Around the world, unsafe recycling of lead batteries (mainly from cars) is widespread. Perry Gottesfeld of Occupational Knowledge International (a San Francisco-based organization that campaigns worldwide against industrial pollution) called lead pollution “the most serious health threat to children”. In Senegal, 18 children died within three months of cerebral palsy caused by lead poisoning from a battery recycling plant on the outskirts of Dakar. In addition to those 18 children, hundreds more children in the residential area were poisoned. A person cooks lead manually in the Pesarean (Indonesia). Image source: Pure Earth On the other side of California, a giant lead smelter is located in the city of Torreon (Mexico), which has a history of childhood blood poisoning in the neighborhood and stretches back half a century. Air, soil and water pollution has long been documented around small and large lead smelting and recycling plants. Doctors all know that lead can be easily inhaled or swallowed, and when it enters the bloodstream, lead dust will immediately travel from the digestive tract to the brain. On the other hand, it should be known that lead is a potent neurotoxin and at no level has ever been deemed safe. Besides causing fever and affecting the gastrointestinal tract, lead poisoning also damages intellectual development in young children even at a low dose, reduces intelligence quotient (IQ), loss of attention. , and emotional disorders. Workers disintegrate car batteries in preparation for lead recycling in Patna, India. Image source: Pure Earth Lead poisoning is also believed to be the cause of outbreaks of violent behavior in communities in the United States and around the world. The UNICEF report noted: Lead wreaks havoc on the body in a silent way. One-third of children worldwide are suffering from lead poisoning from recycled batteries and other sources. Fatty profits but a danger to human health An estimated 85% of the lead used today is in batteries, mainly used in cars. And when the battery runs out, 99% of the expired battery will be recycled to create a new battery. The recycling battery business is very lucrative, this is a money-making business. Tens of thousands of people breaking batteries and smelters around the world are looking for ways to monetize it, collecting an abundance of used batteries and turning them into brand-new products. According to the International Lead Association, in London: “More than 6 million tons of lead are collected each year. Lead batteries are the most recycled consumer product in the world, thanks to recycling they no longer have to be mined.” Because of very little regulation, in many countries around the world, small-scale operators compete with the legal battery industry. “Total half of all batteries are in the informal economy, where unregulated and often illegal recycling processes have broken battery cases, spilling lead acid and dust into the ground. Lead smelting in open-air furnaces has spewed toxic fumes and dust around residential areas,” according to a report published in June 2020 by Pure Earth and UNICEF. With the rapid development of African economies, more than 800,000 tons of lead leach out of batteries each year on the subcontinent. And the consequences for human health and the environment have already begun to emerge. Two years ago, Mr. Gottesfeld completed research showing that lead poisoning had spread to the land around battery recycling plants in crowded slums or near schools in cities such as Dar es. Salaam (Tanzania), Lagos (Nigeria) and the port of Tema (Ghana). Lead contaminated soil is excavated in Dong Mai ward (Hanoi, Vietnam). Image source: Pure Earth In addition to Africa facing serious lead poisoning problems, Southeast Asia is also facing a similar crisis. Mr. Bill Daniell (School of Public Health, University of Washington) is the lead author of a 2015 study on lead exposure around Dong Mai ward (Ha Dong district, Hanoi), where many households are engaged in recycling. battery processing. More than 100 children in Dong Mai were tested and all showed high blood lead levels of more than ¼/45 micrograms/decilit, which is nine times the safe limit in the US. In India, a study published in 2019 by Toxics Link (an NGO based in New Delhi) announced that 90% of lead batteries in India in recycling plants are in the informal sector. awake. The study mapped residential areas in major cities like New Delhi, where lead-battery recycling plants operate without any official supervision. Nguyen Thanh Hai ( According to e360.yale.edu )

