Wirtschaft - Umwelt / Economy - Environment  (2013)

13.12.2013 By Luke Hunt (The Diplomat) - Swiss bank becomes largest international shareholder of HAGL days after Deutsche Bank divests.

No sooner had German financial institution Deutsche Bank divested itself of a Vietnamese company accused of massive land grabbing than another European finance house has emerged in its place.

Environmental watchdog Global Witness said Credit Suisse became the largest institutional shareholder in rubber giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), in direct contravention of Credit Suisse’s commitments to human rights. [read more]

Credit Suisse’s HAGL holdings drawing fire

13.12.2013 Shane Worrell (The Phnom Penh Post) - Credit Suisse, a financial services firm based in Switzerland, has been accused of aiding land grabbing in Cambodia by becoming a major shareholder in Vietnamese rubber giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Group.

In a statement released today, Global Witness (GW), an NGO based in England, claims that Credit Suisse became a “major shareholder” in HAGL shortly after GW released a report in May outlining alleged human rights abuses at its rubber plantation projects in Ratanakkiri province.

According to GW, HAGL’s rubber projects have driven families off their land without compensation, destroying sacred forests in the process. [read more]

Credit Suisse ignored human rights commitments and became major shareholder in Vietnamese rubber giant 2 weeks after land grab scandal

13.12.2013 (Global Witness) - Credit Suisse became the largest institutional shareholder in Vietnamese rubber giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) just two weeks after Global Witness exposed a range of environmental and human rights abuses in the company’s plantations in Cambodia and Laos. Such action is in direct contravention of Credit Suisse’s commitments to human rights, the campaign group revealed today (1). The disclosures come as another investor confirmed it had divested from HAGL as a result of the Global Witness findings (2). [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Landraub in Vietnam - Heikle Gummi-Aktien der Credit Suisse 13.12.2013 Von Philipp Albrecht (Blick.ch) - Die Umweltorganisation Global Witness wirft der Credit Suisse vor, mit einer Kautschuk-Investition Landraub und Menschrechtsverletzungen zu fördern. Im Brennpunkt steht der vietnamesische Konzern Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL). Die CS sei dessen grösste institutionelle Aktionärin, schreibt Global Witness in einer Mitteilung, die heute veröffentlicht wird. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt] "Der Wald ist schon relativ leer"

12.12.2013 Interview: Peter Carstens (GEO) Die Vietnam-Kennerin Nora Luttmer hat einen Krimi über den verbotenen Handel mit Wildtieren geschrieben. Wir sprachen mit der Journalistin und Buchautorin über Kragenbären in Schnaps, Schlangenrestaurants und die Netzwerke der Wilderer 

Nora Luttmer: In den 90er Jahren war es völlig normal, dass in Hanoi in Restaurants und auf Märkten Wildtiere angeboten wurden. In manchen Bars wurden mannshohe Glasgefäße zur Schau gestellt, mit Kragenbären, eingelegt in Schnaps. Dann verschwanden die Tiere peu à peu aus dem Sichtfeld. Ich dachte, die Artenschützer, die es ja auch im Land gibt, hätten sich durchgesetzt. Und dass nur noch einzelne korrupte Funktionäre sich Bärentatzen servieren ließen. Doch dann habe ich angefangen zu recherchieren - und war schockiert. Weil es eher noch schlimmer geworden ist. [Weiterlesen] 

La resistencia de la malaria a los fármacos se extiende en Vietnam y Birmania

11.12.2013 (Univision) - Bangkok, 12 dic (EFE).- La resistencia del parásito que causa la malaria a los fármacos se ha extendido a zonas de Vietnam y Birmania (Myanmar), indicaron expertos en la lucha contra esta enfermedad reunidos en un foro que termina mañana en Bangkok.

