Vietnam Morning News For February 7

Vietnam keeps tough auto import rules despite criticism
Vietnam plans to continue strict enforcement of automobile import rules, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung says, amid resistance to the year-old policy from overseas carmakers.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Petrovietnam reports 26 percent hike in revenues last year
Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group has announced its 2018 results, which show it exceeded its revenue and state budget contribution targets.
— VnExpress

HCM City hits 2018 revenue target
HCM City’s revenues last year grew by 8.6 percent to 378.54 trillion VND (16.3 billion USD), according to the municipal Department of Finance.
— VNA NET

Domestic retailers urged to team up to compete with foreign rivals
Competition between domestic and foreign retailers was likely to remain fierce this year, requiring Vietnamese businesses to co-operate in order to maintain their market shares, said an official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade
— Viet Nam News

Vietnam targets 40 billion USD in textile-garment exports in 2019
The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) has set the industry’s export turnover target this year at 40 billion USD, a 10.8 percent year-on-year increase from 2018.
— VNA NET

Five highlights of PetroVietnam’s operations in 2018
Those working for PetroVietnam, fully known as the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, can be referred to as the ‘people who search for fire,’ thanks to their main activity of oil and gas exploration.
— Tuoi Tre

Second Trump-Kim Meeting To Be Held In Vietnam On Feb 27-28
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold a much-anticipated second summit on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam, with possible locations being the capital, Hanoi, and the seaside city of Danang.
— Investvine

Vietnam remains attractive for investment in 2019: insider
Vietnam will remain an attractive investment destination in 2019, though impacts of the US-China trade tension that triggered a downturn in global stock markets in 2018 will not end soon, said Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of VinaCapital Andy Ho.
— VietnamPlus

Mitigating global stock uncertainty in Vietnam
In 2019, Vietnamese stocks may receive some knock-on effects from the highly volatile global stock market. However, the country’s fundamentals remain attractive to investors, and various sectors are nevertheless poised for good growth.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Fed up with flight delays in Asia? Blame the airports
You’ve endured the long queues at check-in and immigration; patiently sat on the floor of a packed departure hall after being informed of a delay to your flight; before eventually being told to walk across a baking tarmac to your plane.
— Aljazeera

Bac Ninh province attracts more investment right on first days
Bac Ninh province, about 60km north of Hanoi, handed over investment licenses and signed land-use contracts with many domestic and foreign investors right on the first days of 2019, according to local authorities.
— VNA NET

CPTPP a step into the future
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) took effect in Vietnam from January 14, with great expectations that it will substantially contribute to growth in the country’s economy, investment, and trade.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Ten outstanding external relations events of Vietnam in 2018
Vietnam closes the year 2018 with many political, diplomatic and socio-economic events and hallmarks which have drawn special international attention. The following are 10 prominent external relations events selected by the Vietnam News Agency.
— VNA NET

Hue – Da Nang steam train to be restored to serve tourism
The Indochina Rail Tourist Service Company plans to restore the operation of steam trains travelling between the central city of Da Nang and Hue to serve tourists.
— VNA NET

Economists worry about economic growth as national debt grows
Truong Dinh Tuyen, former Minister of Trade, said at a recent workshop on the economic prospects in 2019 that Vietnam’s economy has had high GDP growth rate of nearly 7 percent in recent years, but it has relied heavily on FDI.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Traffic accidents kill 15 on first day of Tet
According to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, the whole country saw 21 traffic accidents with 15 deaths and 13 injuries on February 5, the first day of the lunar New Year.
— VNA NET

Fruit, vegetable sector targets 4.2 billion USD in export turnover in 2019
The fruit and vegetable sector aims to gross nearly 4.2 billion USD in export turnover this year, according to the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
— VietnamPlus

Kwiatkowski to become Vietnamese citizen for SEA Games
Tennis player Thai Son Kwiatkowski, ATP world rank 275, will become a naturalised Vietnamese citizen to take part in the Southeast Asian Games later this year.
— VNA NET

