Day: July 16, 2023

The series of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ meetings, attended by senior Chinese diplomat, Wang Yi, have sent out three positive messages, a Chinese official said here yesterday.

First, the meetings saw a more peaceful atmosphere. The ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in a friendly and harmonious way, focused on practical cooperation.

With an eye on fostering a regional growth centre, the 10 ASEAN members have given priority to development, which is consistent with China’s concept. Many ASEAN foreign ministers said, ASEAN’s prosperity is closely linked with China’s development, and the ASEAN nations are willing to advance the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road with China.

At the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, all parties laid emphasis on sub-regional cooperation, which injected new vitality into the relaunch of trilateral cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea, the official said.

At the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which, in the past witnessed differences and conflicts, all parties supported ASEAN centrality and advocated an open and inclusive regional order.

ASEAN has stressed that, the region should not become another arena for power games. The regional countries want solidarity, not division, and call for more communication rather than prejudice and malice.

A certain country made provocative remarks against China at the meetings, which was refuted by China with facts and reasons, the official said. In general, the parties preferred dialogues, coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation to tit-for-tat debates.

Second, the meetings achieve more results. Two major achievements were made at the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the official said.

On the one hand, the meeting adopted the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Commemorating and Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of China’s Accession to The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Twenty years ago, China took the lead in joining TAC, when other countries were hesitating, which shows that China has always advocated equality among countries regardless of their sizes and reflects the importance China attached to ASEAN. So far, TAC has 51 members, and ASEAN’s standing has been considerably enhanced.

On the other hand, the meetings announced the completion of the second reading of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) text, and adopted a guideline document on an early conclusion of the COC, which created a favourable condition for starting the third reading of the COC text at an early date.

The final conclusion of the COC will greatly enhance mutual trust and expand mutually beneficial cooperation between China and ASEAN, and it will send a clear signal that China and ASEAN do not need condescending instructors, but have full capability and wisdom to properly resolve the South China Sea issue through joint efforts to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

Third, the meetings witness more pragmatic interactions, the official said. The Chinese delegation has engaged in more than 10 bilateral meetings. Among them, the China-U.S. meeting has drawn great attention. Both sides agreed that the meeting was candid, pragmatic and constructive.

The Chinese delegation also held meetings with delegations from Japan, South Korea, India and Europe, all of which released positive signals, and all countries expressed their willingness to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation with China

Source: Nam News Network

Two shows of Toyota Concert 2023 will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on August 5 and August 8 respectively, the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) announced on July 16.

Both shows will be conducted under the baton of talented Japanese Honna Tetsuji and have performance of piano soloist Nguyen Dang Quang.

All proceeds will go to the Toyota Vietnam Music Talent Fund to support young Vietnamese musical talents in pursuing their passion for classic music.

Honna Tetsuji has served as music director and principal conductor of the VNSO since 2009. He was appointed conductor of the Osaka Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2001 and was a frequent guest conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra from 1998 to 2001. Since 2021, he has been the artistic advisor to the Vietnam Young Music Academy (VYMI).

Meanwhile, piano soloist Nguyen Dang Quang is notable for starting his piano studies when he was just nine.

In 2020, when he was 22, he completed his undergraduate training programme, majoring in Classical Piano Performance, at the University of Montreal (Canada) after being given a full scholarship from the Vietnamese Government under the guidance of renowned Vietnamese pianist Professor Dang Thai Son.

He finally completed his master’s degree programme in 2022 and is now pursuing a doctorate at the University of Montreal.

During the Toyota Concert 2023, pianist Nguyen Dang Quang and the VNSO will treat audiences to classic pieces by composers Sergei Rachmaninoff and Jean Sibelius.

Meanwhile, on August 10, the VNSO artists will perform the “Summer Concert” on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973-2023). The event taking place at Trung Vuong Theater, Da Nang city is aimed to promote cultural and artistic connections, affirming the long-term cooperation between the two countries./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National carrier Vietnam Airlines rescheduled flights to and from Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on July 16 due to heavy rains with thunderstorms.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that the change of operation plans due to bad weather is to ensure absolute safety for passengers.

Passengers who are planning to go to and from HCM City during this time are recommended to follow the weather forecast and information on the website www.vietnamairlines.com, its fanpage or contact Vietnam Airlines ticket offices across the country or Hotline 1900 1100.

Previously, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said that the rainy season weather was the main reason why many flights had to wait a long time to land at Tan Son Nhat airport in HCM City.

Statistics from Tan Son Nhat Airport showed that rain occurred more often in the afternoon and evening in June, affecting the operation of flights at the airport./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A tropical depression active in the East Sea has strengthened into Storm Talim, the first storm expected to hit Vietnam this year, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

By 1pm of July 17, the storm would be 200km to the east of Leizhou Peninsula. By 1pm of July 18, the storm would be above the northern part of the Gulf of Tonkin, with wind speeds of 75-102km per hour and gusts up to 149km an hour.

Due to the impact of Talim, the northern part of the East Sea will experience strong winds and rough waves of 4-6 metres.

The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention has requested the authorities from Quang Ninh province in the northern region to Phu Yen in the south-central coast to monitor the storm and prepare response measures.

The Commanding Committee of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue of Thai Binh province has issued an urgent message, designated as Message No 02, to all committees responsible for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue at every level and branch within the province.

This message urgently calls for the strict implementation of Emergency Dispatch No 01, which requires all ships and boats in hazardous areas to immediately seek safe locations to avoid potential risks.

