Vietnam - News & Discussions

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 17 Sep 2011 03:18

RajeshA wrote:Published on Jul 15, 2011
Vietnam condemns bomb blasts in India: Voice of Vietnam

Vietnam strongly condemns the bomb blasts in Mumbai, India, on July 13, a spokeswoman from the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said.

Spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga made the statement on July 14 while answering reporters’ question on Vietnam’s reaction to bomb explosions in Mumbai.

“Vietnam strongly condemns the bomb blasts in India’s Mumbai city on July 13 that left dozens of people dead and hundreds of others injured,” she said.

“We would like to convey our regards and deepest sympathy to the Indian state, government, people and families of the victims.”

Perhaps India can enhance relationship with our friends Vietnam and Thailand also by building railroads alongwith developing many more ports. A very stabilizing effect on world peace by join ventures.

Maps for clearer understanding:

Map of southeast asia: http://www.nationsonline.org/maps/south ... ia_map.jpg

http://www.travelfish.org/maps/region/t ... ay-map.gif
<=railroad map of Thailand

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 17 Sep 2011 07:21

We can take a lead in building a South east asian railway starting from vietnam and terminating in INdia

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 18 Sep 2011 14:52

Oh no the evil mercantilists are building relations and defence relations with Vietnam.
ONGC Videsh Ltd to strike deal with Vietnam firm

Jayanth Jacob, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, September 18, 2011

Unmoved by Chinese objections, the ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and Petro Vietnam — state-owned exploration and production companies of India and Vietnam-are likely to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strategic cooperation. Signing of the pact is expected to be one of the many
outcomes in terms of agreements when Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang visits India in the second week of October.

India will also announce more line of credit, above the existing Rs 300 crore and besides opening more information technology (IT) parks in Vietnam.

Many agreements in the areas of trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation are also likely to be inked during Sang's visit.

External affairs minister SM Krishna held long discussions with Sang on the entire facet of the bilateral ties during his visit to Vietnam.

The MoU between OVL and Petro Vietnam in the nature of a "strategic cooperation" also means undertaking of more exploration projects, which can irk China with its position that it enjoys "undisputed territorial sovereignty over South China sea."

Hindustan Times had earlier reported about India asking China to back off from its protest over the OVL's plans to explore Vietnamese oil blocks.

Energy security has been placed as a top item in the bilateral agenda despite serious warnings from China.

“Energy security is among top priorities. OVL has been there in Vietnam for the past 10 years. Now it is planning to sign a MoU for strategic cooperation to take the ties with Petro Vietnam forward,” said an Indian official.

In fact, the OVL investment accounts for almost half of India's 400 million UIS $ investment in Vietnam.

The main reason for above isthe sea bed mining.

The scale of things to come.
India companies offer expertise to Vietnam

Huma Siddiqui

Posted: Friday, Sep 16, 2011 at 0141 hrs IST
Tags: SM Krishna | Ninad Karpe | Ficci | Vietnam Chamber Of Commerce And Industry | ASEM | WTO
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New Delhi: Ahead of external affair minister SM Krishna’s visit to Vietnam, India Inc is already there to offer its expertise and technological capabilities for collaboration in several sectors like manufacturing, IT, financing and infrastructure.

A 20-member delegation led by Ninad Karpe, CEO of IT training giant Aptech Ltd, is in Vietnam to participate in a business forum organised by the Indian consulate in the country, industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The delegation includes representatives from companies operating in infrastructure, IT, mining, banking, healthcare and education.

“India’s relations with Vietnam are marked by growing economic and commercial engagement, especially in recent years. The two-way trade grew more than ten times since 2000 to reach $2.75 billion in 2010 (Indian exports were $1.76 billion, while Vietnam’s exports were 991 million). It is expected to exceed $3 billion in 2011,” according to a Ficci study released earlier this week.

“India figures among the ten largest exporters to Vietnam and with the inking of the India-Asean FTA on trade in goods, bilateral trade with Vietnam is poised to grow faster. Vietnam has ratified the India-Asean FTA in goods that was implemented in June 2010,” the study said.