Vietnam’s spectacular colored ceramic relief
Made from nearly 56,000 pieces of pottery, the relief in Ha Long depicts Vietnamese and global heritages.
— VnExpress

Quang Binh aims to greet 4.3 million tourists in 2019
The central province of Quang Binh targets to welcome 4.3 million visitors in 2019, about 250,000-300,000 of them foreigners, and earn some 5 trillion VND (more than 214 million USD) from tourism.
— VNA NET

Thua Thien-Hue okays marine ecological tourist complex
The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has given nod to the construction of a marine ecological tourist complex in Hai Duong commune, Huong Tra township.
— VNA NET

Many businesses reopen on 2nd day of Lunar New Year
Many trade centres, supermarkets and traditional markets in HCM City reopened on Wednesday, the second day of the Lunar New Year.
— Bizhub

Japan – an attractive labour market for Vietnam
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam talks to Vietnam News Agency about Japan’s visa policy for Vietnamese guest workers.
— VietnamPlus

Supermarkets keep stable prices for Tet
Many trade centres and supermarkets started opening their door right on February 5, the first day of the traditional lunar New Year (Tet), with prices kept at the same level before the longest and most important festival in Vietnam, according to market watchers.
— VietnamPlus

Thousands depart for Tet vacation on Lunar New Year’s Day in Vietnam
Thousands of Vietnamese departed for Tet vacation on Tuesday, the first day of the lunar Year of the Pig, reflecting a growing trend among locals to travel instead of staying at home for the traditional festival.
— Tuoi Tre

Lao Cai int’l border gate busy on Lunar New Year festival
The Lao Cai international border gate in the northern mountainous province of the same name was busy with holiday makers on the first day of the Year of the Pig (February 5).
— VNA NET

Why Vietnam for the second Trump-Kim summit?
Communist-run but with capitalist leanings, and a friend to both the United States and North Korea, Vietnam will host the next summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un from February 27 to 28.
— ABS-CBN

Vietnam welcomes US-DPRK planned 2nd summit
Vietnam welcomes the second US-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea summit and strongly supports dialogues to maintain peace, security and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
— VNA NET

Paper packaging industry thrives as exports soar, plastic use declines
In Vietnam, where e-commerce is developing at lightning speed, the demand for paper packaging has been increasing rapidly because of its advantages over plastic, metal and wood.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Tra Boi Stream – hidden charm of Quang Ngai province
The sound of water flowing down, the singing of the wild birds – the symphony of nature resounds in the picturesque scenery of Tra Boi Waterfall.
— VNA NET

HCM City takes measures to protect the environment
HCM City targets reducing the volume of plastic bags used at supermarkets and business centres by 65 per cent, and at traditional markets by 50 per cent compared with 2010.
— Viet Nam News

Xich Dang temple of literature in Hung Yen
Following the construction of Quoc Tu Giam Temple of Literature in Hanoi, which is seen as Vietnam’s first university, in 1070, many temples of literature were built across the nation. Xich Dang temple of literature in the northern province of Hung Yen is one of them.
— VNA NET

As Vietnam celebrates New Year, Catholics mark the occasion among the poor in Thanh Hóa
In the Thanh Hóa diocese, parishes organise charitable and social initiatives. The local cathedral and Catholics in Ba Làng helped tribal people. Mỹ Điểm parish and the Legio Mariae joined forces to help seniors and disabled cope with loneliness.
— Asia News

Hoi An among Elle list of stunning holiday ideas for 2019
The ancient town of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam was among the 10 stunning holidays ideas for 2019 offered by Elle, the worldwide lifestyle magazine of French origin.
— VNA NET

Feature photo loilamtan

This week’s Vietnam morning news feature photo acknowledges Chinese New Year, 2019.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Vietnam morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Vietnam news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies, not politics.