Domestic workers have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: ILO) In Vietnam, domestic workers are now subject to labor laws, but the challenge that Vietnam currently faces is compliance with the law. These are the comments of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in its latest report published on June 15. On the occasion of International Labor Day Domestic Workers (June 16), the ILO released the Report Making Decent Work a Reality for Domestic Workers: Progress and Prospects in Asia and the Pacific Duong. The report shows that, ten years after the adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention of 2011 (Convention No. 189), the majority of domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific region ( 61.5%) are still completely out of the scope of national labor laws while 84.3% of them still work in informal jobs. The absence of national labor laws and the high level of informality continue to severely affect the working conditions of domestic workers in the Asia-Thailand region. Binh Duong. More than 50% of domestic workers are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region Chihoko Asada Miyakawa, Director of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said that there is an urgent need to formalize domestic work in Asia and the Pacific, starting with employment. domestic help is regulated by labor law and social security to ensure this important worker enjoys the protection and respect they deserve. The Philippines is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region that has ratified the Domestic Labor Convention ten years after its ratification. According to statistics, the Asia-Pacific region has 38.3 million domestic workers aged 15 and over (of which 78.4% are female), equivalent to 50.6% of domestic workers. families around the world, and this is the largest employer of domestic workers worldwide. In which, China accounts for the majority of these workers (22 million). This is also the region that employs the most male domestic workers, accounting for 46.1% of the male labor rate. families around the world. The data shows that the majority of domestic workers in the region are not subject to any limits on working hours (71%) or enjoy weekly leave (64%) under the provisions of the Labor Code. current labor law. The report also shows that domestic workers are often the lowest paid in the labor market, especially when they work in the informal sector. It is estimated that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific region due to the high level of informality and the lack of protections provided for in the law. leading to job loss. Their risk of losing their job is 2-3 times higher than that of other workers. Domestic workers in Vietnam need to be protected in practice Vietnam is one of the few countries in the region bringing domestic workers under the scope of labor law. The Labor Code 2019 and the accompanying Decree No. 145/2000/ND-CP stipulate that family workers must have a written contract that meets certain standards, including limits on working hours. and rest time. Among Southeast Asian countries, only in Vietnam are domestic workers entitled to a minimum wage at least equal to the minimum wage for other workers. According to ILO Vietnam Director, Dr. Chang-Hee Lee, although Vietnam has made significant progress, which includes bringing domestic workers under the protection of the labor law, But the challenge facing today is how to strengthen compliance with the law and close the gap between the protections provided in the law and the actual experience of domestic workers. According to a new ILO report, 19% of domestic workers in Vietnam work through service providers, and the number of domestic workers migrating abroad has continuously increased over the past decade. by. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic workers have become much more vulnerable to job loss than other types of workers. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, the rate of domestic workers decreased by 17% in the second quarter of 2020, while the unemployment rate of other hired workers in the same period was only 6.1%. . In parallel with some domestic workers losing their jobs, others have reduced working hours. Both of these situations lead to a significant reduction in total wages received. In the second quarter of 2020, the working hours of domestic workers in Vietnam decreased by 24.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Due to job loss and reduced working hours, the wages that laborers earn Domestic helpers in Vietnam received decreased by 26.2%. By 2026, Vietnam is expected to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention (Convention No. 189). In the Asia-Pacific region, there are still 61.5% of domestic workers who are not subject to labor laws. – 84.3% of domestic workers in the informal sector work in informal work, while this figure for other workers is 52.8%. – 64% of domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific region are not entitled to weekly leave…

Huawei is starting to move into the car business after being hit by a US ban that made it lose access to chip design software for smartphones. The company recently launched the Seres SF5 crossover between Huawei and energy firm Cyrus. This model features smartphone connectivity and automatically transfers music and navigation information between the two sides, and is equipped with voice control technology and an audio system with 11 speakers. Visitors at Auto Shanghai exhibition in Shanghai (China). Photo: Reuters. Sources familiar with the matter said that, in addition to working with Changan to develop joint venture-branded smart cars, Huawei also plans to launch its own branded electric vehicles. and is in talks to buy a controlling stake in the electric vehicle division of a small domestic automaker. Huawei’s partnership with Chongqing Changan comes amid a global shortage of semiconductors and particularly affects carmakers. According to observers, switching to the automotive chip business is a more appropriate new direction, especially when the company is unable to produce chips for smartphones due to the bans from the US. Changan is currently unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, Huawei said it will let automakers make announcements about their cooperation relationships. Battery maker CATL, also part of the partnership, was also unavailable for comment.

The scene of the press conference at the main bridge point in Hanoi (Photo: HNV)

At the press conference, Mr. Pham Hoai Nam, Director of the Department of Population and Labor Statistics gave a brief report on our country’s labor and employment situation in the first quarter of 2021. Accordingly, it is confirmed that, in the first quarter of 2021, the Vietnamese labor market has suffered bad effects due to the 3rd outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results of the labor market survey in the first quarter of 2021 recorded that the number of people participating in the labor market decreased compared to the previous quarter and compared to the same period in 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, the country had 9.1 million employees from 15 years of age and older are affected by COVID-19 outbreaks. The proportion of workers with informal jobs and underemployed workers both increased compared to the previous quarter and the same period of 2020. The most notable highlight of the labor market is the increase in income from the work of people. employees against the previous quarter and the same period of 2020.

Specifically, the labor force decreased compared to the previous quarter and the same period of 2020, the rate of trained labor increased, reaching 26.0%. The labor force aged 15 and over in the first quarter of 2021 was 51 million people, down from the previous quarter and the same period of 2020. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic just before the Lunar New Year had changed. The uptrend is often seen compared to the same period of previous years. Normally, following population growth, the workforce in the following year always increases compared to the same period last year. However, the labor force in the first quarter of 2021 was nearly 200,000 people lower than the same period last year and about 600,000 lower than the same period when there was no epidemic (in 2019).

