Vietnam Morning News For December 18, 2019

Vietnam extends visa exemption to eight countries till 2022
Visitors from Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belarus will continue to enjoy Vietnamese visa exemptions for the next three years.
— VnExpress

Vietnam hopes for Chinese restraint in South China Sea in 2020
Vietnam said it hoped China would show restraint in the South China Sea next year after a Chinese oil survey vessel and its escorts spent months within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in what Hanoi called a blatant violation of its sovereignty.
— Reuters

Vietnam Approves Labor Code for 2021
Vietnam has approved an amended Labor Code which will come into effect in January 2021. The amendment to the labor regulations are a step towards aligning with international labor standards particularly as Vietnam integrates into the world economy as noted by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
— Vietnam-Briefing

Vietnam’s 2020 strategy: a year of diplomatic force-multipliers
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s raising of the ASEAN gavel last month signalled not only Vietnam’s commencement as chair of the regional grouping, but also the start of a critically definitive period for its foreign policy in the South China Sea.
— Lowy Institute

Việt Nam surpass 500,000 ‘.vn’ domain names
The ‘.vn’ domain name is the national domain name with the largest number of registrations in Southeast Asia and in the top 10 in Asia-Pacific.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnamese dairy industry to gain annual growth rate of 10 per cent
Demand for high-value dairy products is also expected to increase sharply due to the young population and growing number of middle-class people in urban areas.
— Viet Nam News

Strengthening the comprehensive cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Myanmar
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam are paying an official visit to Myanmar from December 16-18 at the invitation of Myanmar President U Win Myint.
— NDO

Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export value drops in first 11 months 2019
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports dropped 0.6 percent year-on-year to US$3.5 billion in the first 11 months this year.
— Fresh Plaza

Vietnam’s workers finally lose their chains
Vietnam will soon allow for the formation of independent trade unions for the first time under Communist Party rule, a move required for its participation in newly signed free trade agreements (FTAs), but one that may give investors pause if it fuels already percolating labor unrest.
— Asia times

South Korean retailers tap Vietnam as e-commerce closes in at home
Korean pop songs played over the speakers as young office workers browsed snacks and stationery at the GS25 convenience store in the Da Kao district of Ho Chi Minh City. The spicy ramen and sweet cookies lining the shelves were the same as they would find in Seoul.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

No shortages of fresh food are expected for Tết holiday
Poultry and pork products are expected to be in sufficient supply in HCM City during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday, which falls on January 25.
— Viet Nam News

Warning Systems Still Not Built in Vietnam Provinces Hit by Toxic Waste Spill
Coastal warning systems ordered for four Vietnamese provinces hit three years ago by a massive spill of toxic waste are still not in place due to a hold-up in the distribution of funds for their construction, state media say.
— Radio Free Asia

Government pledges to facilitate Nike’s long-term operation in Vietnam
The Vietnamese Government is willing to create favourable conditions for Nike to operate in the long run in Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said while receiving Nike Vice President Chris Helzer in Hanoi on December 17.
— NDO

Vietnam wants WHO’s support to better healthcare system: Deputy PM
Vietnam hopes to receive further assistance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to improve the country’s healthcare system, including disease prevention, primary health care and building healthcare law, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam raises proposals to help ASEM bolster multilateral cooperation
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh raised some proposals to help the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) enhance its role in fostering multilateral cooperation, while addressing the 14th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid on December 16.
— NDO

Vietnamese dairy industry targets 1 billion litres in 2020
The Vietnamese dairy industry sets a target of producing 1 billion litres of fresh milk in 2020, meeting 38 percent of the domestic demand.
— VietnamPlus

Petrol drops, oil climbs
According to order of the ministries of Industry and Trade and Finance, petrol prices in Vietnam slightly declined while oil prices edged up as of 3 p.m. on December 16.
— Sggp News

Presidential Office announces newly adopted laws
The Presidential Office held a press conference in Hanoi on December 16 to announce the President’s order on the laws adopted at the recent eighth session of the 14th-tenure National Assembly.
— NDO

Domestic electronic enterprises unable to develop
In recent years, electronics industry has always been among top ten industries with highest export proportion of tens of billions US dollars annually. However, this ‘piece of cake’ mostly belongs to foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises.
— Sggp News

