Latest news with #PhamMinhChinh
The Star
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Vietnam, Hungary to deepen partnership with cooperation plan
HANOI: Vietnam and Hungary have agreed to advance their comprehensive partnership through several cooperation plan, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok announced during their official talks here on Thursday (May 29). The Vietnam News Agency reported that the cooperation plan includes enhancing political trust through high-level exchanges and coordination at multilateral forums, boosting trade and investment ties with a target of US$2 billion in two-way trade, expanding development projects using Hungarian concessional loans, and promoting education, labour, and collaboration in nuclear energy, pharmaceuticals, and climate response. The leaders also agreed to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation, particularly by organising joint activities in 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the report added. - Xinhua
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Is Vietnam courting Trump family with luxury golf course?
The US President Donald Trump (left) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (AP) Ground was broken on May 21 for a $1.5 billion luxury golf resort in northern Vietnam owned by the family business of US President Donald Trump. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, presided over the ceremony. Days later, Trump traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's economic powerhouse, to finalize an agreement for a luxury hotel development in an upscale district of the rapidly expanding city. Reports indicate that the Vietnamese government expedited approvals and potentially violated domestic regulations to favor the Trump Organization. The deals come as Vietnam faces a 46% tariff threatened by the Trump administration on April 2. Although these punitive "reciprocal tariffs" have been postponed until July, Vietnam remains under pressure, especially considering its substantial $123 billion (€109 billion) trade surplus with the United States. Vietnam ranks among the most trade-dependent countries globally, with exports to the US alone accounting for approximately 30% of its GDP, according to official data. "Hanoi understands that for the Trump administration, what is public is private, and the best way to curry favor is to do deals with the Trump family," Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, told DW. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이미지 영어에 대해서 40분만에 알려드립니다 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo Relations with Vietnam were positive in the early years of Trump's first term. Former President Nguyen Xuan Phuc was one of the first world leaders to meet Trump at the White House in 2017, and Hanoi was later chosen to host the high-profile but unsuccessful summit between Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un in February 2019. However, Trump's stance shifted drastically later that year when he accused Vietnam of being the "worst abuser" in trade relations with the US, launching investigations into alleged unfair practices. These measures were only reversed after President Joe Biden took office in early 2021. Vietnam fast-tracks Trump's luxury golf resort Although officially a private venture, the Vietnamese government significantly facilitated the Trump Organization's golf resort plans. In mid-March, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met Charles James Boyd Bowman, head of the Trump Organization's projects in Vietnam, and promised to "conduct a thorough review to fast-track the project." He called on the Trump Organisation to "position Vietnam as a business base and expand its investment footprint in the country," according to Vietnamese media reports. Vietnam has indeed delivered on its promise, achieving record-breaking speed for regulatory approval, Abuza noted. Typically, projects of this scale take years; this one reached the groundbreaking ceremony within three months of initial filings. In March, Hanoi also gave permission for SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, Trump's efficiency czar, to launch its Starlink satellite internet service on a trial basis. Earlier this week, The New York Times newspaper revealed a letter from Vietnamese officials that explicitly stated that the project required support from senior members of the Vietnamese government because it was "receiving special attention from the Trump administration and President Donald Trump personally." According to the Times' report, the Vietnamese government has "ignored its own laws" by granting concessions to the Trump Organization that are "more generous than what even the most connected locals receive." Moreover, the entire project runs counter to the housing master plan of Hung Yen province, where it is located, and potentially the state's environmental and safety regulations. According to the aforementioned letter by Vietnamese government officials, the groundbreaking event was also brought forward to avoid "missing the window to capitalize on the support of the Donald Trump administration." Vietnam's strategic hedging The initial agreement for the golf course was signed last September, two months before Trump won the US presidential election. "Although the specifics leading up to the deal are not known, one plausible theory is that a real estate project of this scale could not have proceeded without the backing of the Vietnamese government," Hoang Thi Ha, a senior fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, wrote last month in an article for the institute's Fulcrum analysis websit. She added that state backing "could have been a way for Vietnam to hedge its interests with Trump even before the US presidential election outcome was known." Moreover, the location of the golf resort is significant. Hung Yen is just outside Hanoi and is the home province of To Lam, the communist party's general secretary. Nguyen Phu Trong, the powerful general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, died in early 2024. In his place, To Lam, previously the public security minister and Trong's enforcer, quickly consolidated power. Lam became state president and then party chief, breaking the separation of powers norm of Vietnamese politics and leading some commentators to wonder whether he had dictatorial plans. He later relinquished the presidency. Since last year, To Lam has purged various ministries and appointed officials or personal friends from Hung Yen province in their place. 