Vietnam News Today (Oct. 3): Vietnam Braces for New Tropical Storm
	Vietnam News Today (Oct. 4): Vietnam, Thailand Seek Measures to Intensify Bilateral Collaboration

Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung holds a phone conversation with Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow on October 3, 2025.

Acting Foreign Minister holds phone conversation with top Thai diplomat

Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung had a phone conversation with Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow on Friday.

It was the first exchange between the two top diplomats since Phuangketkeow took office on September 19.

The Thai official reiterated that Vietnam is an important partner of Thailand in the region and vowed to continue strengthening close cooperation between the two foreign ministries, contributing to further promoting the Vietnam–Thailand comprehensive strategic partnership.

He welcomed Vietnam's efforts in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, pledging to strengthen collaboration with Vietnam in joint fishing cooperation activities and marine environmental protection.

Le, for his part, expressed his delight at the substantive and profound development in the bilateral relations based on mutual respect, trust, and benefit.

He called on both sides to continue working together to implement the outcomes of the 4th Vietnam–Thailand Joint Cabinet Meeting, with a focus on formulating an action program to realize the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries for the 2026–2030 period.

Both ministers underlined the need to work closely together to make thorough preparations for upcoming high-level visits, particularly high-level meetings on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and the Mekong–Lancang Cooperation Summit scheduled to take place by the end of 2025, cited VGP.

Economic cooperation remains a key pillar of bilateral relations, they noted, asserting to foster stronger ties in economic cooperation with a view to soon achieving the trade goal of US$25 billion in a more balanced manner.

The two diplomats pledged to speed up the establishment of a joint working group to effectively and substantively implement the "Three Connectivity" Strategy, which includes connecting supply chains, especially in supporting industries, linking economic sectors, enterprises, and localities of the two countries and aligning their sustainable growth strategies.

Both sides also underscored the importance of prioritizing cooperation in emerging areas such as digital transformation, e-government, green economy, and just energy transition as well as developing an innovation ecosystem and boosting connections within the startup innovation network.

The two sides voiced their support for enhancing political and security cooperation and fighting against transnational crime and reaffirmed their commitment not to allow any individual or organization to use their territory to act against the other.

The pair vowed to promote close coordination within multilateral and regional mechanisms, work together with other ASEAN member states to strengthen solidarity, unity, and uphold ASEAN centrality, and strengthen subregional development cooperation.

Le took the occasion to extend invitation to Minister Phuangketkeow to visit Vietnam and co-chair the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation at a convenient time.

Top Cuban legislator expects stronger investment cooperation with Vietnam

President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and President of the Council of the State of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández has praised the infrastructure and investment environment at Thang Long II Industrial Park, highlighting its potential as a model for bilateral cooperation and reaffirming Cuba’s intent to expand foreign investment in the coming years.

Continuing their working visit to northern Hung Yen province, on the afternoon of October 4, a high-level delegation from the Republic of Cuba, led by President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and President of the Council of the State of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández, visited Nestlé Bong Sen Company and Thang Long II Industrial Park.

During the visit, the Cuban delegation introduced Cuba’s economic development potential and exchanged information and experience on infrastructure investment and attracting investment with the leaders of Nestlé Bong Sen Company and Thang Long II Industrial Park Company Limited. Lazo Hernández applauded the modern development of Nestlé Bong Sen and the synchronous infrastructure investment at Thang Long II Industrial Park, while highlighting its strong foundation for attracting foreign investment.

He stated that despite challenges posed by the blockade and sanctions, Cuba plans to expand numerous industrial parks, strengthen cooperation, and enhance foreign investment attraction through specific incentives and policies. He expressed the hope that many enterprises, including Sumitomo Group, the investor behind Thang Long Industrial Parks in Vietnam, would visit Cuba to explore the investment environment and eventually participate in developing industrial infrastructure there, according to VOV.

President of the National Assembly of People’s Power Esteban Lazo Hernández and his delegation visit Nestlé Bong Sen Factory at Thang Long II Industrial Park (Photo:qdnd.vn)

Nguyen Minh Duc, Deputy General Director of Thang Long II Industrial Park Company Limited, said Sumitomo Group currently develops and operates ten industrial parks across six countries. In Vietnam, the group has five industrial parks located in Hanoi, Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, and Vinh Phuc (now Phu Tho province), hosting mostly Japanese investors producing electrical and electronic products; auto and motorcycle components; metal products and mechanical processing; and plastic and rubber products.