La tolerancia a este tipo de medicamentos basados en artemisinas se detectó por primera vez en 2003 en Camboya junto a la frontera con Tailandia, una zona donde históricamente se han desarrollado por primera vez resistencias a los fármacos que luego se han extendido a otros países. [seguir leyendo]

Brodeln im Pazifik

07.12.2013 Von Christian Geinitz und Carsten Germis (FAZ) - Selbst die wachsende wirtschaftliche Integration kann die Zuspitzung von Territorialkonflikten in Asien nicht verhindern. Manches erinnert an die Lage vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg in Europa. Bisher leidet der Handel noch kaum darunter. [Weiterlesen]

Czech-Vietnamese Society vows to fight "Vietnamese narcomafia"

06.12.2013 (The Prague Post) - Prague —The Czech-Vietnamese Society (CVS) demands tough measures against the "Vietnamese narcomafia" as the Vietnamese who are involved in drug dealing and production harm the good name of the whole Vietnamese community, CVS honorary chairman Marcel Winter told ČTK today.

The CVS wants to submit its own proposal to the new ministers, Winter said.

The annual report of the National Anti-drug Centrer said the involvement of "Vietnamese criminal groups" in the production and distribution of drugs on a large scale was growing.[read more]

Deutsche MedTech in Vietnam auf Erfolgskurs

05.12.2013 (Ärzte Zeitung) - Medizintechnik "Made in Germany" findet in Vietnam einen guten Anklang. Die Branche übertrifft andere in Sachen Marktdurchdringung bei Weitem.

Die deutschen Medizintechnikanbieter sind dabei, in Vietnam Erfolgsgeschichte zu schreiben. Wie die deutsche Außenhandelsagentur Germany Trade & Invest (gtai) berichtet, liege der Anteil der Branche am Import bei 16 Prozent und damit auf dem zweiten Platz. Platz eins belegt laut gtai Japan mit 23 Prozent, Platz drei geht an die USA mit 15 Prozent. [Weiterlesen]

Time to rethink Vietnam’s socialist principles

04.12.2013 Quang Truong, Maastricht School of Management (East Asia Forum) - There was a time when Vietnam was generally seen as a rising star among the emerging economies and one of the most attractive destinations for foreign investment in Asia. During 1991–2010 the country achieved a steady annual GDP growth rate of 7.7 per cent (second only after China in the region). This gradually increased Vietnam’s average income per capita from a scant US$98 after the end of the war in 1975 to US$1174 in 2011, and reduced the poverty level from over 58 per cent to 10 per cent.

These remarkable achievements are a result of the vital and timely decisions in 1986 that saved the country from virtual bankruptcy — which had resulted from the devastating effects of the systematic imposition of a strict Soviet-style command economy over the whole country — and the abrupt end to the provision of external assistance following the fall of the socialist bloc. In many respects, the Vietnamese experiment was inspired by, and therefore bears resemblance to, the Chinese experience of a decade earlier.

But after a period of steady growth, Vietnam is now standing at a critical crossroads as the effects of an endless economic crisis worldwide and an overheating economy at home take their toll. [read more]

Von gemahlenen Nashornhörnern und gekochten Tigerknochen

03.12.2013 Marco Kauffmann, Hanoi/Vientiane (NZZ) - Exotische Tierprodukte werden aus Prestigegründen, aber auch aus Aberglauben wegen ihrer angeblich medizinischen Wirkung nachgefragt. Umstritten ist, ob die Legalisierung des Handels bedrohte Tierarten schützen würde.

Die Besitzerin eines Cafés in Hanoi zieht ein in Folie eingewickeltes Päcklein aus ihrer Louis-Vuitton-Handtasche. Was wie eine Tafel Milchschokolade aussieht, nennt sich Tiger-Cake – gekochte Tigerknochen, angereichert mit Affenfleisch, verfeinert mit Kräutern und Opium. 1000 $ verlangt sie für 100 g und wirbt vor den beiden männlichen Besuchern mit der angeblich potenzsteigernden Wirkung des Cakes, der in dünne Tranchen geschnitten und in Reiswein aufgelöst konsumiert wird. [Weiterlesen]

Deutsche Bank Divests Stake after Report on Vietnamese Land Grabs

Scathing report by Global Witness likely influenced the bank’s decision to abandon HAGL

04.12.2013 Luke Hunt (The Diplomat) - Global Witness has claimed a major victory and Deutsche Bank has bolstered its moral beacon in Indochina after the German financial institution reportedly divested its investments in the Vietnamese rubber company Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL).