Video about employment situation in the first quarter of 2021 (Source: GSO)

The labor force participation rate in the first quarter of 2021 was estimated at 68.7%, down 1.6 percentage points from the previous quarter and 1.1 percentage points lower than the same period in 2020. The participation rate The labor force in urban areas is 66.7%, while that in rural areas is 69.9%. In terms of age groups, the labor force participation rate in urban areas is lower than in rural areas for most age groups, with the largest difference being observed in the age group 15-24 (urban : 41.2%; Rural: 48.0%) and group from 55 years old (urban: 35.0%; rural: 47.9%). This shows that people in rural areas enter the labor market earlier and leave the market much later than in urban areas; This is a typical feature of the labor market with a high proportion of the labor structure participating in the agricultural sector.

The rate of trained workers with diplomas and certificates from elementary or higher in the first quarter of 2021 is 26%, higher than that of the previous quarter and the same period of 2020. The rate of trained workers among urban areas and rural areas still have considerable disparities. This rate in urban areas reached 40.7%, 2.3 times higher than in rural areas (17.8%).

Out of a total of 23.2 million people aged 15 and over who did not participate in the labor market (outside the labor force) in the first quarter of 2021, 60.8% were in rural areas; they are mainly of school age and retirement.

The 3rd outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic reduced the labor market recovery achieved in the last 2 quarters of 2020. Out of a total of 49.9 million employed, service sector accounted for the largest proportion with 39.5%, equivalent to 19.7 million people, followed by workers in the industry and construction sector, accounting for 32.3%, equivalent to 16.1 million people. . Labor in agriculture, forestry and fishery accounts for the lowest proportion, 28.2%, equivalent to 14.1 million people.

International expert from Bangkok bridge point, Thailand informed at the press conference (Photo: HNV)

In this first quarter, the number of people with informal jobs was 20.7 million, a decrease of 251.7 thousand people against the previous quarter and an increase of 525.4 thousand people over the same period of 2020. Rate of workers with non-employment jobs. Officially the first quarter of 2021 is 57.1%, up 1.1 percentage points from the previous quarter and 1.8 percentage points compared to the same period in 2020. This rate increases highly in rural areas and among women. gender.

The COVID-19 epidemic broke out for the third time just before and during the Lunar New Year, significantly increasing the number of underemployed workers compared to the previous quarter and the same period of 2020. The number of underemployed workers in working age quarter I 971.4 thousand people; an increase of 143.2 thousand people against the previous quarter and an increase of 78.7 thousand people over the same period in 2020. The number of unemployed people in working age in the first quarter was nearly 1.1 million people, a decrease of 137.0 thousand people against the previous quarter and increase 12.1 thousand people compared to the same period of 2020.

However, a remarkable highlight is that, the average monthly income of employees in the first quarter of 2021 reached 6.3 million dong, an increase of 339 thousand dong over the previous quarter and an increase of 106 thousand dong over the same period in 2020. In the first quarter of 2021 over the same period of 2020, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector recorded the highest average income growth rate, up 5.2%; the service sector had the growth rate of 1.5% and the industry and construction sector had the lowest average income growth rate, up 0.8%. In particular, the monthly average income of wage and salaried workers in the first quarter of 2021 reached 7.2 million VND, an increase of 556 thousand VND against the previous quarter and 132 thousand VND over the same period of 2020.

Slide show an overview of the new statistical way (Photo: HNV)

In the framework of the press conference, Ms. Valentina Baccuci, Deputy General Director of ILO Vietnam expressed her pleasure because today’s press conference marks a special milestone of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam in particular and the Vietnamese statistics industry. Men in general have applied the latest international standard adopted in 2013 and are one of the 10 countries selected to pilot using this new standard in labor and employment statistics, helping to meet monitoring requirements. Labor efficiency in the new context contributes to help Vietnam achieve strategic goals in the future. “The new standard is very complex and demanding for statistics, from 2015-2017 was piloted in Vietnam and 2019-2020 started to collect in both old and new ways and continuously adjusted towards Reasonable effects to be officially announced today. Our ILO has been supporting the General Statistics Office continuously since 2017 and can be sure that the data published today is indeed recognized to meet the new international standard. Of course, no LFS is perfect, but this is also a clear testament to the determination to pursue data standardization by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam in particular and the Government of Vietnam in general. The ILO pledged to continue to accompany the General Department and the Government in that journey ”- said Ms. Valentina.

Sharing the same point of view, from the Bangkok bridge point in Thailand, Mr. Tite Habiyakare, an expert on labor statistics, ILO Asia-Pacific Regional Office emphasized the change in statistical criteria due to the drastic changes. of the new socio-economic period, changing the definition of labor and employment as well as understanding new aspects of employment in generating income, an important measure in the survey of statistics in the new standard./ .

