☕ Afternoon briefing on August 16

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on August 16.

- It is necessary to bring into play the strength of the whole nation and political system, make full use of support from the international community and promote all resources and creativeness of the people in building and safeguarding the Fatherland, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said while chairing a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on August 16 to discuss theoretical and practical issues on the protection of the Fatherland in the new situation.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) addresses the event. (Photo: VNA)

President Phuc, who is head of the steering committee on building a project to summarise the 10-year implementation of the resolution of the 8th plenary session of the 11th Party Central Committee on the Fatherland protection strategy in the new situation, highlighted major achievements in the cause of national protection. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 16 asked the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) to make greater efforts to contribute further to promoting socio-economic development and building an independent, self-reliant economy with active and effective international integration.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the working session with leaders of Viettel. (Photo: VNA)

The PM made the request during a working session with leaders of the group, which was connected to Viettel branches in 63 localities nationwide and 10 foreign markets after visiting the firm's hi-tech park. Read full story

- A Party delegation, headed by Politburo member and head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh, paid a visit to the UK from August 10 – 15, aiming to fortify the countries’ strategic partnership, particularly in economy, trade, and investment.

During the trip, the delegation met many UK officials, namely Graham Stuart, Minister of State (Minister for Europe) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans; Minister of State in the Cabinet Office Nigel Adams; Economic Secretary to the Treasury Richard Fuller; and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain Robert Griffiths. Read full story

- Vietnam appreciated the UK’s assistance in human trafficking prevention and control and expected that the two sides would continue cooperation and experience sharing in the field, said Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien.

At a reception in Hanoi on August 16 for visiting Permanent Secretary at the UK’s Home Office Matthew Rycroft, Chien stressed that cooperative relations between the two countries have been actively fostered by their leaders over the past time, particularly via visits. Read full story

- Vietnam, a rising star in the global supply chain, has the potential to become a new tiger in Asia, economist Brian Lee Shun Rong at Maybank - Malaysia's largest financial services group and the leading banking group in South East Asia – has reportedly said.

Ho Chi Minh City seen from above (Photo: vneconomy.vn)

Speaking at Forbes Vietnam’s recent Business Forum, Brian Lee affirmed that Vietnam will become a new tiger of Asia, after the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and China’s Taiwan and Hong Kong. Read full story

- Vietnamese enterprises currently have limited participation in the global supply chain, and are not deeply involved in the value chain of multinational corporations in Vietnam.

Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Industry Agency at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that Vietnam currently had about 5,000 processing and manufacturing enterprises engaged in providing spare parts for the automotive and mechanical industries./.Read full story