Global Witness spokesman Megan MacInnes said the environmental watchdog had been informed of the decision, although Deutsche Bank had declined to say whether its decision was linked to a Global Witness report on land grabbing by Vietnamese companies in Laos and Cambodia... “Deutsche Bank’s decision is good news, but it won’t bring justice to the people who have lost their farms to HAGL’s plantations,” she said. “HAGL must stop breaking the law, resolve its disputes with communities and publish details of its holdings.” [read more]

Umstrittene Beteiligung in Vietnam: Deutsche Bank kehrt Kautschuk-Baronen den Rücken

03.12.2013 Von Martin Hesse und Jörg Schmitt (Spiegel Online) - Die Deutsche Bank gibt ihre Beteiligung an dem umstrittenen vietnamesischen Mischkonzern Hagl weitgehend auf - aus "finanzwirtschaftlichen Erwägungen". Eine Menschenrechtsorganisation hatte Hagl rücksichtslose Methoden beim Anlegen von Kautschukplantagen vorgeworfen.

Im Mai 2013 hatten die britische Menschenrechtsorganisation Global Witness und der SPIEGEL über die rabiaten Methoden des vietnamesischen Mischkonzern Hoang Anh Gia Lai (Hagl) bei der Kautschukgewinnung in Kambodscha und Laos berichtet. Demnach hatten Hagl-Leute Bauern von ihren Ländereien vertrieben, die Flächen gerodet und dort anschließend Kautschukplantagen errichtet. Kommunale Wälder seien mit dem Bulldozer plattgemacht und große Flächen intakten Waldes für die Kautschukplantagen gerodet worden - teilweise ohne Rechtsgrundlage. [Weiterlesen]

Deutsche Bank Sells Fund's Stake in Controversial Vietnamese Company

03.12.2013 Robert Carmichael (VOA) - PHNOM PENH — Germany’s largest bank - Deutsche Bank – announced that one of its funds has sold its stake in a controversial Vietnamese company whose land investments in Cambodia and Laos have been sharply criticized by activists.

HAGL is one of Vietnam’s largest rubber producers, and in recent years has expanded into Cambodia and Laos.

It was one of two companies - the other was state-owned Vietnam Rubber Group - that appeared in a highly critical May report from Britain-based monitor Global Witness. The report alleged the two firms had been awarded 200,000 hectares of concessions in Cambodia and Laos that saw some families forced off their land and others threatened and even imprisoned. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Asiatischer Leberegel: Gefahr im Karpfen

03.12.2013 Kurt de Swaaf (dieStandard.at) - Reisende sollten sich vor dem Verzehr von rohen Süßwasserfischen hüten - In Asien ist der chinesische Leberegel in Karpfen weit verbreitet - Er kann Gallengangskrebs auslösen. Die Erreger sind mit dem bloßen Auge nicht erkennbar. Es sind eingekapselte Larven von asiatischen Leberegeln. Sie schlummern im Fischfleisch, und wer dies ohne vorheriges Kochen oder Braten verzehrt, wird infiziert

Nations unite against dam

02.12.2013 Laignee Barron (The Phnom Penh Post) - Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand have all called on Laos to submit its planned Don Sahong hydropower dam to an intergovernmental assessment.

According to the dam’s opponents, the Laos National Mekong Committee has acted unilaterally in the planning of its second Mekong dam, a project they fear could irreparably damage the region’s food security and biodiversity. [read more]

Die Wahrheit über das "legale" Tropenholz aus Vietnam

01.12.2013 (ZDF) - Schöner Wohnen mit edlen Holzböden - für viele sind Tropenhölzer wie Teak oder Bangkirai das absolute Muss für den Wohnbereich. Doch weltweit werden jährlich rund 650 Millionen Kubikmeter Holz illegal gefällt - für deutsche Kunden ist die Herkunft oft nicht zu erkennen.