From the first quarter of 2021, the General Statistics Office officially announced the statistics on labor and employment based on ICLS 19 standard. Moreover, to fully assess the volatility of the labor market over time. Time, the General Department will concurrently calculate and publish again the labor and employment statistics indicators according to ICLS 19 standards of the quarters from 2019 to now as a basis for comparison. Information on workers in self-employed jobs in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector are also recorded and disclosed.

According to the General Statistics Office (Ministry of Planning and Investment), the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020 and the first months of 2021 has pushed many workers into jobless status, at the same time forcing many people to become workers. have informal jobs.

In the first quarter of 2021, employed workers in urban areas increased by 114,300 people compared to the fourth quarter of 2020; down 90,200 people over the same period last year. In rural areas, the number of employed people increased by 508,900 compared to the fourth quarter of 2020 and decreased by 854,300 people over the same period last year. The proportion of labor force in the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector is 31.6% (corresponding to more than 17.05 million people); 31.7% of industry and construction sector (corresponding to 17.09 million people); 36.7% service sector (corresponding to 19.81 million people). Up to now, the number of employees aged 15 and over who are working is 53.4 million people, down 1.3 million; in which, the number of workers with informal jobs is 20.9 million, an increase of 233,000 people compared to the fourth quarter of 2020.

Workers working in production lines at factories were negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo: VNA.

Statistics show that the epidemic has caused the rate of workers with informal jobs to rise sharply in the first quarter of 2021, in contrast to the trend of decreasing this rate in recent years; businesses are forced to support with many measures, including measures to reduce labor (cut, take turns, etc.), to recruit seasonal workers, temporary workers to maintain operations. This leads to a decrease in the number of formal employees and an increase in the number of informal workers, leading to a rebound in the proportion of workers with informal employment after many years of continuous decline.

The COVID-19 epidemic also significantly increases the number of underemployed workers in economic sectors. The underemployment rate of workers in the age group is 2.51%, of which the underemployment rate in urban areas is 1.68%; Underemployment rate in rural areas is 2.93%. More than half of the underemployed people are currently working in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, accounting for 53.7%, down 15.6 percentage points over the same period last year; the industry and construction sector accounted for 20.2%, up 10.7 percentage points; the service sector accounted for 26.1%, up 4.9 percentage points. Thus, the current underemployment is not only concentrated in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, but is increasing in industry, construction and services.

For workers in the age group, the professional and technical qualifications are higher, the underemployment rate will be lower. The underemployment rate in the age group 2020 of workers without professional and technical qualifications is 2.87%; primary level is 2.25%; intermediate level is 1.58%; college is 1.52%; from university and above is 1.04%. Average monthly income of employees increased compared to the previous quarter, but still decreased compared to the same period last year. Average monthly income from employees’ work in the first quarter of 2021 reached 5.7 million dong, up 212,000 dong. VND compared with the previous quarter and decreased 108,000 VND against the same period last year.

Worryingly, the number of unemployed people in working age quarter I / 2021 was nearly 1.2 million, down 60,100 from the previous quarter and 136,800 people over the same period last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the unemployment rate of working age urban areas the highest increase compared to the same period in the past 10 years.

Although it increased higher than the previous year, the unemployment rate in urban areas did not exceed 4%, meeting the target set by the National Assembly in Resolution No. 85/2019 / QH-14 on the Development Plan. Socio-economic development in 2021. This, together with the GDP growth and other macro-balance indicators, can be seen as important evidence of the success of the Government in its efforts to achieve the dual goal. : disease prevention and socio-economic development.

Remove 3 “bottlenecks”

Leaders of the General Statistics Office said that, in the context of COVID-19 increasing the rate of unemployed workers, it is necessary to focus on removing 3 “bottlenecks” to actively respond and adapt to new developments. epidemic situation, both controlling the epidemic and promoting production and business.

Specifically, the ministries, branches and localities need to create conditions to continue solving difficulties for production enterprises. In which, focusing on reforming processes and procedures so that businesses can access simple, convenient and timely supporting policies to stimulate the economy as well as the demand for labor. These measures not only help businesses and employees escape the risk of bankruptcy, job loss and income reduction, but also create a driving force for production and business development.

On the other hand, localities actively implement specific support packages, diversify forms of subsidies, expand vocational training programs to suit many subjects, especially female workers and workers. Labor without technical and professional qualifications, informal labor to stabilize social security, motivate workers to work, contribute to economic recovery and development.

The most important bottleneck now, according to the leaders of the General Statistics Office, is to focus on retraining human resources, because the Vietnamese labor market has about 75% of the employees without any technical or professional training. This is a major limitation of the Vietnamese economy in the context of the epidemic still having new developments and the 4th industrial revolution taking place around the world. The low quality of the labor force will be a barrier separating opportunities to adapt and catch up with new technology trends and new business methods of the world. Therefore, in the coming time, Vietnam needs to actively renew and implement training and retraining policies to improve the quality of human resources to adapt to the requirements of economic growth and development.

