Vietnam News Highlights for June 14, 2023

Global star singer Charlie Puth to perform in Vietnam

US pop singer Charlie Puth. Photo courtesy of Charlie Puth

American singer and songwriter Charlie Puth is set to perform in Nha Trang City on July 22 as part of his Asian tour. The tour, called “The Charlie Live Experience”, will also travel through Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul.

Charlie rose to fame in 2015 with his hit song “See You Again” from the Fast & Furious 7 soundtrack and has since had other successful songs such as “One Call Away,” “We Don't Talk Anymore,” “Attention,” and “How Long”.

South Korean President to visit Vietnam in June-end

President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea will pay a visit to Vietnam on June 22-24, marking his first trip to an ASEAN member country. The South Korean leader is scheduled to have meetings with Vietnam’s Government and State leaders to discuss ways to boost bilateral relations.

Yoon will be accompanied by 205 business delegates attending an economic forum in Hanoi on June 24. These enterprises include global names such as Samsung Electronics, SK Group, and Lotte Group.

Vietnamese among world’s 25 shortest people

Vietnamese ranked 15th in the list of the world’s top 25 shortest countries, with an average height of 159cm. The average Vietnamese man is 164.44cm and the average woman 153.59cm. The rankings were compiled by the website Insider, using a 2020 medical database run by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a project linked to Imperial College London.

The Netherlands topped the list with an average height of 175.62cm, while Timor-Leste had the shortest average height at 155.47cm. Experts attribute height differences to environmental factors.

Ha Long City launches new pedestrian street

Decoration on Bai Tho Street in Quang Ninh Province's Ha Long City. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper

Residents and tourists visiting Ha Long City can enjoy Bai Tho pedestrian street starting June 16. The street will operate from 6pm to midnight every Friday and Saturday, featuring cultural and street art performances and showcasing local products and street foods.

The pedestrian street aims to diversify tourism products in the area and provide a cultural space for visitors and locals alike. Bai Tho pedestrian street is expected to become a must-visit destination in Ha Long City, the northern province of Quang Ninh.

New cross-border road to better connect Lai Chau and Yunnan provinces

A transnational road connecting Vietnam’s Ma Lu Thang border gate in Lai Chau Province to Jin Shuihe border gate in China's Yunnan Province opened on June 13. Two transportation companies in Vietnam and China will provide services on the road with 30 trips each month. From Vietnam, two 29-seat shuttles will travel back and forth across the border daily.

The route will boost travel between the two provinces and strengthen Vietnam-China relations.

Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports surge 43%

Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports rose 43% year-on-year to over US$2 billion in the first five months of this year, fueling the country's trade amid rising challenges.

The sector’s growth is particularly impressive given that both exports and imports have been hit by weakening global demand. China remained the largest market for Vietnamese produce, accounting for nearly 63.5% of the country's total fruit and vegetable exports, with a value of US$1.28 billion, up 80.2% year-on-year. The positive performance is expected to continue in the coming months.

Vietnam to build an emergency relief warehouse in Quang Nam

Vietnam plans to build an emergency relief warehouse in the central province of Quang Nam to support the locality’s emergency preparedness and response capacity by storing extra supplies of relief items.

Local authorities have allocated land for the project, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Nguyen Hoang Hiep said on June 13 at the 42nd Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management and Related Meetings in the beach city of Danang, which will run until June 15.

Vietnam hosts 8th ASEAN Peacekeeping Centers Network Conference

Vietnam chairs the 8th ASEAN Peacekeeping Centers Network (APCN) Conference and Workshop, which opened in Hanoi on June 13. The three-day event helps affirm Vietnam’s role and responsibility and raise its international position in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping cooperation in ASEAN, improving the effectiveness of member states’ participation in the UN peacekeeping missions.

The event enabled regional countries to exchange expertise and share experiences in training and preparing for peacekeeping forces. Discussions also focus on directions for 2024 and beyond to strengthen partnership relations in peacekeeping activities among ASEAN members.