Vietnam News Today (Jun. 26): Vietnam, France’s Toulouse City Strengthen Multi-faceted Cooperation

	Vietnam News Today (Jun. 24): Vietnam Eyes Deeper Cooperation at WEF Tianjin 2025
	Vietnam News Today (Jun. 25): PM Chinh Arrives in Tianjin for World Economic Forum and Working Visit to China

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu in an interview granted to the Cambodian News Agency (AKP) (Photo: VNA)

Ambassador stresses Vietnam-Cambodia friendship, fruitful economic ties

As Vietnam and Cambodia are celebrating the 58th anniversary of their diplomatic ties (June 24, 1967–2025), Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu has reaffirmed the enduring friendship between the two nations, calling it a valuable asset to be preserved for future generations.

In an interview with the Cambodian News Agency (AKP) on this occasion, Ambassador Vu emphasized that the “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long‑term sustainability” between the two countries have been nurtured by generations of their leaders and people, and continue to grow stronger.

He noted that economic, trade, and investment cooperation remains a key pillar of bilateral relations. High-ranking leaders of both countries have identified this as a priority of collaboration through 2030.

Since the signing of the Vietnam-Cambodia trade and economic cooperation agreement, trade and investment ties have seen remarkable growth, substantially contributing to each country's socio-economic development and facilitating collaboration in various spheres, he went on.

From just 117 million USD in 1998, when the deal was inked, their trade turnover reached 10.1 billion USD in 2024. In the first five months of this year alone, the figure rose 19% year-on-year to approximate 5.5 billion USD. It is expected to surpass 12 billion USD this year.

Vietnam is currently Cambodia’s third-largest trading partner and its second-largest export market, after the US. It is also a major importer of Cambodia’s key agricultural products such as rice, cashew nuts, cassava, and rubber.

Vu highlighted several bilateral trade agreements, including the cross-border trade agreement, investment promotion and protection agreement, annual trade promotion plans, and a memorandum of understanding on cross-border trade infrastructure. He expressed confidence that with the growing economies, their complementary economic strengths, vibrant business communities, and strong friendship, the two countries are well-positioned to expand their trade further to reach the 20 billion USD targets in the coming years.

Regarding investment, Vietnam ranks among the top four foreign investors in Cambodia, with 215 projects worth a total of 2.94 billion USD. Vietnamese firms operate in 18 of Cambodia’s 25 provincial-level localities, investing in agriculture, telecommunications, banking, finance, food processing, mining, aviation, and tourism. Many of these projects have contributed significantly to Cambodia’s socio-economic development, improving infrastructure, generating jobs, raising local workers' income, and supporting social welfare initiatives.

Amid shifting global investment flows, Cambodia is emerging as an attractive destination, drawing increasing interest from Vietnamese businesses. Many are now exploring or planning new or expanded investments in Cambodia, including the capital city of Phnom Penh and such provinces as Svay Rieng, Kampot, Takeo, Kratie, Moldulkiri, Rattanakiri, Preah Shihanouk, and Preah Vihear. Key areas of interest include large-scale agriculture, agricultural processing, telecommunications, digital transformation, renewable energy, mining, and construction materials, cited VNA.

To boost investment, the diplomat proposed that both countries increase trade and investment promotion activities, including holding business forums, investment promotion conferences, and tourism fairs, and establishing border gate economic zones. A notable example is the Vietnam-Cambodia business dialogue held by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnam-Cambodia Business Association in April, which gathered over 150 Vietnamese enterprises seeking opportunities in Cambodia.

Vu expressed optimism that the close political and diplomatic relations, geographical proximity, cultural similarity, and improving investment environments in both countries will create favorable conditions for further business expansion, benefiting their businesses and peoples.

Reflecting on the 58 years of ties, he reiterated that the peace, stability, and development of one nation are also those of the other.

The ambassador underlined that as the two countries grow stronger, maintain unity, and foster friendship, they will be better positioned to navigate the challenges of the current global landscape.