The PCI 2020 report is based on feedback from nearly 12,300 enterprises, of which more than 10,700 private enterprises are operating in 63 provinces and cities and nearly 1,600 foreign-invested enterprises (FDI). ) operating in 22 localities in Vietnam. With a combined PCI score of 75.09 points in 2020, Quang Ninh is the top province in the PCI 2020 index. Dong Thap, Long An and Binh Duong are provinces with quality economic governance, respectively. highest in the PCI 2020 Rankings. The last group in PCI 2020 are Bac Kan, Dak Nong, Ha Giang, Kien Giang and Bac Lieu.

Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc speaking at the announcement ceremony.

The PCI 2020 survey shows that the quality of economic governance at the provincial level in Vietnam tends to improve over time. The positive movements recorded include continued decline in informal costs, continued security and order, more dynamic and proactive provincial governments, and significantly improved administrative reform. business school is increasingly equal. However, the survey results show that provincial governments need to drastically improve the transparency of the business environment, improve the quality of enforcement of the grassroots government system, and continue to promote procedural reform. and reduce the burden of inspection and examination for businesses, continue efforts to cut informal costs for businesses.

PCI 2020 chart

The results of the survey on FDI enterprises in 2020 show that Vietnam continues to be seen as an attractive investment destination, with the advantage of stable politics, more open administrative procedures, inspection, examination and Informal costs have been reduced. Foreign investors expect Vietnam to continue to control corruption, improve the quality of public service delivery, improve the system of procedures and regulations, and drastically upgrade the quality of its infrastructure.

Dr. Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of VCCI, said that PCI is an indicator of action. The PCI promotes the essential actions of the governments of the provinces and cities to improve the quality of administration and create a favorable business environment. It is the evidence-based policy development and enforcement of the results provided by the PCI. It is the exploration and development of reform ideas, good grassroots models. In fact, PCI has encouraged and spread many good practices in Vietnam over the past time.

Quang Ninh province leads the ranking for the fourth time with 75.09 points, an increase of 1.69 points compared to 2019. The second is Dong Thap province, reaching 72.81 points, up 1.1 points. Long An province increased 5 places compared to 2019 to third place.

Hanoi City continued to rank ninth, with 69.93 points, an increase of 1.13 points compared to 2019; with Da Nang city, Bac Ninh province, Binh Duong, Hai Phong, Ben Tre, Vinh Long in the top 10.

Among the 10 component indexes, Hanoi is highly appreciated for labor training (7.85 points), time costs (7.93 points), market entry costs (6.74 points), translation labor support service (6.68 points). Hanoi has also made many efforts to reduce informal costs, increase fair competition and increase transparency and dynamism of the government.

Over the past 16 consecutive years, the PCI report reflects the business community’s perceptions of the business environment in Vietnam to assess and rank the business environment and economic governance quality of the provinces and cities in Vietnam. Vietnam.

According to VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc, the 16th PCI report not only reflects the ranking of provinces and cities on the ease of the business environment but also mentions other major issues, such as the impact of the epidemic. Covid-19 came to the Vietnamese business community. At the same time, the PCI 2020 report poses Vietnam’s attractiveness to investors and reflects the business community’s expectation on the government’s reform efforts at all levels over the next five years.

“The detailed analysis of the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on Vietnamese enterprises is an essential input to help regulators and governments at all levels to develop realistic policies for effective implementation” the dual goal “is to prevent and fight epidemics, both restore and develop socio-economic that the Government has set out”, Mr. Vu Tien Loc said.

Specifically, according to the report, the epidemic had a negative impact on businesses on a large scale; Shrinking domestic markets and interrupted supply chains are the biggest difficulties for businesses. Approximately one third of enterprises have to leave their employees working in 2020 due to the influence of Covid-19 … Especially in support policies, tax and fee policies are highly appreciated in terms of accessibility and calculation. useful…

Notably, for the first time, the PCI 2020 report provides analysis and commentary on the motivation for businesses to invest in green technology and do business in an environmentally friendly way, a major orientation of the Party and The Government recently set out in improving the quality of investment attraction for Vietnam’s future sustainable development.

The Chinese military held a 6-day live-fire drills starting April 15 in an area off the southwestern coast of Taiwan, just in time for an unofficial US delegation to visit Taiwan.

In a statement on April 14, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Civil Affairs said the Chinese military’s six-day drills took place in the south of Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait. China has also set up a restricted area for ships operating near the island of Taiwan during the time when the Chinese army conducted live-fire drills until April 20.

China has practiced six-day live fire drills in the southern Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait. (Photo: Xinhua News Agency)

Previously, former Senator Chris Dodd and two former Deputy Foreign Ministers Richard Armitage and James Steinberg set out to make a 3-day visit to Taiwan on April 13 at the request of US President Joe Biden.