High potential of ornamental fish export
For recent years,ornamental fish breeding has developed in Ho Chi Minh City even small-scale ornamental fish farming is also a profitable business.
— Sggp News

Prices of air tickets for Tet to be strictly controlled: CAAV
Prices of air tickets for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New year) will be tightly controlled by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).
— VietnamPlus

VEAM to pay $214.9 million dividend in cash
The Việt Nam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation (VEAM) announced it would pay a cash dividend of more than VNĐ5 trillion (US$214.9 million) on January 21.
— Viet Nam News

FDI capital not easy to absorb
Several experts suggested that the Government should focus on supporting some potential Vietnamese enterprises in electronics and micro-electromechanical system sector to create opportunities for these enterprises to develop and play the leading role in domestic electronics market, especially household electric and electronic products.
— Sggp News

The rice race has changed, and Vietnam’s not in the running
The current consumption trend heavily favoring food quality, safety and clear origins is putting Vietnamese rice on the back foot.
— VnExpress

Vinamilk to spend $75m to advance 2019 dividend
Việt Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk), one of the country’s leading dairy producers, has agreed to pay the second interim dividend for 2019.
— Viet Nam News

Pork prices keep rising to new highs
Low supplies courtesy of the African swine flu epidemic have pushed pork prices up 29.6 percent from a month earlier.
— VnExpress

Japan’s cosmetics, drugstore chain to open first outlet in Vietnam
The first flagship store of Japan’s Matsumoto Kiyoshi cosmetics and drugstore chain is set to open in Vietnam late March.
— VietnamPlus

Coffee price crisis hits Vietnamese export value
Việt Nam’s coffee industry had suffered from falling export prices, according to the Việt Nam Coffee and Cacao Association.
— Viet Nam News

Petrol prices drop slightly in latest review
The retail prices of petrol were reduced as from 3pm on Monday 16.
— Viet Nam News

Singapore’s Nexif Energy buys 94% in Vietnam’s Song Giang Hydropower
Nexif Energy, a Southeast Asian independent power producer headquartered in Singapore, has acquired 94 per cent stake in Vietnam’s Song Giang Hydropower JSC for an undisclosed sum, according to a statement.
— DealStreetAsia

Japanese insurer to buy over 41 million shares of Bảo Việt Holdings
Japanese insurer Sumitomo Life has registered to buy more than 41.4 million shares of local insurer Bảo Việt Holdings (BVH).
— Viet Nam News

Vĩnh Phúc achieves all 13 socio-economic growth targets for 2019: Vice-standing chairman
Vĩnh Phúc Province has overachieved results in all 13 targets set for 2019, according to vice-standing chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lê Duy Thành.
— Viet Nam News

Remittances to Việt Nam to further rise in 2019
Remittances to Việt Nam are likely to further increase in 2019 because overseas Vietnamese people believe in the stability of the economy and see better investment opportunities, economist Nguyen Trí Hiếu said.
— Viet Nam News

Việt Nam enjoys record trade value
Việt Nam’s trade value this year was estimated to touch US$500 billion, two years after hitting the $400 billion threshold, a new milestone for the country that has been striving to improve its business climate and enhance international integration.
— Viet Nam News

VN stocks slide, Bảo Việt shares soar on buy-in offer
Despite global gains, Vietnamese shares ended Monday in negative territory as investors awaited the year-end.
— Viet Nam News

Pace of modern life makes snack market lucrative
Snacks are replacing traditional meals as busy modern life changes consumer behaviour, making the snack market lucrative globally including in Việt Nam, experts said.
— Viet Nam News

Fourth Vietnam Rice Festival underway in Vĩnh Long
The fourth Vietnam Rice Festival is taking place in the Mekong Delta province of Vĩnh Long, with a wide range of events designed to promote agro-economy and rice trade in domestic and foreign markets.
— Viet Nam News

Environmental monitoring systems delayed in Formosa incident-impacted provinces
Four central coastal provinces of Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Huế have asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to postpone the construction of marine environmental monitoring and warning systems by 2021 due to financial shortage.
— Viet Nam Net

Feature photo People’s Army Newspaper

This week’s Vietnam morning news feature photo focus on International Human Solidarity Day, December 20.

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).

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