Press digest – June 28

Public security force urged to enhance capacity

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the People’s Public Security force to focus on enhancing capacity in controlling, analyzing and forecasting security situations to give timely advice to the Party and State on policies and measures to protect social security and order serving socio-economic development.

Addressing a conference on June 28 to review the force’s performance in the first half of this year, the PM urged police at all units and localities to actively implement plans to ensure security and order, and avoid falling into a passive position during any situation.

Deputy PM urges specific plans for APEC 2017 activities

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh has urged ministries, agencies and localities to promptly complete specific organizational plans for major activities for APEC which is to be hosted by Viet Nam in 2017at the fifth session of the National Committee for APEC 2017 in Hanoi on June 28.

Viet Nam will officially assume the APEC host, once it has passed from Peru in the next 6 months, Deputy PM Minh, who chairs the committee, noted, requesting greater efforts in preparations.

VN, Liberia set up diplomatic ties

Viet Nam has officially established diplomatic ties with Liberia, marking the nation’s diplomatic relations with 53 nations in Africa and 187 nations around the world.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam and Liberian Ambassador to China McKinley Thomas on June 28 inked the Joint Declaration to this effect in Ha Noi.

HN’s Chairman, Vice Chairmen ratified

The PM has approved the election of the Chairman and Vice Chairmen of Ha Noi’s People’s Committee in the 2016-2021period.

The PM has ratified the election of Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung as Chairman of Ha Noi’s People’s Committee and Deputy Secretary of the city’s Party Committee in the 2016-2021 phase.

GDP growth reaches 5.52% in H1

Viet Nam’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first half was estimated to rise 5.52% compared to the same period last year, of which the industry and construction sector increased 7.12% and the service sector up 6.35%, but the agriculture-aquatic-forestry sector experienced a decrease of 0.18%.

As the GDP grew 5.52% in the first half, in the second half it has to reach 7.6%, so the target of  6.7% for this year set by the National Assembly will be achieved.

Hai Phong leads in attracting FDI in H1

The northern city of Hai Phong took the lead in attracting Foreing Direct Investment (FDI) with 22 newly-registered projects and 17 existing one with additional capital in the first half of the year.

As of June 20, up to 1,145 projects were granted with investment certificates nationwide, worth US$7.497 billion, a year-on-year increase of 95.3%. Meanwhile, 535 projects were added the total capital of US$3.787 billion.

In the first half of the year, the total FDI disbursement obtained US$7.25 billion, up 15.1%.

VN enjoys trade surplus of US$1.5 bln in H1

Viet Nam ran a trade surplus of US$1.5 billion in the first half of 2016. The State sector announced a trade deficit of US$9.7 billion while the foreign-invested sector posted a trade surplus of US$11.2 billion.

The total export value in the first six months attained US$82.2 billion while Viet Nam made imports worth $80.7 billion, down 0.5% compared to the same period last year.

VN, Belarus hold political consultation at deputy FM level

Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Belarusian counterpart V.B. Rubakov co-chaired a political consultation in Hanoi on June 28 to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They reached a consensus on fostering collaboration in science, technology, defense, education, culture, tourism and labor, and facilitating the expansion of relationships between the two countries’ localities.

By Thuy Dung