Vietnam is an important regional partner in South-East Asia for India and both closely cooperate in various regional forums such as Asean, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation and Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) besides the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The Ficci study has pointed out: “The textile industry is one of the critical sectors in the Vietnamese economy, playing an important role in the country’s export market. The garment and textile industry this year should invest further in high-value competitively priced products to maintain its position in the world’s top five exporters, with a view to making it into the top three.

The industry has to focus on technological innovation, while sourcing the best raw material and improving the quality of its human resources, including its management. The sector has set an ambitious target of $12.7-$13 billion in export earnings this year, according to the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).”

Growth in telecommunications, mining, population, agricultural-industrial activities, residential and commercial constructions has stimulated an increased demand for power in Vietnam. The country’s industrial sector is growing at an average rate of over 15 %, leading to around a 15 % increase in the annual demand for power. 74 new power stations, of which 48 will be hydro-electric facilities, will be built by 2020.

Many large global IT companies like Intel, IBM and Samsung have already invested in the country, he pointed out. OVL, Essar Exploration and Production Ltd, Nagarjuna Ltd, Venkateswara Hatcheries, Philips Carbon and McLeod Russell are some of the major investors.

Tata Steel plans to invest more than $ 5 billion in a steel plant in Vietnam. In the field of IT training, NIIT, Aptech and Tata Infotech have so far opened more than 50 centres across the Vietnam.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 18 Sep 2011 15:50

A Vietnamese author critically examines the bogus Chinese historical claims of parcel and spartly islands.

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of the book "The Sino-Vietnamese difference on the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagous” by Luu Van Loi

China's Erroneous Evidence on Paracel and Spratly

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 22 Sep 2011 06:45

India and Vietnam: Washington Times

Vietnamese have traditionally held Indians in high regard because of the latter's support for Vietnamese independence from France and their opposition to U.S. involvement in the country. And New Delhi formulated a "Look East" policy as early as 1991, to capitalize on East Asia's economic growth. But the rise of China has given this relationship a powerful strategic—not to mention urgent—dimension.

Both sides could still do more to enhance economic cooperation. Bilateral trade is much below the potential, given that India and Vietnam are major emerging economies. The two countries also need to think creatively about expanding investment opportunities, especially in the energy, steel, and pharmaceutical sectors.

Given that Vietnam and India use similar Russian and erstwhile Soviet defense platforms, New Delhi could easily offer defense technologies to Hanoi. Talks are ongoing for India to sell the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, an Indo-Russian joint venture. Such arms could allow Vietnam to project regional power and improve deterrence against China.

The two nations also have stakes in ensuring sea-lane security, as well as shared concerns about Chinese access to the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Hence, India is helping Vietnam to build capacity for repair and maintenance of its defense platforms. At the same time, the armed forces of the two states have started cooperation in areas like IT and English-language training of Vietnamese Army personnel. The two are also sharing their experiences in mountainous and jungle warfare.

Naval cooperation, however, remains the focus. Here, Vietnam has given India the right to use its port of Nha Trang in the south; the Indian Navy has already made a port call. The two countries potentially share a common friend—the U.S. New Delhi has steadily built relations with Washington in the past decade, while Vietnam has been courting America as the South China Sea becomes a flashpoint. As these three countries ponder how to manage China's rise, they will be drawn closer together.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Sep 2011 11:52

India, Sri Lanka conduct naval exercises

The Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka travelled from Colombo to Trincomalee to convey his wishes to the Indian and Sri Lankan Navy personnel, onboard the INS Shivalik on Thursday.

Well done, Indian diplomacy.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 12 Oct 2011 02:40

Published on Oct 11, 2011
Vietnamese president in India to expand strategic ties: IANS

In a major strategic signal, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang Tuesday began a four-day visit to India that aims to provide a greater push to growing strategic bilateral ties, amid their straining ties with China over territorial disputes.

Truong, who arrived in Bangalore on the first leg of his visit, is scheduled to arrive in the capital on Wednesday when he will get to meet India's top leadership, including President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, according to ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vishnu Prakash and Joint Secretary (South) Arun Kumar Goel.

