Government News 21/1 Military officer meets with Lockheed Martin executive Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Truong Quang Khanh had a meeting with Executive Vice President of the US-based security and aerospace corporation Lockheed Martin Patrick M. Dewar in Hanoi on January 20. The Deputy Minister welcomed Patrick M. Dewar and spoke highly of Lockheed Martin’s cooperation with Vietnamese companies, particularly in information technology. Dewar thanked the officer, saying his corporation looks forward to further opportunities to collaborate with the Vietnamese Defence Ministry. Vietnam prioritises all-round cooperation with Japan Vietnam hopes to further deepen the friendship and multi-dimensional cooperation with Japan, considering this one of the top priorities of the country’s foreign affairs policy. Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai made the statement while receiving Chairwoman of the Japanese Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence Katayama Satsuki in Hanoi on January 20. He said he was glad to witness the growing relations between Vietnam and Japan in various fields, ranging from politics, economics, culture, to education, science-technology and national defence-security. It is noteworthy that the two countries lifted their relations to bilateral strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in March 2014, he said. “Cooperation between Vietnam and Japan is experiencing the best time since the two countries established diplomatic ties,” he stressed. He went on to say that Japan is an important partner of Vietnam in the field of economics, and the biggest official development assistance (ODA) provider, adding that the bilateral economic links have made active contributions to the socio-economic development in Vietnam and brought benefits to Japanese businesses. He thanked the Japanese Government, parliament and people for their ODA provision over the past two decades for many significant projects, citing the latest T2 terminal at Noi Bai International Airport and Nhat Tan bridge. The leader said he hopes the two countries will promote trade and investment links in the time ahead since the pair are jointly implementing the industrialisation strategy and making progress in regional economic connection such as the formation of an ASEAN Community and the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Satsuki said Japan always supports Vietnam’s implementation of economic cooperation pacts, including infrastructure and energy projects, and continues ODA provision for the country’s sustainable development. She said she hopes the Vietnamese Government will facilitate Japanese companies’ investments and operations, as well as their further coordination in other fields such as infrastructure building, human resources training, support industry, and agriculture. The same day, Satsuki was received by Chairman of the National Committee for Defence and Security Nguyen Kim Khoa, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee Nguyen Van Giau, and Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Tran Van Hang. Portuguese President keen on boosting ties with Vietnam Vietnamese Ambassador to Portugal Nguyen Ngoc Son on January 20 presented his credentials to Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva who expressed the hope that bilateral ties will move forwards. Ambassador Son briefed his host on the current socio-economic situation of Vietnam and conveyed President Truong Tan Sang’s invitation to the Portuguese leader to visit Vietnam soon. He highlighted that 2015 is an important year for the relationship between Vietnam and Portugal, as the two countries will celebrate 500 years since the first Portuguese arrived in Vietnam and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The Portuguese leader said he is impressed with socio-economic development achievements recorded by Vietnam over the past years.- Law on government organisation under discussion Lawmakers discussed differing views on the amended Law on Organisation of Government at the ongoing 34th session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee in Hanoi on January 20. These opinions are pertaining to the adjustment and structure scale of the draft law and the apparatus, tasks and power of the Government and Prime Minister. Some suggested specifying the quantity and names of the ministries and relevant agencies in the law; establishing the Ministry of gender equality or the Ministry of women, family and children; and stipulating the duties of ministers and heads of relevant agencies. A majority of opinions recommended fine-tuning regulations on specific tasks and power of the Government along the direction of specifying the contents featured in Article 96 of the Constitution and similar to the Law on organisation of the National Assembly. On the day, the Committee’s members gave comments on the Law on labour safety and sanitation and the draft Law on organisation of local governments. On January 21, they will give opinions on preparations for the upcoming 132nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132), which is slated for March in Hanoi; and adjustments to tenure offices of Vietnamese Ambassadors. State leader examines 'new-style rural area’ construction State President Truong Tan Sang paid a working visit to the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang on January 19-20 to examine the progress on “new-style rural area” construction and assess the current local socio-economic status. The national target programme for building new-style rural areas, initiated by the Government in 2010, lists 19 criteria to foster socio-economic development, political stability, and defence, all aiming to boost progress in the rural regions of Vietnam. The list of criteria includes infrastructure development, production capacity improvements, environmental protection, and cultural value promotion. Tuyen Quang’s Tan Trao commune together with the Vinh Thanh commune of central Quang Tri province and Hoa An commune of southern Dong Thap province were chosen to become role models for the programme. At present, the three communes have satisfied all 19 criteria. At a conference reporting the programme’s outcomes in Tan Trao on January 20, President Truong Tan Sang said the initial achievements are encouraging but not sustainable. He asked authorities and residents of the three communes to work diligently to uphold their accomplishments so that the communes can truly become role models in new-style rural area building. He also told provincial administrations, State agencies, and the business community to continue