Vietnam outlines vision for prosperous, sustainable Asian century at WEF meeting

At a pivotal session of the World Economic Forum held in Tianjin, China, on June 25, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh outlined both the challenges and opportunities facing Asia today, while proposing key strategies to foster sustainable development, innovation, and regional solidarity.

Addressing delegates at the session titled “Is Asia’s Century at Risk,” Chinh noted that Asia is living in a world full of volatility and uncertainty, marked by political polarisation, economic fragmentation, and social disparities. The continent faces significant risks including geopolitical tensions, protectionism, inflationary pressures, natural disasters, pandemics, climate change, resource depletion, and aging populations.

Despite these challenges, he underscored Asia’s many advantages, namely its strategic location, robust economic growth potential, a rapidly expanding middle class, improved infrastructure and financial systems, and active integration and cooperation with the rest of the world.

“Asia has faith and hope,” the Prime Minister affirmed, citing a solid foundation rooted in politics, economy, culture, and society. With over half a decade of continuous innovation and integration efforts, Asia has accumulated the strength, resilience, and valuable experience necessary to overcome crises and ensure no one is left behind.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that China, given its global influence, will remain a vital pillar in shaping Asia’s development alongside the world. He praised China’s role in promoting connectivity, spearheading future-oriented initiatives, and consistently demonstrating responsible leadership during times of difficulty.

To build a prosperous and sustainable Asian century, the Prime Minister proposed five strategic pioneers. The first is pioneering the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation, and development. This involves steadfastly protecting core values in international relations, proactively managing dialogue and differences, and expanding connectivity both within and beyond the region. It also means upholding multilateralism and respecting international law.

The second pioneer focuses on advances in science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, and the green transition. The goal is to shift Asia’s role from being the world’s manufacturing factory to becoming a global innovation hub.

The third pioneer emphasises the need to connect value chains and promote economic linkage as well as global integration. This requires fostering cooperation based on harmonised interests and shared risks, according to VOV.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is a keynote speaker at a session Is Asia's Century at Risk? as part of the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, on June 25. (Photo: VNA)

The fourth pioneer encourages the spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, and enterprise development. To support this, the investment environment must be improved to become more transparent and internationally competitive. The World Economic Forum plays a key role in attracting global investors to the region.

Finally, the fifth pioneer involves strengthening cultural and social connectivity, by placing people at the center of development policies, respecting diversity while fostering unity, and prioritising the empowerment and engagement of youth.

In addition, the Vietnamese Prime Minister proposed establishing an Asian Innovation Network to leverage the leading roles of the WEF and China in connecting research institutes, universities, and businesses; and building an Asian Innovation Portal, to provide practical and effective support for small and medium enterprises and innovative startups.

Affirming Vietnam’s readiness to actively participate, he expressed hope for strong cooperation and support from the World Economic Forum, China, and other nations to bring these initiatives to fruition.

In conclusion, the Prime Minister said he believes with solidarity, responsibility, determination, and decisive action, Asia’s century will be an opportunity, not a challenge, to build a future of peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity in the region and the rest of the world.

Vietnam, France’s Toulouse city strengthen multi-faceted cooperation

A working visit to Toulouse by Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang from June 23–25 has laid important groundwork for expanding multi-sector cooperation between Vietnam and the Occitanie region.

The visit took place just one month after French President Emmanuel Macron’s historic trip to Vietnam, underscoring the momentum in bilateral ties.

Hosting a reception for the Vietnamese ambassador, Deputy Mayor of Toulouse Jean-Claude Dardelet emphasised that France and Vietnam have important historical connections while Toulouse, one of the fastest-growing cities in France, has maintained a special relationship with Hanoi since the 1970s.

Named “France’s most attractive city” for two consecutive years, Toulouse is bolstering its economic diplomacy and international connections. As Europe’s aerospace hub, Toulouse serves as a vital gateway for France–Vietnam cooperation. It is also home to France’s second-largest higher education network, including 10 engineering schools specialising in aerospace, digital technology, and health care.

He said educational exchanges with Vietnam have flourished, particularly through architecture programmes between Hanoi and the Toulouse School of Architecture.

