAN) in Phnom Penh on May 11, emphasising the creation of a new growth driving force to maintain the bloc’s dynamic development and competitiveness.

The Vietnamese PM hosted a series of meetings to connect leading enterprises of the region and the world with Vietnam’s business circle and received the role as the host of the WEF-ASEAN 2018.

APEC senior officials convene second meeting in Hanoi

The second Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 2) and related meetings opened in Hanoi on May 9, beginning the second major session during the APEC Year 2017.

SOM 2 and other related meetings will be held until May 21, focusing discussions on trade and investment liberalisation, business facilitation, human resources development, education, network economy, women and the economy, food safety, science-technology and innovation, mining, automobile industry and urbanisation, among others.

Vietnam gets Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum Chair from Fiji

NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong (right) and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji Ruveni N. Nadalo at the ceremony (Source: VNA)

Vietnam took the Chair of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in the 2017-2018 tenure from the Republic of Fiji at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on May 11.

NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong said Vietnam is proud to receive the APPF chairmanship as well as host the 26th annual meeting of APPF in 2018, saying that the Vietnamese legislature highly values the activities and agenda of the forum.

Party Central Committee’s 5th meeting closes

The fifth plenary meeting of the 12th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), which concluded on May 10, debated several important economic projects during its six days of sitting.

The Party Central Committee approved several resolutions and conclusions, especially three resolutions set out to fine-tune the socialist-oriented market mechanism, continue the streamlining of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and develop the private sector into a key driver of the socialist-oriented market economy.

Nguyen Thien Nhan appointed as Ho Chi Minh City Secretary

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Nguyen Thien Nhan replaces Dinh La Thang as Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee

Nguyen Thien Nhan was appointed to head the Party committee of Ho Chi Minh City, replacing Dinh La Thang, who was disciplined for misconduct as chairman of a State-owned company.

Nhan, President of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, took office on May 10 after receiving the Politburo’s decision from National Assembly Chair Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Meanwhile, Thang has been transferred to the Central Economic Commission as one of its deputy heads.

Vietnamese student wins gold at Asian Physics Olympiad

Dinh Anh Dung, a 12th grader from the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students, won a gold medal at the 18th Asian Physics Olympiad taking place from May 1 to 9 in Yakutsk, Russia.

The eight-member Vietnamese team to the event also walked away with three silvers and three consolation prizes. Vietnam was among the seven teams to win gold at this year’s competition, together with China, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, India and Taiwan (China).

Mural painting at Da Nang airport wins bronze at International Design Awards

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Group of artists from New Hanoi Company work at the airport (Photo courtesy of New Hanoi Company)

A mural painting created by artist Nguyen Thu Thuy and her colleagues from the New Hanoi Art Company located in Da Nang International Airport won the bronze medal at the 10th International Design Awards (IDA), the awards jury announced on May 11.

Thuy also brought home a consolation prize for her ‘Love Heart for Hanoi’, a heart-shaped sculpture decorated with millions of ceramic tiles. The mural at Da Nang airport covers a pillar that is 7.4m in height and 6.4m in diameter featuring images of flowers and tropical trees.

Top shooter wins gold at SEA Championships

Vietnam’s 2016 Olympic champion, Hoang Xuan Vinh, won a gold medal in his favourite 10m air pistol event at the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Shooting Championships in Malaysia on May 9.

The Vietnamese star demonstrated amazing accuracy in his rounds, taking top place with 238.9 points, which is 5.7 points more than the second-place marksman and is a new SEA record.

In addition to Vinh, Vietnam also brought home two other individual gold medals, thanks to Pham Thi Ha in the women’s 25m sport pistol event and Phan Cong Minh in the men’s 25m standard pistol discipline; and three more team gold medals.