In a statement, a White House official stressed that this is the “personal signal” of President Biden in securing commitments with Taiwan.

Taiwanese leader Thai Anh Van also plans to meet with the US delegation this morning (April 15).

China has long viewed Taiwan as a separatist province and repeatedly affirmed that Taiwan is “the most sensitive and important issue in the US-China relationship. Meanwhile, although Washington and Taipei have not established formal diplomatic relations, the US is currently the strongest supporter of Taiwan on the international arena and is also a major arms supplier to Taiwan. .

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are also steadily increasing, after the United States and China have repeatedly taken military action in the region.

Mr. Kang Lin, a researcher at Hainan University, China, said that the 6-day live-fire drills were not conducted because of the US delegation’s visit to Taiwan. But the exercise area is close to the Dongsha archipelago north of the South China Sea, where Taiwan is in control and China also claims to have sovereignty in the area.

“The exercise clearly implies that China wants to assert sovereignty. The exercise also clearly showed Beijing’s warning to foreign forces not to interfere in the affairs of China and Taiwan, ”said Kang.

And military commentator Zhou Chenming said that the Chinese military regularly conducts exercises in the area during this time, because the weather conditions from July to September are not favorable.

“The exercise was planned in advance. Every year, China organizes many exercises in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait from April to June. But these events are increasingly publicized because China shoots real bullets, so notice must be made, ”said Zhou. to speak.

On April 12, China also dispatched an unprecedented number of military aircraft, including 25 fighters and bombers, into Taiwan’s air defense detection zone, according to the Taiwan Defense Agency.

On April 13, CCTV published a report on the PLAAF and PLAN conducting a 36-hour drill focusing on “reconnaissance and warning” training in the Taiwan Strait and East China Sea.

Tensions over sovereignty disputes over the Senkaku / Diaoyu archipelago in the East China Sea between Japan and China are also increasing.

The Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands are now under the control of Japan, but China has repeatedly affirmed the area is part of the national territory and regularly dispatched ships for surveillance.

Earlier in February, China also passed a new law that allowed its maritime forces to “take all necessary measures” including weapons to fight foreign organizations and individuals violating what the North Sutras called sovereignty and jurisdiction of the nation.

In response, members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) affirmed on February 25 after a meeting with Japanese government officials that the Japan Coast Guard could fire directly to entering foreign ships that intend to infiltrate near the Senkaku / Diaoyu archipelago in the East China Sea.

Currently, Tokyo is also tightening relations with the US in matters related to regional security. Specifically, on April 14, a US reconnaissance plane took off from Japan’s Okinawa island and flew over the East China Sea, according to the South China Sea Strategic Situation Initiative in Beijing. Earlier this month, China’s Liaoning carrier strike group also passed through the area between the islands of Okinawa and Miyako on its way to the Pacific.

On the morning of April 15, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) coordinated with stakeholders to publish the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI). This is the 16th time this indicator has been published.

VCCI President Vu Tien Loc recalled: “At that time, PCI was a strange story. Many people oppose the PCI, there are localities that do not accept the PCI results. But, PCI is not alone. The government has cheered and supported the PCI. Locals found in the PCI useful lessons. The media joined hands to spread the PCI’s reform messages. And business community (DN) stick with PCI ”.

PCI over the past 16 years has contributed to a change in thinking, bringing about a positive change in the government’s attitude towards the private sector. The role of the Business Associations is emphasized to join hands in reforming, promoting dialogue, public-private cooperation and monitoring the implementation of policies of the government at all levels.

PCI 2020 announcement ceremony in Hanoi recognized Quang Ninh for the 4th consecutive time at the top. Photo: Chan LUAN

“More importantly, the PCI is a measure of the government’s action. PCI promotes substantial activities to improve the quality of operations and create a favorable business environment based on the evidence from the PCI results, ”said Mr. Loc.

With the year 2020, the raging COVID-19, the whole country has difficulty, but there are still nearly 12,300 enterprises participating in the PCI survey.

“Congratulations Quang Ninh, this year, once again, has surpassed itself and firmly established the“ champion ”position in the PCI rankings for 4 consecutive years. Quang Ninh is also the only province among 63 provinces and cities to pass the 75-point mark in the PCI results since 2010, ”said Mr. Loc.

He also did not forget to congratulate the “top 10” provinces such as Dong Thap, Long An, Binh Duong, Da Nang, Vinh Long, Hai Phong, Ben Tre, Hanoi and Bac Ninh.

According to the PCI 2020 results, Ho Chi Minh City is not among the 10 provinces with the highest index, but ranked 14th. This is also the position of Ho Chi Minh City in the PCI 2019, lower than the years 2018 and 2017.

The results of the PCI can be seen that in the past 5 years, enterprises have assessed the government more positively, the unofficial costs have been reduced, businesses also put greater confidence in the legal institutions and the situation. security and order in the localities. Discrimination among economic sectors, which caused pain many years ago, has decreased significantly and the business environment has become much more equal than before.