Dardelet noted that many Vietnamese students are currently studying in Toulouse, and French students are also interning in Vietnam, highlighting a foundation for high-quality human resources development.

Climate change cooperation was another focus of the visit. Toulouse hosts Mercator Océan, the European ocean research organisation within the multi-billion-euro Copernicus Programme. As Vietnam grapples with rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion in regions like the Mekong Delta and Ha Long Bay, collaboration in oceanic science holds critical significance for food security and sustainable development.

Another highlight of Toulouse–Vietnam cooperation is heritage preservation. Over the past five years, with support from the French Development Agency (AFD), Toulouse has helped Hanoi conserve two ancient citadels and develop the 36 Streets walking zone.

Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc, who has visited Vietnam twice, praised the country’s dynamism, saying that Vietnam is one of the most vibrant countries in the region, with a population of over 100 million and impressive economic growth.

During his visit, Ambassador Thang also met with local leaders, scholars, and business representatives at an event organized by the North-South economic and cultural development agency. The event drew nearly 100 participants from fields such as industry, trade, health care, and higher education.

The agency’s President Gilbert Salinas expressed his desire to serve as a bridge in strengthening France-Vietnam cooperation across sectors aligned with both countries’ capacities and needs.

For his part, Thang emphasised the deep and evolving ties between the two countries, noting that Vietnam–France relations are shaped by both historical and modern dynamics. The cooperation has been further strengthened through recent high-level visits and exchanges, as well as the desire of local partners to explore more of the potential in areas where they have strengths, including training, health care, and high technology, reported VNA.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang (left) meets with Deputy Mayor of Toulouse Jean-Claude Dardelet. (Photo: VNA)

Highlighting Vietnam’s development over the past 50 years and its 2045 goal of becoming a fully industrialised country, the ambassador outlined key national priorities including technology, industrialisation, high-speed rail infrastructure, particularly express railway, renewable and clean energy, and nuclear energy. These are sectors with strong potential collaboration with France and Toulouse in particular.

Thang also had a working session with Airbus, headquartered in Toulouse. The trip coincided with VietJet’s announcement of an additional order of 20 A330neo aircraft, bringing its total to 40, making it the largest global customer of this aircraft model.

On this occasion, Airbus also introduced satellite and space technology projects, suggesting new cooperation opportunities in high technology, especially when Vietnam is developing digital transformation and Industry 4.0 strategies.

At Loft Orbital, a space startup based in both Toulouse and San Francisco, Thang explored potential technology cooperation. Frédéric Cristini, the company’s Commercial Director, introduced its flexible, cost-effective satellite services with the slogan “Make Space Simple.”

He noted that such solutions could enable countries like Vietnam to access satellite capabilities without massive upfront investment. He said this is an important opportunity for Vietnam to improve capacity in climate response, ocean resource management, and Earth observation.

Enterprises explore opportunities to boost exports to Japan

A seminar organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) on June 25 provided valuable insights for Vietnamese businesses aiming to expand exports to Japan.

In his opening remarks, Tran Phu Lu, Director of ITPC, recognized Japan’s role as a strategic partner and a key export market for Vietnam. He highlighted the steady growth in economic ties, especially following the upgrade of their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world in 2023.

Vietnam is an important trading partner for Japan, with bilateral trade turnover in 2024 reaching US$46.23 billion, up 2.78% from the previous year. Of the figure, Vietnamese exports to Japan amounted to US$24.61 billion, mainly comprising garments and textiles, machinery and equipment, wood and furniture, plastics, and means of transport.

Delegates seek to increase exports to Japan at a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on June 25. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Shiotani Yuichiro, general director of AEON TOPVALU Vietnam Co., Ltd., stated that businesses aiming to export products to AEON’s distribution network in Japan must meet certain criteria. These include owning a factory with an operating capacity of at least 75%, having operated for a minimum of five years, providing transparent financial reports for the past two periods, possessing export experience, and adhering to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) model.

At the seminar, delegates discussed various topics related to exporting to the Japanese market, including experiences with financial management and international payments; forms of financial support available for exporters; and solutions for logistics, customs clearance, and freight transport, cited VOV.