The two sides are expected to sign a series of bilateral agreements in the fields of energy and hydrocarbons, education, science and technology, culture and homeland security, apart from agreeing to celebrate the 40 years of their bilateral relationship in 2012 as the 'Year of Friendship'.

Truong is also likely to meet the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, as is the norm during bilateral visits.

The visit is expected to give an impetus to India's 'Look East' policy, with Vietnam being the largest growing economy and a major power in the 10-nation ASEAN.

"Our ties are based on mutual trust and near identical views on global issues," Prakash told reporters, while giving details of the Vietnamese President's visit.

Truong is scheduled to visit Mumbai on Thursday, where he will address a meeting of Indian trade representatives. "The two sides are likely to sign a series of agreements, including one on extradition and another to celebrate 2012 as Year of Friendship to mark 40 years of our bilateral relations," Arun Kumar Goel said.

The two sides will also hold a general discussion on security and defence cooperation, but there will be "no discussion" on missile cooperation, he said when asked if sale of India-Russian joint venture BrahMos cruise missile to Vietnam was on the agenda of talks.

He said the nuclear energy sector in Vietnam was at a nascent stage and they were considering on the technology that they may want to tap nuclear energy for peaceful, development purposes. "If they think so, they will come back to us," he said, implying that India may help Vietnam with advice on nuclear power.

With regard to space research, Goel said Vietnam was aware of India's prowess in space technologies, including developing and placing satellites in orbit and they were cooperating with India in using satellites for flood forecasting and for agriculture.

Significantly, the Vietnamese president comes here weeks after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's visit to Hanoi last month that saw India's state-owned ONGC Videsh sealing pacts for oil exploration in offshore blocks off the South China Sea.

Beijing, which claims full sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, has objected to the oil deals in the disputed territory. India has defended the move, saying its cooperation with Vietnam in accordance with international laws and underlined the need for freedom of navigation in South China Sea.

Ahead of his visit, President Truong defended Hanoi's deal with New Delhi, saying foreign companies were welcome to work in oil and gas projects in the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of Vietnam. Underlining the growing strategic partnership with India, he stressed that these investments were in conformity with Vietnamese laws.

Most Welcome President Truong!

हार्दिक स्वागतम्!

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 12 Oct 2011 05:56

^^^^Vietnam leader’s visit to deepen defence, strategic ties with India

:
The visit is expected to further deepen defence and strategic ties between the two countries who will also sign an extradition treaty on Wednesday. Making light of suggestions that the burgeoning ties between India and Vietnam may not go down well with China, official external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said the two leaders will discuss the entire gamut of relationship which will include cooperation in hydrocarbon sector too.
:
:

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 12 Oct 2011 08:22

Went to Vietnam recently. We have more in common culturally... Shocked to see the number of Hindu Relics sprinkled randomly in the Country side. One of the must see places is the Cham Museum in Danang which has a ton of Hindu Cham Relics....

PrasadZ · Post by **PrasadZ** » 12 Oct 2011 10:09

kshatriya wrote:Went to Vietnam recently. We have more in common culturally... Shocked to see the number of Hindu Relics sprinkled randomly in the Country side. One of the must see places is the Cham Museum in Danang which has a ton of Hindu Cham Relics....

The Cham are Malay like people, replaced by the northern Viet ~1k years back - they are spread over Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia and are mostly Muslim today. Wiki

Today's vietnam news shows Angela Merkel in Hanoi. Yesterday's front page showed the president's India visit and the general secretary's China visit. The top headline was the China visit

. I dont have a pic but you can see the news item here. In my interactions, Vietnamese recognise they share a history with the Chinese and antiquity (if that) with India. Btw, i work in sw in both hanoi and saigon sometimes but i only talk to the hoi polloi, not govt or strategic experts so this comment is purely my personal takeaway.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 12 Oct 2011 11:55

Published on Oct 12, 2011
By C. Raja Mohan
India and Nuclear Vietnam: Indian Express

The U.S. now insists that Iran and other countries in the Middle East should not develop their own uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing facilities that could provide fuel for nuclear plants as well generate options for future nuclear weapons programme.

