Press Highlights Apr. 8

Hanoi (VNA) - Current Events
· Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly
Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong separately receive US Senator John McCain (All dailies, p1).

· Promoting friendly and cooperative relations between
Vietnam and Belarus (Nhan dan, p8).

· Building a peaceful, friendly and stable borderline
between Vietnam and China (Nhan dan and Saigon Giai phong, p8). A seminar
discussing the completion of Vietnam-China border demarcation and marker planting
and an exhibition entitled "Vietnam-China peaceful and friendly border" opened in
Hanoi .

· Vietnamese leaders extend condolences to Italy
over losses caused by an earthquake on April 6 (All dailies, p8).

· State leaders congratulate the Khmer ethnic minority
people on Chol Chnam Thmay new year festival (Saigon Giai phong, p1).

· National Assembly Standing Committee oversees the
anti-corruption work in Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon Giai phong, p7).

Socio-economic Affairs

· World Bank forecasts Vietnam 's economic growth will
reach 5.5 percent this year and appreciates the government's efforts to steer the
economy (Saigon Giai phong, p3; and Quan doi Nhan dan, p8).

· Asian Development Bank funds the construction of
power plants in Vietnam 's remote areas (Hanoi Moi, p8).

· Creating a momentum for development of the Chu Lai Open
Economic Zone (Nhan dan, p1).

· Ho Chi Minh City manages files of 4,000 workers
who have lost jobs (Nhan dan, p7).

· Ho Chi Minh City 's real estate market two years
after Vietnam joined the World Trade Organisation: Latent risks remain
(Saigon Giai phong, p1).

· Republic of Korea supports Ha Long Bay to be
a new world wonder (Saigon Giai phong, p1). The RoK Embassy and the Kumho Asiana
on April 7 opened a showroom at the Hanoi Daewoo Hotel to promote the image of
Ha Long Bay in support for its race to become one of seven new world wonders.


· Price of gold drops, but that of US dollar rises:
Disadvantages for investors (Saigon Giai phong, p3).

· New ecological findings in the Can Gio submerged forest
(Saigon Giai phong, p5).

· In response to the voluntary blood donation day:
175,000 units of blood received (Hanoi Moi, p1).

· How to preserve Hanoi 's old quarters? (Hanoi Moi,
p5).

· Viettel to invest more than 12.78 trillion VND in
building 3G infrastructure (Hanoi Moi, p4).

· Salary increase not to lead to price hike (Lao dong,
p1). An interview with the Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs,
Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

· Dung Quat oil refinery to sell at most 49 percent of
its stakes to partners (Lao dong, p3).

· First quarter of 2009: More than 22,000 Vietnamese
workers sent abroad (Lao dong, p4).

· A white whale pushed ashore on Bach Long Vi island (Lao
dong, p7).

· Exchange rate on the decrease (Dau tu [Investment], No.
41, p7). Two weeks after the State Bank of Vietnam widened the daily trading
band, the foreign exchange market has seen positive changes.

· Newly-licensed 3G service providers start a race to
reach customers (Dau tu, No. 41, p10).

· Professionalisation of product sale (Dau tu, No. 41,
p12). Garment companies are on the right track when they cooperate with local
consumer goods distributors to boost the sale of their products on the domestic
market.

· An opportunity for Vietnam 's resort capital (Thanh
nien [Young People], No. 97, p6). Boasting a smooth and clean beach and waveless
sea, Mui Ne is considered as the resort "capital" of Vietnam and is
attracting an increasing number of tourists despite the world economic crisis.


· Vietnam 's rice exports to Asian countries to
sharply drop, but those to Africa expected to strongly increase (Thoi bao Kinh te
Viet Nam [Vietnam Economic Times], No. 83, p5).

· Priority of investment promotion strategy (Thoi bao
Ngan hang [Banking Review], No. 55, p9). A decrease in the foreign direct
investment inflow during the first quarter of 2009 was unavoidable. Investor
confidence is declining due to adverse impacts of the global financial crisis,
alongside with tightened credits, reduced profits and weakened financial capacity
of corporations. How to promote investment in this depression period?

· When will the real estate market flourish again? (Thoi
bao Tai chinh Vietnam [Vietnam Financial Times, No. 40, p15).

· Much to be done to preserve the ceremonial singing ca
tru (Van hoa [Culture], No. 1671, p10). Vietnam already submitted a document
to the UNESCO for recognition of ca tru as an intangible cultural heritage. In
recent years, ca tru has shown signs of recovery, but there is much to be done
to conserve this unique art.

· Seafood exports on the way to bounce back (Tuoi tre
[Youth], No. 89, p14). Many seafood processors have raised their outputs and a
large number of workers get jobs again thanks to prolonged efforts to seek new
markets and staples.

International Affairs

· Positive signs in Cuba-US relations (Nhan dan, p8).

· Thailand 's "yellow shirt" party plans
demonstration against the "red shirt" (Saigon Giai phong, p8).

· Russian Government adopts plan to prevent an economic
crisis (Nhan dan, p8).

· About the missile launch of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea : The 5+1 group seeks solutions (Saigon Giai phong, p8).

· Japan announces a new economic stimulus package
worth 100 billion USD (Hanoi Moi, p8).-Enditem