HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam and the Philippines have issued a joint press statement on the occasion of the State visit to Việt Nam by Philippines’ President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. Mr. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, paid a State-visit to Viet Nam from 29 - 30 January, 2024. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Viet Nam, and H.E. Both sides took note of strong security and defence cooperation, which contributes to enhancing the strategic cooperation between Viet Nam and the Philippines. The President of the Philippines further invited the Leaders of Viet Nam to visit the Philippines at a mutually convenient time.

Three Vietnamese players attend the first Asian e-football tournament. (Photo: vff.org.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – A team of three e-football players from Vietnam on January 30 headed to Qatar to attend the first Asian e-football tournament held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) from February 1-5. The tournament brings together 20 teams representing 20 out of 24 Asian countries with national football teams participating in the 2023 Asian Cup final. Based on the draw results of the 2023 Asian Cup Final, at the 2023 eAsian Cup version, the Vietnam team is in the same group with Japan and Indonesia. All matches of the eAsian Cup 2023 are live-streamed at youtube.com/AFCAsianCup.

Of over 1.5 million foreign tourists visiting Vietnam in January, nearly 1.3 million, or 85%, traveled to Vietnam by air, 12% on road, and 3% by sea. According to statistics announced by the General Statistics Office on January 29, in the month, revenue from accommodation and catering services was estimated at 2.4 billion USD, up 10% over the same period last year, while travel and tourism revenue increased 18.5%. The office attributed the increases to the country’s efforts to promote tourism, and affirm itself as a safe and friendly destination. Vietnam had 25 destinations and establishments named in different categories of the ASEAN Tourism Awards at a ceremony held as part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 in Laos on January 26./.

HCM CITY — Masan's net revenues for fiscal year 2023 were up 2.7 per cent at VNĐ78.25 trillion (US$3.2 billion). MCH had net revenues of VNĐ29.06 billion in 2023 and EBITDA of VNĐ7.43 trillion. On an LFL basis, Masan MeatLife achieved VNĐ6.98 trillion in FY2023, up 10.9 per cent, with revenues increasing across all segments, except farm chicken. The projected Core NPAT Pre-MI is expected to be within the VNĐ2.29-4.02 trillion ($93.68-164.46 million) range, up from VNĐ1.95 trillion ($79.64 million) in 2023. Masan Consumer Holdings is back to a growth phase.

HÀ NỘI — The number of international visitors to Việt Nam in the first month of 2024 reached over 1.5 million, an increase of 10.3 per cent compared to the previous month and a 73.6 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Visitors from India continue to increase significantly with 46,136 visitors, rising to eighth position among the top 10 source markets for visitors to Việt Nam in January 2024. In 2024, Việt Nam sets the goal of receiving 17-18 million international visitors, serving 110 million domestic tourists, and achieving total tourism revenue of around VNĐ840 trillion ($34.18 billion). The Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism stated that the entire tourism industry has actively provided recommendations on policies to facilitate the attraction of tourists. This is a crucial policy aimed at making a breakthrough in attracting international tourists to Việt Nam in the near future.

According to the Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association, garment and textile exports last year reached 39.5 billion USD, down 10% year-on-year. In 2023, Vietnam's textile and garment products were exported to 104 countries and territories – a record number. The main markets of Vietnamese garment and textile exports were the US, Japan, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, China, and Southeast Asia, together with some new markets such as Africa and Russia. The Association said that 2024 will still see many challenges for the industry, pointing to the extended producer responsibility and the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism, as well as the strategy of “sustainable fashion” instead of “fast fashion”. To achieve its set goal, the industry is implementing various solutions, with a focus on diversifying customers, markets, and products; speeding up digital transformation; and greening production./.

HCM CITY In a historic medical breakthrough, Việt Nam witnessed the first successful delivery of a baby over three weeks after having undergone foetal heart surgery. This birth marks a significant milestone not only in Việt Nam, but also stands as the first instance of successful foetal heart surgery in Southeast Asia. According to experts, the technique of foetal heart surgery has only developed in the last five years, with successful procedures performed in Brazil and Poland. These teams will be prepared to perform foetal surgery and childbirth if complications arise. On January 4, doctors initiated foetal heart intervention at 9:05am, utilising an 18G needle for nearly 40 minutes.

There was a 10.6% increase in patent application registrations, and an 11.8% increase in industrial design registration applications. In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the issue of intellectual property rights is not only important in Vietnam but also in many other countries around the world. A series of guidelines for implementing the Law on Intellectual Property were introduced in 2023. This has made the process of obtaining protection titles or trademark registration certificates much more convenient than previously. It calls on businesses to design, create, and manufacture products in Vietnam instead of outsourcing them, to help resolve the country’s problems and boost its global presence./.