'No guarantee that Vietnam will get what it wants' "There's little doubt that Hanoi has rolled out the red carpet for Trump-affiliated businesses in recent months," Khac Giang Nguyen, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, told DW. "It's a calculated, transactional move, with hopes that favorable treatment for Trump's business interests might buy some goodwill in Washington amid the ongoing trade negotiations," he added. The White House has maintained that Trump's trade discussions are entirely separate from his family's business dealings. Vietnam has actively sought to mitigate tariff threats, pledging earlier to reduce all duties on US imports and increase purchases of American goods. "There is no guarantee that Vietnam will get what it wants only by currying favour with Trump. The key factor at work here is whether Vietnam can adequately address Washington's key concerns regarding bilateral trade," Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute's Vietnam Studies Program, told DW. "If Vietnam fails to follow through with its commitment to purchase more American goods and stop the Chinese transshipment fraud, the approval of Trump Organization's project is not going to help," he added.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Vietnam aims to boost education, tech ties with Malaysia
BANGI: Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia in the fields of education, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in an effort to drive sustainable development and shared prosperity across the ASEAN region. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in a public lecture at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) here today, said both countries share a vision of leading Southeast Asia's transition toward a knowledge-based, innovation-led future. 'We are two dynamically developing economies in Southeast Asia, sharing a vision of sustainable development based on knowledge, technology, and innovation. 'Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia for our common goal of sustainable development and the shared prosperity of both nations and the ASEAN community,' he said. Chinh delivered the public lecture as part of his visit to Malaysia for the 46th ASEAN Summit, which concluded yesterday. UKM's Royal Fellow Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and UKM Board of Directors chairman Prof Datuk Mohamad Abd Razak were also in attendance. Chinh emphasised that the people are strategic assets and that breakthroughs in science, technology and digital transformation are 'key drivers and decisive factors' for national development, especially among developing countries in ASEAN. In light of globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Chinh stressed the urgent need for quality human capital development and the pivotal role of educational institutions. 'Now is the time for educational institutions to play a central role in preparing the workforce of the future, not just for one country, but for the entire region and the world,' he said. Chinh outlined five pillars for advancing university-level cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam, including high-tech human resource training; joint scientific research; academic exchanges; regional accreditation standards ; and startup innovation ecosystems. 'When Vietnam and Malaysia invest in knowledge, when young people today share a common aspiration, we can build a Southeast Asia that is not only a centre of production, but also a centre of ideas; not just a place to apply technology, but also to create knowledge and future technologies,' he said. He also proposed enhancements to deepen science, technology, and digital cooperation between the two countries including joint research, infrastructure development, and digital governance. 'I believe that educational cooperation will not only produce learning hubs and knowledge transfer centres, but also serve as centres of innovation, scientific research, and technology transfer across nations, regions, and globally. 'Knowledge is power. When two countries share and connect knowledge, and invest in future generations, no limit is insurmountable, and new milestones can always be achieved,' he said. In the same lecture, Chinh urged the youth of ASEAN to adopt a mindset of resilience, innovation and accountability in navigating an increasingly complex world. 'Today's youth must not rest on their laurels but should adopt the mindset of turning nothing into something, difficulty into ease, impossibility into possibility, and the unimportant into the essential, that is what truly matters,' he said while underlining the values of discipline and responsibility as critical traits for future leaders. He said the youths are the architects of progress and as such must embody five traits, namely: active learning, innovation and entrepreneurship, institutional and policy engagement, international integration, as well as cultural preservation and peace-building.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Vietnam seeks stronger education, tech ties with Malaysia for ASEAN's future