Vietnam, however, is a party to all major non-proliferation agreements including the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT).

Washington, in turn, has said it wants to encourage Vietnam to rely on international arrangements for the supply of nuclear fuel rather than build a full nuclear cycle on its own.

The focus of India's nuclear cooperation with Vietnam until now has been on training and scientific exchanges. The time has come for India to elevate it to a higher level and participate more actively in the development of Vietnam's nuclear energy industry.

This is where India should be forthcoming and help Vietnam with know-how regarding closing the nuclear fuel cycle. Vietnam should in fact be in a position to enrich weapons-grade uranium, if it wants!

All those treaties can be thrown in garbage dump, when the time is ripe!

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 12 Oct 2011 23:39

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/b ... etnam.html
India, Vietnam sign energy accord

India and Vietnam on Wednesday signed an accord to promote oil exploration in Vietnamese waters that could escalate long-standing tensions with China as it presses territorial claims to much of the South China sea.The accord between the foreign arm of India's state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp. and PetroVietnam was signed in New Delhi after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. It covers new investments and the exploration and supply of oil and gas.The South China Sea that links China with Southeast Asia is becoming a flashpoint as Beijing more assertively presses its claims to large portions of it and other countries push back. Vietnam, with centuries of tensions with China, has turned to the U.S., and now seemingly India, to counterbalance growing Chinese power, while Beijing and Delhi have long viewed each other as regional rivals.New Delhi has downplayed China's recent objections to its state oil company exploring for oil in Vietnamese waters. Vietnam's fast-growing economy, and its natural resources including oil and gas, are an attraction for India, which like China is seeking energy sources to fuel its economic boom.Meanwhile, China and Vietnam signed an agreement Wednesday aimed at finding a long-term solution to their bitter maritime disputes driven by competing claims to parts of the South China Sea and its potentially rich oil and gas fields.he largely symbolic agreement calls for twice yearly meetings, and for a hotline to be set up to deal with emergencies.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 13 Oct 2011 01:56

PrasadZ wrote:
kshatriya wrote:Went to Vietnam recently. We have more in common culturally... Shocked to see the number of Hindu Relics sprinkled randomly in the Country side. One of the must see places is the Cham Museum in Danang which has a ton of Hindu Cham Relics....
The Cham are Malay like people, replaced by the northern Viet ~1k years back - they are spread over Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia and are mostly Muslim today. Wiki

Today's vietnam news shows Angela Merkel in Hanoi. Yesterday's front page showed the president's India visit and the general secretary's China visit. The top headline was the China visit . I dont have a pic but you can see the news item here. In my interactions, Vietnamese recognise they share a history with the Chinese and antiquity (if that) with India. Btw, i work in sw in both hanoi and saigon sometimes but i only talk to the hoi polloi, not govt or strategic experts so this comment is purely my personal takeaway.

I work with the viet merchants in NA and they talk about India and learn about India such as Yoga etc.
One of my friend says he has high level contact with VN PM and gets govt contracts

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 13 Oct 2011 02:32

The reputation of Vietnam origin Enginner in SV is same as that of an Indian Engineer. They are good , hardworking people who understand technology. They will pick up Nuke tech 400% faster than any Ropetelian Djinnite next door.

PrasadZ · Post by **PrasadZ** » 13 Oct 2011 10:42

the front page today is more india friendly ! maybe, they listened in on the conversation yesterday

Even Saigon times

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 13 Oct 2011 12:10

PrasadZ ji,

thanks for those newspaper clips!

Appreciate a lot your personal impressions and assessments of Vietnamese political, social and cultural scene!

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 13 Oct 2011 13:25

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2 ... bulls-eye/

MKB's take on Indo-Vietnam ties.

