I/ Foreign
affairs:
- Viet Nam and Belarus agreed to increase
bilateral trade to 500 million USD in the next two years. The two sides issued
a joint statement on the comprehensive and extensive development of the
partnership between Viet Nam and Belarus. The two countries also signed nine
cooperation documents between the Government, ministries, branches and
localities (during the official visit to the Republic of Belarus by President
Tran Dai Quang from 26 – 28 June 2017) .
II/
Socio-Economic News:
Economic
situation in the first 6 months of 2017:
- According to the Ministry of Planning
and Investment, Viet Nam’s total export turnover was estimated at 97.78 billion
USD, increased by 18.9% compared to the same period in 2016. FDI enterprises'
exports reached 69.26%, increased 20,6% and accounted for 70.8% of total export
turnover of the country. Domestic exports reached 26.96 billion USD, increased by
13.8% compared to the same period in 2016.
-
FDI in Viet Nam reached 19.22 billion USD, increased by 54.8% compared to the
same period in 2016, in which, the disbursed projects reached 7.72 billion USD,
increased by 6.5%. The sectors attracting the most foreign investors include: manufacturing
and processing industry with 9.48 billion USD, accounting for 49.3%; electricity
production and distribution was 5.25 billion USD, accounting for 27.34%; mining
with 1.28 billion USD, accounting for 6.68%.
-
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, total value of
agricultural, forestry and fishery exports reached 17.1 billion USD, increased
by 13.1% compared to the same period of 2016, in which, major agricultural
products reached 9.1 billion USD, increased by 15,4%; fishery products reached 3.5
billion USD, increased by 14.1%; Forest products reached 3.8 billion USD,
increased by 12.8%.
-
The total number of international tourists to Viet Nam reached 6.2 million, increased
by 30.2% compared to the same period of 2016. Total revenue is estimated at
254,000 billion VND (VNAT).
- In 2017, Vietnam's
cashew industry is expected to export about 360,000 tons of cashew nuts, increased
by 2.8% compared to the same period of 2016. Export turnover is expected to
reach 3.3 billion USD, while cashew kernel is about 3 billion USD. Currently, Viet
Nam has exported to 90 markets in the world, the US accounted for 35%; EU 25%
and China 18%. It is also the 11th year in a row that Vietnam's cashew nut
industry is the leading in the world in terms of cashew exports (according to Viet
NamCashew Association - VINACAS).
- Viet Namis the Asia
leading country in the rate of female business which accounted for 17.6%;
Malaysia followed up with 13.7%; Singapore is 10.2% (according to Deloitte
Global).
Viet Nam Airlines (VNA)
ranked 14/20 of the world's best premium airline in 2017 (according to
independent rating agency Sky Trax, 22/6/2017).
III/ Cultural – Sport –
Tourism News:
- Viet Nam ranked seventh in the top 20
countries with strong tourism growth (24.6%) in the number of foreign visitors
in 2016 (according to UNWTO).
- Vietnamese
contestant Tran Le Quang Tien won the special prize "Best Modern
Performance" at Tenth Annual Tchaikovsky Music Competition held in Astana,
Kazakhstan from 15 - 25/2017.
- Vietnamese Taekowondo
Truong Thi Kim Tuyen won the first
silver medal at the 2017 World Championship in women's under-46 kg category
held in Korea on June 25,
- Vietnamese physicist Lai Gia Thanh won
03 medals including: 01 gold medal, 02 silver at the World Youth Olympics 2017,
held in Japan on 16/6/2017.
- Vietnamese physical gymnastics team won
08 medals, including: 01 gold medal; 04 silver; 03 bronze at the Singapore
Artistic Gymnastics Finals, held in Singapore from 14 to 19/6/2017.
- Vietnamese gymnastics team won 12
medals, including: 04 gold medals, 04 silver and 04 bronze medals at the 2017
World Gymnastic Cup held in Hungary, June 19,
- Young Vietnamese chest players won 20 gold
medals at East Asian Youth in the standard chess, fast chess and lightning
chess held in Mongolia on June 25, 2017. /.