These units are responsible for promptly notifying vessel and boat owners and captains operating at sea about the storm’s location, movement, and safe routes to follow. They must also warn against entering danger zones. Concurrently, these committees shall organise comprehensive monitoring and strict management of ship and boat sailings, maintaining regular communication with vessels in the storm-affected area. They will conduct inspections and provide guidance on safe anchorage for ships and boats. Additionally, they should have rescue forces and resources readily available to promptly respond to any adverse situations that may arise.

The irrigation system in the province would have to appoint staff to work around the clock. These personnel are responsible for monitoring the water levels and actively draining excess water from the system through sluices located under the dyke. Additionally, they regularly inspect the operation of pumping stations to ensure they are prepared to facilitate drainage for newly transplanted rice, crops, and low-lying areas.

The People’s Committees of districts and cities are urgently directing and urging the pruning of tree branches and reinforcing cages and rafts of aquaculture and fishing farms in riverside and coastal areas. They are also developing plans to relocate clam, aquaculture, seafood workers, and households living in dangerous low-lying areas along rivers and estuaries, as well as fishermen conducting business on the river and at sea, to safer locations.

Tran Van Ta, Director of the Maritime Port Authority of southern Kien Giang province, announced the suspension of all passenger transportation services between the mainland and the islands due to severe weather conditions. The suspension would be in effect until the weather conditions improve and return to normal.

Specifically, shipping lines and ferries operating on routes between Phu Quoc-Rach Gia, Phu Quoc-Ha Tien, Rach Gia-Nam Du, and vice versa must suspend their operations during this period to ensure the safety of passengers./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietjet has officially launched the direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, meeting the demands of people and tourists.

From July 15, with seven return flights every week, passengers can easily travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Haneda Airport – the largest airport in Japan and one of the top in Asia. The airport is located less than 30 minutes from central Tokyo and is one of the largest transit points from Asia to western countries through an extensive domestic and international flight network.

Flights from HCM City to Tokyo (Haneda) depart at 17:00 and arrive at 1:00 the next day (local time). Flights from Tokyo (Haneda) to HCM City depart at 12:00 and arrive at 16:10 (local time).

From now until December 31, passengers have an opportunity to hunt tickets to fly to Tokyo and other Vietjet international routes on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The tickets, going for zero Vietnamese dong, can be found at www.vietjetair.com and the Vietjet Air mobile app, with flexible flight schedules from August 10, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

Passengers also can accumulate bonus SkyPoints on each flight to redeem vouchers for Vietjet and services from 250 favourite brands of dining, resort, and shopping in Vietnam via SkyJoy mobile app or https://skyjoy.vietjetair.com/

HCM City – Tokyo (Haneda) is Vietjet’s second route, after HCM City – Tokyo (Narita), connecting HCM City.

Vietjet is a fully-fledged member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. As Vietnam’s largest private carrier, the airline has been awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com and listed as one of the world’s 50 best airlines for healthy financing and operations by Airfinance Journal in many consecutive years. The airline has also been named as Best Low-Cost Carrier by renowned organisations such as Skytrax, CAPA, Airline Ratings, and many others./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) participated in commemorating World Environment Day 2023 by planting 10,000 medicinal plants simultaneously throughout Indonesia.”Planting these (medicinal) plants is part of our movements. With all BPOM branches throughout Indonesia, we were able to plant 10,000 medicinal plants,” the Head of BPOM, Penny K Lukito, mentioned in a press conference on Sunday. She informed that the process of collecting tree seedlings required a long process. However, with the active involvement of all parties, the event can be held simultaneously in remote districts/cities. Lukito conveyed that the medicinal plants consist of nutmeg, noni, and moringa leaves. The planting event was also attended by representatives from relevant ministries/institutions, such as from Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, and National Development Planning Agency. Through the activity, BPOM seeks for people’s understanding on itsrole in maintaining a sustainable environment apart from being mandated as a regulator and supervisor in the manufacture and distribution of drugs and food. “Our role includes ensuring the availability of a supply chain for the drug and food industry, but still prioritizing the sustainability of raw materials in a safe and efficacious way,” she added.

Source: Antara News Agency

Gianyar, Bali (ANTARA) – State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir said that Bali Province has a greater chance to attract tourists in health and sports tourism since the province will be supported by facilities developed by the government and the private sector.”Besides health tourism, we can also offer sports tourism. This is a joint effort to build Bali carried out by the government, regional government, and private sectors,” he conveyed at Purnama Beach, Gianyar District, Bali, Sunday. ccording to the SOEsminister, the government is building a health Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Sanur, Denpasar consisting of a combination between healthcareservice and tourism. The area is currently in term of finalizing international standard hospital facilities and revitalizing the Inna Grand Bali Beach hotel which is managed by state-owned hotel chainPT Hotel Indonesia Natour (HIN), he continued. The Sanur Health SEZ is located on an area of 41.26 hectares with a total development budget estimated at Rp1.4 trillion, Thohir continued. The topping out for the building which marks the stage towards completion for the construction of the hospital –in collaboration with a health facility from the United States– is expected to be carried out on July 31, 2023, he noted. “The health facility will operate in April next year while the hotels in November 2023,” he said. He addressed that the health facility in Bali is expected to divert Indonesian citizens who have been seeking treatment abroad. It is estimated that two million people per year with potential foreign exchange earnings of up to Rp165 trillion seek health treatment in foreign countries. Meanwhile, Thohir informed that the private sector also built a soccer training facility in the Purnama Beach area for the soccer club, Bali United. The owner of the football club, Pieter Tanuri, explained that currently the training area covering a total area of around 30 hectares has a fitness center, four practice fields and will be equipped with four more fields. Tanuriadded that his party also plans to build a hotel to attract domestic and international tourists. However, he was reluctant to mention the sports facility development budget.

Source: Antara News Agency