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| Vietnam reports trade surplus of US$16.25 billion by mid-August |
Throughout the reviewed period the country exported roughly US$209.4 billion worth of goods, representing a fall of 10.1% year on year, while imports totaled US$193 billion, an annual decline of 16.7%.
The first half of August saw the country’s total import-export turnover reach US$28.6 billion, of which exports grossed US$14.4 billion, down 10.8% against the same period last year.
Four groups of export items brought in over US$1billion each, namely phones and components (US$2.42 billion); computers, electronic products and components (US$2.38 billion); garments and textiles (US$1.55 billion); and machinery and equipment (US$1.53 billion).
Meanwhile, Vietnam purchased commodities worth US$14.2 billion during the first half of August, up 5.3% year on year. Of the import revenue; US$4.1 billion was spent on computers, electronic products and components, whilst US$1.87 billion was on machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts.
The import turnover has kept increasing slightly over recent months, with a specific focus on goods for production and export activities, as well as domestic consumption.
This is a positive sign for domestic production and export turnover is anticipated to grow moving forward, said economists.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said it is continuing to support businesses to maximise benefits from free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), in an effort to boost exports amid a global market slump.
The MoIT has also coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to negotiate with China to open its market to other Vietnamese fruit and vegetable products such as green-skinned pomelos, fresh coconuts, avocados, pineapples, star apples, lemons, and cantaloupe.
Vietnamese photographer wins ProArtist Awards 2023
A photo titled “Dolphins In The Sea” taken by local photographer Thai Viet Hoan has won the Photography category of the ProArtist Awards 2023, reported the Voice of Vietnam.
The photo titled “Dolphins In The Sea” taken by photographer Thai Viet Hoan has won the Photography category of the ProArtist Awards 2023
The photo shows fishing nets in the coastal area of the central province of Phu Yen at the time of collection, creating the shape of a dolphin swimming in the sea. The best moment is when the fisherman's small basket boat in red moves into the right position and creates the shape of a dolphin with a perfect eye.
“The delicate wisps of the fishing net hang beautifully beneath the surface of the water like a giant sea creature,” says Ruben Wu, a judge of the contest and a visual artist and photographer.
Winning the title, Thai Viet Hoan brought home a total cash prize of US$10,000.
ASUS ProArtist Awards 2023 themed “Seeing an Incredible Future” aims to encourage creators to share creativity that reflects environmental hopes and aspirations.
This year, the competition has received thousands of entries from over 100 countries, sharing their personal thoughts and stories with the world. Entrants competed in four categories, including Photography, Graphic Design, Film, and Animation.
Binh Duong named among Top 7 Intelligent Communities for third time
The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has named the southern province of Binh Duong among the top 7 Intelligent Communities (Top 7) for the third time in a row, reported Vietnam News Agency.
The Top7 Communities are chosen from among the Smart 21 Communities in 2023. Binh Duong has been honoured among the Smart 21 in five consecutive years.
The title is expected to strengthen investors and businesses’ confidence in the locality, helping lure more foreign direct investment and high quality human resources, paving the way for its high technology service and industry development in the future.
According to Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Hung Dung, being honoured in the Top 7 Intelligent Communities for three consecutive years proves the effectiveness of its smart city development strategy, helping promote its growth and bringing prosperity to local residents as well as economic success and international recognition to the locality.
The ICF gathers nearly 200 prosperous smart cities in the world, studied and assessed hundreds of cities around the world to select the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities based on six factors including broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability, and advocacy.
Binh Duong has implemented the Binh Duong Smart City project since 2016 which always sticks to the concept of economic transformation towards innovation and digitisation.
Supported and inspired by the ICF Smart Community of the Year in 2011 - Brainport Eindhoven of the Netherlands, Becamex IDC Corporation and Binh Duong's authorities have been applying digital transformation and innovation in all specific projects to make Binh Duong smarter, better, and more livable.
In the heart of Vietnam’s southeastern region, Binh Duong province is a brand new city in development.
The ICF is a global network that connects hundreds of cities and regions on the five continents for collaboration on economic development and for exchange of expertise and information that drives progress. Through this network, it researches how Intelligent Communities use information and communications technology to build inclusive prosperity, solve social problems and enrich their quality of life.
Hanoi one of Asia-Pacific’s culinary gems: Travel agency
Dutch online travel agency Booking.com has named Hanoi among the top five culinary gems in the Asia-Pacific, based on readers’ votes, reported Vietnam News Agency.
The Vietnamese capital was mentioned first in the list which also includes Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Tokyo (Japan), Singapore, and Kaohsiung (China’s Taiwan).
According to the website, Hanoi boasts Michelin Star restaurants Gia and Hibana by Koki and Tam. At Gia, Chef Sam Tran creates a rotating, seasonal contemporary Vietnamese menu, Hibana by Koki serves Japanese cuisine at an intimate 14-seat counter with ingredients flown in twice a week from Japan; while Tam Vi is focused on northern Vietnamese dishes like ham with snails and crab soup with Malabar spinach.
“These eateries which were awarded the prestigious Michelin star in June 2023 serve beautifully crafted dishes and exceptional culinary experiences that are worth stopping by on a trip to Vietnam,” it said./.