They also highlighted major challenges businesses face, such as technical barriers, strict environmental and labor regulations, competition with domestic products, and Japanese market demands for quality, design, and packaging.

In addition, the ITPC announced that the Ho Chi Minh City Festival in Japan 2025 will be held in Tokyo on November 1 - 2. The event will feature the Ho Chi Minh Pavilion, showcasing typical products with strong export potential to Japan.

Tropical depression strengthens in East Sea, heavy rain hits mainland

A tropical depression is currently active over the northern part of the East Sea, packing winds of level 6 (39–49 km/h) and gusts up to level 8, with forecasts indicating continued intensification in the coming days.

On land, heavy localized rains are expected across northern Vietnam, the south-central coast, Central Highlands, and southern regions, posing high risks of flash floods and landslides.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 7 a.m. on June 25, the center of the tropical depression was located at approximately 17.7°N latitude and 114.6°E longitude, about 360 km east-northeast of the Paracel Islands.

The strongest winds near the center reached level 6, with gusts of level 8. The system is moving northwest at a speed of 15–20 km/h.

Forecast for the next 24 to 48 hours:

By 7 a.m. on June 26, the depression is expected to be around 180 km east of Hainan Island, China, with intensified winds of level 6-7 and gusts up to level 9. The danger zone in the East Sea over the next 24 hours (winds level 6 and above, gusts level 8 and above) is between latitudes 16.5°N to 21°N and longitudes 111.5°E to 115.5°E. The risk level at sea due to strong winds is rated level 3.

By 7 a.m. on June 27, the system is forecast to move northwest at approximately 15 km/h, gradually weakening as it reaches southwestern Guangdong Province in China. At this point, winds are expected to decrease to level 6 with gusts at level 8. The danger zone will extend northward, above latitude 18°N and between longitudes 109°E to 113.5°E, maintaining a level 3 risk rating.

Forecast for the next 48 to 72 hours:

The tropical depression is expected to continue moving north-northwest at 15–20 km/h while weakening further. The northern East Sea, including the Paracel Islands’ surrounding waters, is forecast to experience thunderstorms with winds of level 6-7 and gusts up to level 9. Waves are expected to reach heights of 2–4 meters, creating rough sea conditions, cited VNN.

Movement path of the tropical depression as of the morning of June 25. Source: NCHMF

Ships operating in this region face high risks from thunderstorms, waterspouts, strong winds, and high waves. Authorities advise strict monitoring and proactive precautions.

Heavy rainfall across multiple regions in Vietnam

Due to a northwestern-southeastern oriented low-pressure trough extending across central Vietnam and the mid-East Sea, combined with moderate southwest monsoon activity in the southern regions, widespread rain is expected throughout the country.

Specifically, from last night into this morning (June 25), showers and scattered thunderstorms occurred in the mountainous northern regions and the Central Highlands, with some areas experiencing very heavy rain. Rainfall totals between 7 p.m. June 24 and 8 a.m. June 25 include: Lieu Do (Yen Bai) 317.4mm, Tien Nguyen (Ha Giang) 225.4mm, Dak Hring (Kon Tum) 136.2mm.

Today and tonight, scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast in the northwest and Red River Delta, with localized heavy rain reaching 15–30mm and isolated areas exceeding 80mm.

This evening and tonight, the Viet Bac region will experience moderate to heavy rainfall and scattered thunderstorms, with amounts ranging from 15–40mm, and localized rainfall possibly exceeding 150mm.

Meanwhile, the south-central coast is forecast to have scattered showers and thunderstorms this evening, with local heavy rain between 10–30mm, and isolated areas exceeding 80mm. The Central Highlands and southern regions will also see moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms, with rainfall between 15–40mm and some areas receiving over 100mm.

The meteorological agency warns that thunderstorms may bring tornadoes, lightning, hail, and strong gusts. Heavy localized rainfall may cause flash floods in small rivers and streams, landslides on steep slopes, and flooding in low-lying areas.

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