assisting these localities. During his stay in Tuyen Quang, the State leader held a meeting with local officials who reported that the province’s economy grew by 14 percent while 2,409 kilometres of rural roads were paved and industrial infrastructure was improved. They said Tuyen Quang targets an industrial production value of 6.5 trillion VND (309.5 million USD) and will further develop cash-crop production, improve the training quality at the Tan Trao University, and continue building new-style rural areas. President Truong Tan Sang spoke highly of the accomplishments and urged authorities to devise measures narrowing the income gap between Tuyen Quang residents and those in other localities. The province must also prepare to make the best use of opportunities brought by Vietnam’s increasing integration into the region and the world, he added. Hai Phong to embrace trade links with Uruguay The northern port city of Hai Phong, a major sea gateway and transport link for Vietnam, wants to increase its trade and investment cooperation with Uruguay, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Duong Anh Dien told Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Anibal Pereyra. Hai Phong has long been considered the biggest northern seaport in Vietnam and is focusing on socio-economic development and trade cooperation expansion with foreign countries including Uruguay, Dien said at a reception in the city on January 20. Besides advantages in marine transport, the city has well-developed road, railway and aviation transport, noted Dien. The Uruguayan Speaker said his visit, spanning from January 18-22, is intended to strengthen the bilateral friendship and cooperation. He noted that the establishment of the Uruguayan Embassy in Hanoi in 2011 is a vivid demonstration of the long-term cooperation between the two countries and confirms the important role and position of Vietnam in the region and beyond. Pereyra also visited the Hai Phong seaport on the same day. Vietnam boosts administrative management and development The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the World Bank (WB) co-hosted a conference on enhancing administrative management and development in Vietnam in Hanoi on January 20. The conference focused on improving the country’s legislative system, policies, and investment climate in order to respond to Vietnam’s international integration process. According to the WB Country Director for Vietnam, Victoria Kwakwa, the bank has allocated over 4 billion USD to Vietnam in the last three years, significantly contributing to the country’s economic development. She noted that Vietnam should improve the efficiency of fund usage while creating favorable conditions and equity for businesses. The country should also raise its cooperative initiatives and learn from the experience of other countries in preventing and eliminating corruption, she added. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said the government will continue to reform and improve the efficiency of the public investment sector while creating greater business equality. Participants at the event expressed their views that Vietnam should strengthen effective measures to prevent corruption and fraudulences in project management, especially in Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded projects. Phan Boi Chau contributes to Vietnam-Japan affiliations Relations between Vietnam and Japan have come a long way since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973, let alone a century ago. Today, Japan is one of Vietnam’s largest investors with hundreds of thousands of enterprises operating all over the country in sectors ranging from electronics to the apparel industry. Travel between the two countries has become significantly easier with numerous flight options connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to cities in Japan. The first affiliations between two countries, however, can be traced back to over a century ago when the world was caught in the throes of imperialism and colonialism. At the outset of the 20th century, with aspirations to save the Vietnamese nation from slavery, prominent intellectuals at the time felt that significant reform was the only way to turn the tide. Phan Boi Chau, pioneer of Vietnamese 20th century nationalism, formed a revolutionary organisation called Duy Tan (Reformation Society) with the aim of ‘restoring Vietnam and forming an independent government.’ Chau and his Reformation Society sought assistance from Japan, a nation with similar culture and close proximity, well on its way to becoming a prosperous country. The Society agreed to send Chau to Japan to ask for their help in fighting against French colonialists. Initially Japan agreed to help by training human resources, so Chau and his comrades called for young Vietnamese to study in Japan. It soon evolved into a large social movement, called Dong Du, or Travel East for Study. Just as the movement was gaining strength with 200 intellectuals studying in Japan, France signed a Treaty with Japan, forcing the group to disperse. Professor Chuong Thau, who has studied Chau for more than 50 years, said despite its relatively short four-year duration, the Dong Du movement is widely considered the greatest achievement in the revolutionary career of Phan Boi Chau and his Reformation Society. “The movement trained new revolutionary personnel, fostering high enthusiasm and remarkable endurance. They always strove to learn for progress,” Thau said. “The movement also represented a historical landmark for the relationship between Japan and Vietnam, treasured in the pre-modern history between the two countries,” Thau added. According to Thau, Chau was Vietnam’s greatest reform-minded revolutionary in the early 20th century. “Phan Boi Chau advocated for the establishment of ‘a new Vietnam’, he was the first to look out to the high sea with Pacific Ocean vision, the first to entertain thoughts of an international coalition to save the country from colonial powers,” said Thau. According to Dao Tien Thi from the Educational Publishing House, the Dong Du movement not only ignited a patriotic flame and the will to gain independence but also contributed to changing the course of Vietnamese history in many aspects, especially by inspiring a shift in people’s thinking. “The movement helped rid of dogmatic thinking, changing instead to focus on reality, integrating the country into the regional community and the world at large. It also stimulated the transition from monarchist thought to democracy,” said Thi. “Culturally, this was Vietnam’s first non-Chinese cultural contact,” Thi added. VNA