Vietnam News has coverage of both visits-the one to India and the one to China.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 16 Oct 2011 11:31

India fishing in troubled waters of Vietnam, warns Chinese daily

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 16 Oct 2011 11:53

We had a head start and its others who are building reactors there.
India should aid Civil Nuclear Capability of Vietnam

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Oct 2011 00:56

Nightwatch notes:

http://www.kforcegov.com/Services/IS/Ni ... 11000205.a
spx

Vietnam-India: Indian Prime Minister Singh and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang signed an agreement in New Delhi on 12 October promoting oil exploration in the South China Sea. The agreement between Indian and Vietnamese state-owned oil companies includes new investment, exploration and supply of oil and natural gas to both countries.

The leaders signed a total of six agreements after comprehensive talks, including pacts on an extradition treaty, deepened trade, a biennial security dialogue and strategic ties between the countries. The leaders cited common security challenges like terrorism, piracy and natural disasters that both nations face as maritime neighbors and stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of vital sea lanes of communication.

Comment: The only common security challenge not mentioned is handling China. There is a bit of irony in that the President of Vietnam was in India signing documents concerning the South China Sea, et al., while the General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party was in Beijing signing a code of conduct for dispute resolution in the South China Sea, among other things.

The Vietnamese are working all interested powers against each other so that they will neutralize each other and permit Vietnam to do what it intended all along. China is not likely to be pleased with Vietnam's agreement with India. India has no special expertise in offshore oil exploration without US or western European collaboration. The New Delhi agreement appears singularly crafted to snub China. It certainly violates the spirit of consultation extolled in Beijing.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 17 Oct 2011 02:25

How will they discuss "common security challenge not mentioned is handling China" - when this is supposed to be classified.
Do they think that India is stupid. Does PRC discuss its plans with Pakistan or Kashmir

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 17 Oct 2011 11:09

Acharya wrote: Does PRC discuss its plans with Pakistan or Kashmir

Who is "Kashmir"?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 09 Nov 2011 10:17

Vietnam plea [for military training & naval vessels] puts South Block in predicament

. . . it would not want to irk China . . .Meeting the other three demands needed considerable deliberation

I don't know why it should strategically. Tactically, if some delay needs to be made, it is all right. Even transfer of nuclear weapons, weapons technology, components, delivery platforms of various ranges and capacities, military-grade gps data for targetting, vetoing of UN proposals on terrorist groups targetting India, and various other similar inimical actions have not given any predicament at all to PRC.

sum · Post by **sum** » 09 Nov 2011 12:23

^^ When push comes to shove, we start dithering and then wonder why the smaller countries aren't willing to work with us to meet their strategic goals..

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 09 Nov 2011 17:30

The truth is that India is not ready to deal with the PRC in the western pacific basin. Given the way the last Naval Chief has commented on the issue India will not be ready by 2050.

Knowing that India lacks the ability to support the Vietnam they are doing the right thing by dithering over the request. Having said so, how Indian deals with this it could well be the put up or shut up moment for the Indian republic and its super power ambitions for the next generation

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 09 Nov 2011 20:43

That's from THE HINDU, what can we expect other than that tone?

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 09 Nov 2011 21:47

I am not worried about the tone of the DDM. I am worried about the lack of capability of the fleet, to support operations in the western pacific basin to back up national interest. Whether it is to protect oil platforms of Indian companies prospecting in Vietnamese waters of supporting Vietnam it self.

Any venture in that region will be under the guns of the PLAN. The PRC will be controlling the escalation ladder. It will be like the Indian domination of the TSP during the Kargil war.

If we want to be a serious player in the western pacific then we need to start thinking in terms of a 500 ship navy by 2030. Any thing less then that we ought to stay at home.

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 10 Nov 2011 20:22

500 ship ? Planning for a World War? For immediate requirement, we need 50+ added to the current strength. That will be more than formidable. The mighty USN strength is less than 300. With capabilities of both Private and public shipyards that we have, we can get that with in 10 - 15 yrs period if MoD gets its act right.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 10 Nov 2011 21:56

Pratyush wrote:The truth is that India is not ready to deal with the PRC in the western pacific basin. Given the way the last Naval Chief has commented on the issue India will not be ready by 2050.