Stefan Ziegler, Artenschutzreferent des WWF, ist Raubbau-Ware auf der Spur. Im Internet, in Baumärkten und Möbelhäusern macht sich der Holzdetektiv auf die Suche nach tropischen Edelhölzern, die per Verordnung in der EU nicht verkauft werden dürfen.

Der größte Teil der in Deutschland erhältlichen Hartholzmöbel stammt aus Südostasien, die meisten tragen das Label "Made in Vietnam". Fenster, Türen und vor allem Gartenmöbel aus Teak, Balau, Keruing, Bangkirai und Co. eignen sich hervorragend für den Außenbereich. Aber die Edelhölzer wachsen fast nur in Naturwäldern. Und das macht den Holzdetektiv Ziegler stutzig. Denn Vietnam hat seine Naturwälder unter Schutz gestellt. Stellt sich die Frage, woher all die Tropenmöbel, die unter dem Label "Made in Vietnam" verkauft werden, stammen. [Weiterlesen]

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• • s.a. Umstrittene Beteiligung in Vietnam: Deutsche Bank kehrt Kautschuk-Baronen den Rücken

Scientists: The Saigon River Is Dying

30.11.2013 By Luke Hunt (The Diplomat)- Current wastewater management infrastructure can’t even begin to treat staggering levels of pollution. In the battle of perceptions the Mekong River has always held sway as the greatest waterway in Southeast Asia. Novelists have romanticized it, scientists have fawned over it and travelers have made it one of the great tourism destinations in the world. More importantly it is the bread basket for about 70 million people who depend upon it. Hence when unthinking governments conspire with business to dam, build and dredge the Mekong in the name of profit, the reaction deserves to be as great as the river itself  This has been the case for the Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

EU timber policy slows illegal logging in Vietnam 26.11.2013 Marianne Brown (DW) - Exporting wooden furniture boosted Vietnam’s economy but weakened its natural resources through deforestation. Now EU regulations promoting sustainability are benefiting farmers as well as their land. Vietnam is now the second-largest furniture exporter in Asia, after China. Its two biggest markets are the US and the EU. The trade is one of the country's top five export earners, worth $2.4 billion a year. However, the lucrative industry is also a major cause of deforestation both at home and in neighboring countries. [read more]

Foot-and-mouth Disease Strikes Five Central Provinces In Vietnam

27.11.2013 (Bernama) - HANOI - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised localities to take measures to fight against foot-and-mouth disease which has re-emerged in five central provinces.

The disease has affected more than 1,300 domestic animals including cattle, buffalos and pigs in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Quang Nam, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported. [read more]

Vietnam Tanning Factory Suspended Over River Pollution

22.11.2013 (RFA) - Authorities in southern Vietnam have suspended the operations of a leather tanning factory for dumping wastewater into the tributary of a major river despite repeated government warnings, according to newspaper reports.

The Hao Duong Leather Tanning Co. factory had been discharging untreated wastewater into the Dong Dien River, which flows into the main Dong Nai River, for the past six years, according to the Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The plant, just 19 miles south of the center of Ho Chi Minh City, has been fined 10 times for polluting the river and was caught as recently as mid-October discharging the waste, the report said. [read more]

14.08.2013 (The Jakarta Globe) - Hanoi. Vietnamese customs officials said Wednesday they had found more than six tons of live protected pangolins inside a shipping container sent from Indonesia.