Established in 2006 with a total area of 527 hectares, Thang Long II Industrial Park currently hosts 82 out of 90 investors from Japan, alongside companies from Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, and Switzerland, with total registered investment of US$3.2 billion. The park creates jobs for about 27,000 workers and makes a considerable contribution to the local economy.

Leveraging Japanese-quality infrastructure, the company strives to provide the best conditions for investors in the industrial park. Prioritizing renewable energy, it has installed rooftop solar power systems with a capacity of 80MWp and plans to reach 100MWp by 2025 to serve activities in Thang Long II Industrial Park toward sustainable green development.

Vietnam’s FDI inflows remain strong amidst global stagnation: official

Vietnam’s foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction remains quite positive, amidst a slow-down in global FDI flows, particularly newly registered capital, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance’s Foreign Investment Agency Dao Thanh Huong said on October 3 at the ministry’s regular press conference for the third quarter of 2025.

In the first eight months, Vietnam attracted 26.1 billion USD in FDI, up 27.3% year-on-year, while 15.4 billion USD was disbursed, up 8.8%, reflecting the economy’s strong capacity to absorb capital.

FDI inflows into the manufacturing and processing industry continue to lead among all sectors attracting foreign investment, showing that this remains a particularly appealing field for international investors, stated Huong.

During the period, total registered FDI in this industry reached 13.64 billion USD in both newly registered capital and additional capital from existing licensed projects, accounting for 62.9% of the total.

However, the official noted although FDI attraction in the first months of the year has been quite positive, achieving the target of around 38–40 billion USD in 2025 remains a challenge for Vietnam, reported VNA.

SANYOU VIETNAM Electronics Co., Ltd., a wholly Chinese-owned company located in Hue city, specialises in manufacturing electronic components for export. (Photo: VNA)

To maintain competitiveness and advance in the regional race for FDI attraction, economists stressed that improving and enhancing the quality of the investment environment remains a fundamental and practical solution which must be pursued consistently and effectively to sustain and promote FDI activities.

Localities were advised to boldly implement special investment procedures, such as “green lanes,” shifting strongly from pre-check to post-check mechanisms to shorten investment processing times and create maximum favourable conditions to enhance investment attractiveness, particularly in high-tech sectors.

Vietnam’s ongoing administrative restructuring was also said to be a key factor in strengthening foreign investors’ confidence, fostering expectations of more comprehensive administrative reforms and a more open and transparent investment environment in the near future.

Vietnamese peacekeepers plant seeds of trust in Abyei

In early October, 184 officers and personnel from Vietnam’s Level-2 Engineering Unit Rotation 4 arrived at the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) mission area, officially taking over from Engineering Unit 3.

Leaving behind peaceful days with family and unfinished personal plans, the Vietnamese blue berets embarked on a new mission in the harsh African landscape.

In their first days on duty, they faced not only harsh weather, disease, and limited infrastructure but also challenges in security, political instability, safety risks, and homesickness.

At such moments, the spirit and determination of "Uncle Ho’s soldiers" became most evident. Lieutenant Colonel Trinh Van Cuong, Unit Commander, shared that amid ongoing global conflicts and local wars, Vietnamese People's Army troops in general, and the peacekeepers in particular, are making every effort to fulfill their international responsibilities.

Though extensively trained beforehand, it was not until they set foot in Abyei that the Vietnamese engineering troops truly experienced the area's unforgiving conditions and difficult living environment.

Each officer and soldier is required to uphold professionalism and creativity in order to complete all assigned tasks and foster strong relationships with local communities and international colleagues.

Immediately after stabilizing equipment and logistics, the unit began work in earnest. The most urgent task was to build and reinforce their base, ensuring a safe and solid "home" in the conflict zone.

At the base, one can easily see eyes filled with hope, warm greetings after a long journey, and sweat dripping down faces in the African sun.

In their early days, the team commenced specialized tasks. Engineering subunits began repairing roads damaged by flooding, while the medical team quickly established a clinic to provide healthcare support, cited VNN.

Overcoming language differences with friendly smiles and meaningful support, the first meetings with local women and children have served as a bridge, sowing seeds of trust and hope.

“We came not only to fulfill the mission assigned by the United Nations but also to carry with us the image of a peace-loving Vietnam and to promote the noble values of Uncle Ho’s soldiers to international friends,” affirmed Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Cong, Political Officer of Engineering Unit 4.

Engineering Unit 4 consists of 184 personnel selected from various branches including the Air Defense - Air Force Service, Navy Service, Military Regions 1 through 4, Corps 12, and specialized corps including Engineering, Commando, Signal, and units under the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The unit departed for Abyei on September 26 to replace Engineering Unit 3.

Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan. In 2011, both nations signed an agreement to withdraw forces from the demilitarized zone and establish a joint mechanism for resolution. However, little real progress has been achieved to date.

UNISFA was established in 2011 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1990 with the mandate to protect civilians and promote demilitarization in Abyei.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 6 (BVDC2.6) officially handed over its duties to Rotation 7 (BVDC2.7).

The officers and soldiers of Engineering Unit 4 at Abyei. Photo: Engineering Unit

BVDC2.7, consisting of 63 personnel, departed on September 22 to take over the mission from BVDC2.6.

After a week of intense coordination and effort despite various hardships, the two units worked closely together to maintain medical operations while fully completing inventory checks and handover procedures.

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Tran Anh Duc, Director of BVDC2.6, provided a comprehensive overview of the previous rotation, highlighting its achievements, challenges, and valuable field experience.

Major, Dr. Tran Duc Tai, Director of BVDC2.7, expressed that with leadership support, guidance from predecessors - particularly from BVDC2.6 - and the unity of the team, his hospital will continue the tradition of excellence and fulfill all tasks entrusted by the Party, State, people, and military.

The two directors signed the handover minutes and transferred the official seal, marking an important milestone in the transition between rotations.

Upon arrival, BVDC2.7 personnel immediately began cultivating vegetables on-site to ensure a stable source of fresh greens for the unit.

With thorough preparation and a strong foundation built by BVDC2.6, combined with the determination, unity, and responsibility of the new team, BVDC2.7 is expected to continue showcasing the resilience, intellect, and compassion of Vietnamese military doctors on their humanitarian mission for international peace.

Typhoon Matmo intensifies, forecast to bring heavy rain to six Vietnamese provinces

Typhoon Matmo strengthened to level 12 winds (118-133 km/h), gusting to level 15 (over 170 km/h), moving west-northwest at about 25 km/h on the afternoon of October 4, and is forecast to hit the northern coast of Vietnam, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding risks to six provinces from Quang Ninh to Hung Yen in the coming days.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, over the next 24-60 hours, the storm is forecast to intensify further before making landfall.

By the afternoon of October 5, Matmo is expected to be near the western part of the Leizhou Peninsula, China, about 250 km east-southeast of Quang Ninh province, with sustained winds of level 12 and gusts to level 15. The dangerous zone extends north of latitude 16.5°N and between longitudes 109°E and 118°E, posing a level 3 natural disaster risk, affecting the northern East Sea.

By early October 6, Matmo is predicted to move into the northern Gulf of Tonkin and weaken to level 9 winds (75-88 km/h), gusting to level 12, with impacts reaching coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Hung Yen, as well as inland northern mountainous provinces. By the afternoon of October 6, the storm will make landfall in northern mountainous areas of Vietnam, weakening to level 6 winds (39-49 km/h), gusting to level 8 (62-74 km/h), reported VOV.

Typhoon Matmo's projected path toward northern Vietnam.

The typhoon is forecast to bring gale-force winds of level 8-10 (62-102 km/h) in the northern East Sea, reaching level 11-13 (103-149 km/h) near the storm’s center, with gusts up to level 16 (≥170 km/h) and waves of 4-6 m (up to 6-8 m near the center), causing extremely rough seas dangerous for all vessels. From the afternoon of October 5, winds will strengthen to level 8-9 (62-117 km/h) in coastal waters including Bach Long Vi, Van Don, Co To, Cat Hai and Hon Dau islands, with wave heights of 2-4 m and gusts up to level 14 (150-165 km/h) in some areas.

From the night of October 5 through October 7, coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Hung Yen will experience strong winds of level 6-7 (39-61 km/h), rising to level 8-9 (62-117 km/h) near the storm’s path, with gusts up to level 11 (103 km/h). These winds can uproot trees, tear off roofs, and damage buildings. Heavy rains will affect northern Vietnam, with rainfall ranging from 150-250 mm and locally exceeding 400 mm, particularly in Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, northern Tuyen Quang and Lao Cai. In the Red River Delta and Thanh Hoa, rainfall of 70-150 mm is expected, with local peaks over 200 mm.

Hanoi is forecast to experience moderate to heavy rain from early October 6 to the end of October 7, with totals of 70-120 mm and localized peaks over 150 mm. Given the broad circulation of the typhoon, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and strong gusts may occur before and during the storm’s landfall.

Authorities have warned that maritime and coastal areas will be extremely dangerous for all vessels, with high risk of flooding in low-lying coastal and river mouth areas from the afternoon and evening of October 5. Residents and local authorities are urged to take proactive measures to protect lives and property.

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