July 31 - August 6: Private business forum, Thanh’s surrender and floods

A Nhan Dan Online selection of notable events that made headlines over the past week.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the second Vietnam Private Sector Forum
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the second Vietnam Private Sector Forum

Prime Minister meets with private businesses

The government leader told private enterprises to continuously reform and increase their competitiveness in order to contribute 50%-60% of GDP while reiterating the goal of building a facilitating government which will create a transparent, safe and friendly business environment, as well as creating all favourable conditions for businesses to develop, especially private and small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups.

Trinh Xuan Thanh turns himself over to police

Trinh Xuan Thanh, former chairman of a construction company under the national oil and gas group PVN, turned himself over to the police after nearly one year on the run. Thanh fled abroad after he was accused of violating State regulations on economic management resulting in losses of nearly VND3.3 trillion (US$142 million) during his leadership.

Trinh Xuan Thanh

Flash floods and landslides ravage northern mountainous provinces
Heavy rain, flash floods and landslides in the northern mountainous provinces from early August claimed nearly 20 lives, left dozens missing and caused extensive damage to local homes, agricultural crops and public infrastructure, including roads, irrigation works and stream embankments.

Flooding in Mu Cang Chai district

Vietnam suggests early pragmatic negotiations of COC

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has appealed to ASEAN to intensify exchanges with China to soon begin pragmatic negotiations concerning the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), making it effective and legally binding.

He also reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance on the significance of peace, stability, navigation and aviation security and safety in the East Sea to regional peace.

Mozambique’s Prime Minister visits Vietnam

Mozambique’s Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario called on Vietnamese businesses to engage further in trade with the African country in order to realise trade targets set by the two countries’ leaders. This was discussed during talks with Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposed that Mozambique support Vietnam to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and the Director-General of UNESCO in the 2017-2021 tenure.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and PM Carlos Agostinho do Rosario

Vietnam wins big at international science competitions

Vietnamese students bring home four gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad, three golds at the International Chemistry Olympiad, one gold at the International Biology Olympiad and one gold at the International Olympiad in Informatics, making 2017 the most successful year for Vietnam at international science competitions.

‘Girl From Yesterday’ scores big success

Director Phan Gia Nhat Linh’s romance feature ‘The Girl From Yesterday’ earned VND50 billion after just ten days since its release, making it one of the most successful films in Vietnam. Based on a novel by Nguyen Nhat Anh, the film is about school boys and girls, and their stories of love and compassion.

A poster of "The Girl from Yesterday"

Le Quang Liem achieves career-best FIDE world ranking

Vietnam’s top chess player Le Quang Liem jumped seven places to achieve a career-best world number 23 ranking with a new elo rating of 2,739 in the latest FIDE rankings for August. This is the first time after nearly six years that Liem has made a breakthrough in terms of his FIDE world ratings. His previous career-best milestone was recorded in September 2011 as he previously stood in 25th position.