Knowing that India lacks the ability to support the Vietnam they are doing the right thing by dithering over the request. Having said so, how Indian deals with this it could well be the put up or shut up moment for the Indian republic and its super power ambitions for the next generation

Pratyush ji,

Indo-China Sea

(South China Sea) should be considered a trip wire for our dealing with the Chinese in the Indian Ocean. They do anything funny to us there, we should start shooting down their ships in the Indian Ocean!

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 11 Nov 2011 01:05

That article is just spin/disinfo

Lets look at it
submarine training - this will be done in Russia and then followed up with some courses in India already confirmed by Indian Def Sec.

Conversion training for its pilots to fly Sukhoi-30 - Approved.

modernisation of a strategic port and transfer of medium-sized warships - Modernisation of the port is not a problem, I think asking for Brahmos and ships are the issue. They want us to reduce our defence preparedness and gift them vessels immediately. Can we do that? No our warship builders are full of orders and we need them for our duties but maybe later, no capacity. Brahmos - so much indian needs already, why export yet?

Nothing we didn't already know. Much ado about nothing.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 15 Nov 2011 11:10

Nguyen Thi Hong (R), deputy chairwoman of the People's Committee, meets participants at the seminar “India Calling 2011”

Vietnam, India step up bilateral trade to boost business investments

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 15 Nov 2011 17:46

Many years ago I met the Indian ambassador to Vietnam,thespian Roshan Seth's brother.I asked him about Indo-Viet cooperation which was then in its infancy.Things have moved on from the humble stirrings of Indo-Viet cooperation since then.Vietnam provides India with the perfect foil to China's sleazy errand boy Pak.Vietnam has had a history of repelling invasions from China mainly,and after seeing off the Yanquis clobbered the PLA in their border spat decades ago.

India can provide Vietnam with a menu of cooperation ranging from nuclear power,offshore oil exploration,cultural help in restoring ancient Viet's heritage monuments, defence tech rnaging from missile technology and sales-of Prithvi,Brahmos and even longer ranged tactical missiles-who needs the MTCR when China supplies Pak with all manner of ballistic missiles? It can also train Viet submariners at a base being offered to India from where our subs and LRMP aircraft can monitor PLAN warships and subs in the Indo-China Sea,especially their SSBNs.One can go on.The main thrust of the relationship similar to that between the ertwhile USSR and India through the Indo-Sov. treaty of Friendship.

However,to provide that equivalent in times of crisis,India must gird up its loins and behave as a mature nation,unafraid of any "superior" power,that must be well equipped to meet any challenge military.This requires an RMA -in military affairs and "mindset" of our leadership,bold and forthright in upholding our gernuine global interests and not acting as servile lackey's.Our diplomacy must be more agressive in defending our interests .If we have to put our money where our mouth is,then money has to be put into modernisation of the armed forces and building rapidly a strong military force and genuine strategic deterrent that will keep interlopers at bay.Properly structured,Vietnam could be the "frontier" of India in the future.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 17 Sep 2012 22:32

Vietnam's Economy Loses Its Roar

Once seen as an emerging Asian dynamo racing to catch up with its neighbors, Vietnam's economy is mired in malaise, dragged down by debt-hobbled banks, inefficient and corrupt state-owned enterprises and bouts of inflation.

Until 2010, the economy had been growing by more than seven percent on average from 2001, lifting millions out of poverty and leading some to predict the country would follow countries such as South Korea and Singapore in leaping to developed world prosperity within a generation.

House prices have crashed by up to 50 percent in some places from the boom years and jobs are reportedly drying up for school leavers. Foreign investment has dropped 34 percent this year over the same period last year, according to government figures, put off by the economic instability, poor infrastructure and rising wages.

While few predict economic meltdown or that the slowdown could weaken the party's grip on power, authorities have stepped up a crackdown on dissidents, bloggers and trade union activists over the last year.

Hopefully they regain, else communists may lock themselves like NoKo or look upto their big brother china.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 07 Jan 2013 20:27

Vietnamese Complain As Chinese 3G Comes to Disputed Spratly Islands

In the ongoing dispute over the Spratly Islands claimed by China and Vietnam, the latest development is that China is opening up 3G services on the islands.
The Vietnamese government even voiced its complaint on the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s website.