HCM CITY — About half of Japanese companies operating in Việt Nam expected improvements in profits in 2024, a survey conducted by the Japan External Trade Organisation found. Regarding the operating profit forecast for 2024, 50.4 per cent of Japanese companies in Việt Nam expected improvements compared to the average rate in the region of 43.8 per cent. In particular, 100 per cent of surveyed Japanese retailers in Việt Nam have expansion plans. Jetro sent questionnaires to 14,018 Japanese companies investing in 20 countries and territories in Asia and Oceania and received valid responses from a total of 4,982 companies, including 849 in Việt Nam. Japan consistently ranks among the top countries in terms of foreign direct investment in Việt Nam.

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)– The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) on January 29 held an annual dialogue on enhancing the Vietnam - RoK comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.On the table were several key issues, including regional political and security developments, the linking of industry to people, and recommendations for the partnership to thrive.In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ta Minh Tuan, VASS Vice President, said that Vietnam is a key partner of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in implementing its Indo-Pacific Strategy and Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative Dr. Park Cheol Hee, President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, listed a series of joint works performed by the sides in recent times. They have improved legal corridors, and innovated credit mechanisms and reviewed tax systems, fees, and input costs to support exports. The countries have also expanded cooperation into new areas in supply chain development, high-tech industries, support industries, and urban development, among many others.Dr. Nguyen Thi Tham, Director of the research centre for RoK and DPRK under VASS’s Institute for Northeast Asian Studies, proposed the sides focus more on security collaboration to deal with traditional and non-traditional security risks in a comprehensive, multidimensional manner.Other participants suggested measures regarding investment in industry restructuring such as developing support industries for manufacturing materials, components and boosting the competitiveness of some sub-sectors manufacturing consumer products./.

The sharp increase in the number of projects and the appearance of large-scale projects were one of the main factors driving the sharp increase in foreign investment capital. In terms of investment fields, foreign investors invested in 15 industries out of 21 national economic sectors. Of that, the real estate sector attracted the most with more than 1.27 billion USD (53.9%) and the processing and manufacturing industry ranked second with nearly 926 million USD (39.2%). Of them, Singapore led with more than 1.4 billion USD, accounting for 59.5% of total investment capital. Hanoi attracted the most FDI this month, followed by Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, and Dong Nai./.

Vietnam wins numerous ASEAN tourism awards Vietnam had 25 destinations and establishments named in different categories of the ASEAN Tourism Awards at a ceremony held as part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2024 in Laos on January 26. Themed "Quality and Responsible Tourism Sustaining ASEAN Future", the ATF 2024 aims to strengthen collaboration in further improving ASEAN tourism products to attract more international visitors. It also brought 13kg of plastic waste collected from the sea to hand over to the Quy Nhơn Fishing Port plastic waste collection team for recycling. The awards was jointly by the Vietnam Golf Association, Vietnam Television Cable (VTVCab) and VGS Group. Vietnam, Srithai Vietnam, Central Retail Vietnam, and MM Mega Market Vietnam.

HÀ NỘI — The corporate bond market is expected to remain relatively sluggish until the end of the first quarter of 2024, as conditions for issuing and trading corporate bonds tighten. These factors contribute to the trend of the corporate bond market. Previously, retail investors were the primary growth driver of the corporate bond market, accounting for one-third of the market's purchasing power. This is aimed at gradually improving the corporate bond market and aligning it with international standards. Investment funds also noted that the corporate bond market has faced its most challenging phase and that there are still obstacles ahead, particularly with the real estate market remaining subdued.

HÀ NỘI - The Việt Nam Embassy's Commercial Services in the Netherlands has issued a warning regarding a surge in online fraudulent activities against Vietnamese exporters as global demand for petroleum products increases. According to the Vietnamese trade authorities, fraudulent activities were not confined to the Netherlands alone. As Vietnamese businesses seize opportunities in the expanding global market, the complexities and sophistication of trade disputes and fraud have increased. This could and had resulted in sizable losses for Vietnamese exporters. It highlighted the importance of a two-way identification method to help Vietnamese exporters verify and screen their foreign partners, mitigating fraud risks.

BERLIN — A total of 56 Vietnamese enterprises showcased their products at Ambiente 2024 - a leading exhibition fair on consumer goods and gifts in the world that is underway from January 27-30 in Frankfurt, Germany. Joining the event, Vietnamese enterprises expect to expand their exports to the EU – a major market of Vietnamese handicraft products that accounts for about 30% of the total. Of the 56 businesses attending Ambiente 2024, nearly 30 involve in bamboo/rattan products. On this occasion, Vietnam also aims to introduce to international partners its Vietnam Lifestyle exhibition, scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2024, Ngoc said. Ambiente Frankfurt 2024, covering over 360,000 sq.m, attracts nearly 5,000 exhibitors from 170 countries who introduce the latest trends and most innovative consumer products in four display areas - kitchenware, furniture, gifts, and office items.