PCI 2020 Rankings

“In addition to areas with much progress, reform activities should be paid more attention in some troublesome areas such as land, tax and social insurance … Enterprises also expect governments at all levels to increase. more transparency and accountability, ”said Mr. Loc.

According to the PCI, 25% of enterprises said that the locality favored SOEs, causing difficulties for private enterprises; 33% of enterprises think that the government still favors FDI enterprises. Still 40% of businesses are not ready to use the court to settle economic disputes.

Nearly 45% of enterprises said they had to pay informal fees; 54% of enterprises think that the phenomenon of corruption still exists, 20% of enterprises evaluate that state officials are ineffective and unfriendly in handling their work and also up to 3% of enterprises report that each year they are still denied check more than 5 times.

Mr. Loc said, the XIII Congress of the Party has determined “to create a favorable, healthy and fair business investment environment for all economic sectors to promote innovation”, so in 5-10 Next year, the development and implementation of institutions will be one of the key priorities in promoting breakthroughs.

“And the enterprise community has a responsibility to contribute to promoting these institutional breakthroughs”, Mr. Loc said.

16 years on a tireless journey

150,000 times, businesses have deposited their beliefs and recommendations in the surveys of the PCI. PCI is proud to have become a responsible voice of the business community.

In the series of Resolutions No. 19 and Resolution No. 02, the Government has asked localities to make efforts to improve the PCI.

Resolution of the Party Congress of most provinces and cities has stated the requirements for improving the PCI index in the next 5-year term. PCI is proud to contribute to the reform process in localities in Vietnam.

This is the information given at the announcement ceremony of the PCI 2020 Annual Report of the Provincial Competitiveness Index by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). held this morning, April 15, in Hanoi.

With a combined PCI score of 75.09 points in 2020, Quang Ninh is the leading province in the PCI in 2020. Increasing 1.69 points of synthetic PCI compared to the previous year, Quang Ninh has surpassed itself to establish 1st place in the PCI Ranking for 4 consecutive years. Not only that, Quang Ninh is also the only province among 63 provinces and cities that surpassed the 75-point mark in the PCI results since 2010.

With a score of 72.8, Dong Thap holds 2nd place in PCI 2020.

Long An reached 70.37 points and ranked third in PCI 2020, an increase of 5 levels compared to 2019.

The next provinces in the top 10 provinces and cities of the PCI 2020 are Binh Duong (70.16 points), Da Nang (70.12 points), Vinh Long (69.34 points), Hai Phong city (69 points). , 27 points), Ben Tre (69.08 points), Hanoi City (66.93 points) and Bac Ninh (66.74 points).

In this list, Binh Duong had the strongest improvement with an increase of 2.78 points and 9 ranks compared to the results in 2019, with positive assessments of businesses on market entry (up 1.22 points). and business support (up 0.91 points). “This is the result of Binh Duong reviewing and completing the one-stop shop for enterprise registration and settlement of investment procedures; implementing publicly and transparently mechanisms, policies, processes and administrative procedures for enterprise registration, investment registration and strengthening coordination between branches and levels in attracting and managing projects invest; support to create favorable conditions and solve problems so that projects can be quickly deployed into production and business ”, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Project Director of the Provincial Competitiveness Index Project, Head of the Legal Department , Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.

PCI 2020 report is built based on feedback from nearly 12,300 enterprises (DN), of which over 10,700 private enterprises are operating in 63 provinces and cities and nearly 1,600 foreign-invested enterprises ( FDI) is operating in 22 localities in Vietnam.

Announcement Ceremony of the Annual Report of the Provincial Competitiveness Index 2020

The PCI 2020 survey shows that the quality of economic governance at the provincial level in Vietnam tends to improve over time. The positive movements recorded include continued decline in informal costs, continued security and order, more dynamic and proactive provincial governments, and significantly improved administrative reform. business school is increasingly equal. However, the survey results show that the provincial government needs to drastically improve the transparency of the business environment, improve the quality of enforcement of the grassroots government system, and continue to promote reforms. administrative procedures and reduce the burden of inspection and examination for businesses, continue efforts to cut down on unofficial costs for businesses.

“2020 is a particularly difficult year for Vietnamese enterprises due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. Covid-19 has had a negative impact on the operations of enterprises on a large scale, in almost all industries, in all regions of the country, seriously affecting the decrease in revenue and profit of enterprises in the country. last year. Enterprises also had to cut the workforce. State policies supporting enterprises to overcome Covid-19 have practically uneven impacts, some policies have high practical effects such as tax deferral and extension of land rent … “, PhD. . Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of VCCI said.