Chinese soldiers and fishermen will now be able to text message, call, and chat online with family back home over the new 3G network. This upgrade to 3G from regular cellular coverage (started in 2011) and the recent 3G network in the disputed Paracel Islands in July 2012 signals a more permanent Chinese presence on the rocky outposts.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 17 Feb 2013 09:38

Unabridged original dispatches by Seymour Hersh on the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 20 Feb 2013 07:49

Sources of Vietnamese Tradition

This addition to the venerable Introduction to Asian Civilizations series marks a major step in the maturation of Vietnam studies in the American academy. The book translates excerpts from more than 200 texts, many previously unavailable in Western languages, dating from the year 297 to 1991. Throughout their long history, people in the lowlands of Vietnam struggled to protect themselves against military incursions and cultural influences from minority peoples in the surrounding highlands and from Cambodia, China, Thailand, and, eventually, Europe. Many themes in this collection resemble those encountered in the Sources of Tradition volumes on China, Japan, and Korea. The imperial bureaucracy tried to control local society, Buddhism contended with Confucianism and eventually with Christianity and Marxism, women conformed to and resisted prescribed gender roles, nationalists debated how to resist Western incursions, and the South fought repeatedly with the North. The Vietnamese gradually forged a distinct civilization and a proud identity. The book lays a solid foundation for further teaching and research in many disciplines.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 20 Feb 2013 07:51

^^ After seeing this book, I searched for "Sources of Indian tradition" and the book exists in 2 volumes. kisi ne padha hai? Review?

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 07 Mar 2013 19:40

Apologies if already posted.

Vietnam to remove ‘copulating’ Buddha statues, if any

An inspection will be done at all pagodas in Vietnam and statues depicting the Buddha hugging nude women will be removed. This is in response to recent claims that there is such a statue in Vietnam, triggering anger among many who say it is blasphemous.

A photo showing one such statue was posted on Facebook and its poster claimed it was taken in Vietnam but did not specify the location. Thailand’s The Bangkok Post late last month wrote that the figurine draw condemnation from Thai Buddhist world.

In response, Thich Gia Quang, head of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam’s communication department, told Buddhist news site phatgiao.org.vn that his organization will soon request all Buddhist units across the country to check all pagodas and worshipping sites for such statues and, if found, will remove them completely.

The image

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Russia, Vietnam agree on submarine fleet deal

The Russian minister said that they reached an agreement on synchronization in preparing both the submarines and their crews, and also decided that Russian military schools would train more Vietnamese specialists in the nearest future.

In particular, the two sides discussed the possibility for Russian specialists to use the naval base and the military airport in Cam Rahn.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 17 Sep 2013 22:24

Vietnam dollar millionaires grow second fastest in S.East Asia

he number of extremely wealthy people in Vietnam has grown by 14.7 percent this year, the second fastest rate in Southeast Asia after Thailand. The inaugural World Ultra Wealth Report says the number of ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs), defined as those with assets of US$30 million and above, has risen to 195 this year and they have a combined wealth of $20 billion.

Thailand is at the top with a year-on-year increase of 15.2 percent -- from 625 last year to 720 now -- and Indonesia is third with an increase of 10.2 percent.

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Japan - Vietnam to boost ocean cooperation

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 04 Nov 2013 20:24

Malaysia, Vietnam may link naval bases

MALAYSIA is looking to boost its defence ties with Vietnam by establishing a direct link between the two countries' naval bases near the South China Sea.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein said efforts to create a connection between Malaysia Maritime Region 1 Base in Kuantan and Vietnam Southern Command was discussed with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phung Quang Thanh, on Friday.

Hishammuddin said the establishment of this link would enable the two countries to contact each other should any problems occur at sea during an operation.

"I have also conveyed our intention for Malaysia and Vietnam to cooperate to make the Asean Defence Industry Collaboration a reality." "The purpose of this visit is to strengthen bilateral defence relations between Malaysia and Vietnam," he said, adding it was also in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which began in 1973. Hishammuddin said Malaysia and Vietnam had signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2008.