BANGI: Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia in the fields of education, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in an effort to drive sustainable development and shared prosperity across the ASEAN region. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in a public lecture at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) here today, said both countries share a vision of leading Southeast Asia's transition toward a knowledge-based, innovation-led future. 'We are two dynamically developing economies in Southeast Asia, sharing a vision of sustainable development based on knowledge, technology, and innovation. 'Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia for our common goal of sustainable development and the shared prosperity of both nations and the ASEAN community,' he said. Chinh delivered the public lecture as part of his visit to Malaysia for the 46th ASEAN Summit, which concluded yesterday. UKM's Royal Fellow Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and UKM Board of Directors chairman Prof Datuk Mohamad Abd Razak were also in attendance. Chinh emphasised that the people are strategic assets and that breakthroughs in science, technology and digital transformation are 'key drivers and decisive factors' for national development, especially among developing countries in ASEAN. In light of globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Chinh stressed the urgent need for quality human capital development and the pivotal role of educational institutions. 'Now is the time for educational institutions to play a central role in preparing the workforce of the future, not just for one country, but for the entire region and the world,' he said. Chinh outlined five pillars for advancing university-level cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam, including high-tech human resource training; joint scientific research; academic exchanges; regional accreditation standards ; and startup innovation ecosystems. 'When Vietnam and Malaysia invest in knowledge, when young people today share a common aspiration, we can build a Southeast Asia that is not only a centre of production, but also a centre of ideas; not just a place to apply technology, but also to create knowledge and future technologies,' he said. He also proposed enhancements to deepen science, technology, and digital cooperation between the two countries including joint research, infrastructure development, and digital governance. 'I believe that educational cooperation will not only produce learning hubs and knowledge transfer centres, but also serve as centres of innovation, scientific research, and technology transfer across nations, regions, and globally. 'Knowledge is power. When two countries share and connect knowledge, and invest in future generations, no limit is insurmountable, and new milestones can always be achieved,' he said. In the same lecture, Chinh urged the youth of ASEAN to adopt a mindset of resilience, innovation and accountability in navigating an increasingly complex world. 'Today's youth must not rest on their laurels but should adopt the mindset of turning nothing into something, difficulty into ease, impossibility into possibility, and the unimportant into the essential, that is what truly matters,' he said while underlining the values of discipline and responsibility as critical traits for future leaders. He said the youths are the architects of progress and as such must embody five traits, namely: active learning, innovation and entrepreneurship, institutional and policy engagement, international integration, as well as cultural preservation and peace-building.
Barnama
3 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Vietnam Seeks Stronger Education, Tech Ties With Malaysia For ASEAN's Future
BANGI, May 28 (Bernama) -- Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia in the fields of education, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in an effort to drive sustainable development and shared prosperity across the ASEAN region. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in a public lecture at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) here today, said both countries share a vision of leading Southeast Asia's transition toward a knowledge-based, innovation-led future. 'We are two dynamically developing economies in Southeast Asia, sharing a vision of sustainable development based on knowledge, technology, and innovation. 'Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia for our common goal of sustainable development and the shared prosperity of both nations and the ASEAN community,' he said. Chinh delivered the public lecture as part of his visit to Malaysia for the 46th ASEAN Summit, which concluded yesterday. UKM's Royal Fellow Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and UKM Board of Directors chairman Prof Datuk Mohamad Abd Razak were also in attendance. Chinh emphasised that the people are strategic assets and that breakthroughs in science, technology and digital transformation are "key drivers and decisive factors' for national development, especially among developing countries in ASEAN. In light of globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Chinh stressed the urgent need for quality human capital development and the pivotal role of educational institutions. 'Now is the time for educational institutions to play a central role in preparing the workforce of the future, not just for one country, but for the entire region and the world,' he said.