However, the PCI 2020 survey results show a relatively high degree of adaptation of Vietnamese businesses to the epidemic. The survey results of FDI enterprises in 2020 show that Vietnam continues to be considered an attractive investment destination, with the advantage of stable politics, more open administrative procedures, inspection, examination and spending. Unofficial fees have decreased. Foreign investors expect Vietnam to continue to control corruption, improve the quality of public service delivery, improve the system of procedures, regulations and drastically upgrade the quality of infrastructure./.

Mr. Ngo Chieu Photography (Tuesday, right) welcomes the delegation sent by Mr. Joe Biden at the airport (Photo: Twitter @ MOFA Taiwan).

According to the news site Multi-Dimensional (Dwnews) On April 14, the Taiwan Diplomatic Service announced on Twitter that the US delegation arrived in Taiwan on the afternoon of April 14 and was directly brought to the airport by Mr. Ngo Chieu Photography, the head of the Taiwan diplomatic mission. welcome. The Taiwanese diplomatic service also posted three photos of the scene on Twitter.

Taiwan’s Foreign Office wrote on Twitter, “the presence of the American delegates is a vote of confidence that the US has for Taiwan and the Taiwanese people who love freedom and democracy”.

Mr. Ngo Chieu Photography (right) welcomes the delegation at the plane’s elevator

(Photo: Twitter @ MOFA Taiwan).

Meanwhile, Beijing is very dissatisfied. When asked questions related to the incident at a regular press conference on April 14, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien said, “Thai Anh Van is just a local leader of China; China firmly opposes any form of formal exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, which is a clear and consistent Chinese policy. The Chinese side was sternly opposed to the US side about the US government’s dispatch of staff to Taiwan to operate ”.

Mr. Trieu Lap Kien also reminded the US to strictly abide by the principle of one China and three Sino-US joint statements, immediately stop any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, and handle any issues. concerns Taiwan carefully and does not send any false signals to “independent Taiwan” separatist powers to avoid causing further damage to Sino-US relations and to peace. stable and stable on the Taiwan Strait ”.

Mr. Trieu Lap Kien said at a press conference on the afternoon of April 14: China strongly opposed the US about sending staff to Taiwan (Photo: Da Dimensional).

It is known that at the request of US President Joe Biden, former Senator Chris Dodd and two former Permanent Deputy Ministers of the Foreign Ministry Richard Armitage and James Steinberg visited Taiwan on April 13. A senior US administration official declared that this was an “important signal” of America’s commitment to Taiwan and its democracy.

A senior official in the Joe Biden administration stated that on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the “Taiwan Relations Act” by the US and Taiwan, the US sent the “unofficial” delegation to visit Taiwan. In the past, Mr. Joe Biden Biden voted for this bill as US Senator.

The senior official said the delegation will meet with Taiwanese officials, according to “a long tradition the US administration sends unofficial high-level bipartisan delegations to Taiwan”.

Mr. Ngo Chieu Photography (right) talks with American guests (Photo: Twitter @ MOFA Taiwan).

He also said that the reason these three were chosen because they are longtime friends of Taiwan and have a close personal relationship with President Joe Biden. This move sends an important signal of US commitment to Taiwan and its democracy.

Just a few days earlier, the US issued new rules for US-Taiwan exchanges, further easing restrictions on US-Taiwan exchanges.

At the same time, mainland China has recently increased pressure on Taiwan, the Liaoning aircraft carrier exercises around Taiwan, and military aircraft are also constantly approaching Taiwan. Many fear that Beijing will use force against Taiwan. The US tit-for-tat, constantly sending warships through the Taiwan Strait to deter Beijing.

Before that, the Taiwan News Agency CNA quoted people familiar with this issue as saying that, in early March, the US side informed the Taiwanese government that President Joe Biden would send former Senator Chris Dodd to Taiwan to show long-term friendship. personal length with Taiwan and congratulate the 42nd anniversary of passing the “Taiwan Relations Act”. The Taiwan side welcomed Mr. Biden’s willingness to arrange a jet to take Mr. Dodd to visit Taiwan, and planned to exchange important information with Mr. Biden through this channel.

Ms. Tieu My Cam, Taiwanese representative in the US, was invited by Mr. Joe Biden to the inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2021 (Photo: Da Afternoon).

A person familiar with the matter pointed out that the delegation will arrive in Taiwan on April 14 Taiwan time and is scheduled to visit until April 16. During that time, the delegation will meet with leader Thai Anh Van and will also meet with senior Taiwanese national security, foreign affairs and defense officials. Sources familiar with the matter also said that Taiwan is expected to continue proposing recent Chinese provocations against Taiwan; Taiwan is committed to maintaining regional stability, but at the same time hopes that the United States will continue to strengthen its support for Taiwan, including concrete progress in economic, trade, and security areas.

A source familiar with the matter said the Taiwanese side is expected to also thank Mr. Biden’s team for their recent Taiwan-friendly actions, including the publication of the latest guidelines on awarding. exchange and significantly loosen restrictions on their exchanges.