The rare creatures — known as “scaly anteaters” for their unusual appearance and prized in China and Vietnam as an exotic meal — were discovered last week during an inspection at the northern port of Hai Phong, a customs official told AFP, declining to provide further details. [read more]

Vietnam: 3000 Schuppentiere beschlagnahmt

13.08.2013 (Tierwelt) - Mehr als sechs Tonnen lebende Schuppentiere haben Schmuggler in einen Container gepfercht. Zollbehörden in Vietnam beschlagnahmten den Container mit den etwa 3000 Tieren. Wie die Zollbehörden im Hafen Hai Phong am Dienstag mitteilten, kamen die Tiere aus Indonesien und waren als Fischgräten und -mägen für den Wiederexport deklariert. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam to cover costs of bridge delay

12.08.2013 (The Japan Times) JIJI - HANOI – The Vietnamese Transport Ministry has basically agreed to compensate Tokyu Construction Co. for additional costs stemming from a delay in a major public works project for bridge construction, sources said.

The ministry agreed to pay 155 billion dong, or some ¥700 million, against 200 billion dong demanded by the Japanese general contractor, the sources said late last week. So far, Vietnam has never paid compensation arising from a delay in a public works project.  [read more]

State warns against eating Ginger Candy

05.08.2013 (The Fresno Bee) -  The California Department of Public Health is warning people not to eat Ginger Candy imported from Vietnam after tests found levels of lead that exceed the state's standards. Consumers should discard the candy immediately.

Ginger Candy is imported and distributed by Evershing International Trading, Inc., of San Jose. The company initiated a voluntary recall. Ginger Candy is sold in a 12-ounce clear plastic container. [read more]

H.C. Starck und Masan Group gründen Joint Venture zur Herstellung von Wolfram-Chemikalien

29.07.2013 (02elf Düsseldorfer Abendblatt) - München/Ho Chi Minh City – H.C. Starck, ein weltweit führender Hersteller von Technologie-Metallen, und Nui Phao Mining, eine Tochtergesellschaft von Vietnams größtem, privaten Mischkonzern Masan Group Corporation (Masan), haben heute den Vertrag zur Gründung eines Joint Ventures zur Herstellung von Wolfram-Chemikalien in Vietnam unterzeichnet [Weiterlesen]

Dengue fever kills 3 in Vietnam

29.07.2013 (Individual.com) - Dengue fever have killed three people in Vietnam's central province of Phu Yen, local press reported Monday. More than 70 outbreaks of dengue fever have been reported in the locality, affecting 1,653 people [read more]

Vietnam remains world's largest pepper exporter

28.07.2013 (The Global Times) - Vietnam pocketed $618 millionafter exporting 94,000 tons of pepper in the first seven months of this year, retaining the world's largest pepper exporter, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on its website on Sunday. Specifically, the country shipped approximately 12,000 tons of pepper abroad in July, earning $81 million. During the reviewed period, the United States and Germany were Vietnam's largest pepper importers, making up about 33.2 percent of the country's total market share. [read more]

Wind and solar opportunities in Vietnam

27.07.2013 By Jeff Peron (Eco-Business) - With a 3,000-kilometre coastline and an average wind speed of 7 m/s, Vietnam has some of the best potential for wind power in Southeast Asia, and this wind power project in Binh Thuan is one of only a few so far.

As one of the fastest growing economies in the region, Vietnam has seen its electricity demand grow by 15% per year during the last decade, and is expected to see an average annual growth between 11% and 16% until 2020. Such growth is supported by increasing urbanisation and a young population, with a large workforce able to offer an alternative to Chinese manufacturers with increasing labor costs. [read more]

Vietnam: Disaster Risk Management Project

Helping Vietnam improve capacity for disaster risk management, reduce vulnerability to flood and storm hazards; and increase the efficiency of post-disaster recovery.

24.07.2013 (World Bank) - The project has helped improve the disaster early-warning and forecasting capacity for the Southern hydrometeorology authority and also improved the planning capacity for integrated disaster risk management at both national and provincial level. It also provided investment support to improve the safety of disaster prevention infrastructure including safety of dams, safe-harbor for fishing boats, flood control works, etc., to make them more resilient.  [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Asia’s Weakening Economies – How Concerned Should the World Be?

27.07.2013 By Joshua Kurlantzick (The Diplomat) - The latest reports on developing Asia’s economies seem more and more unsettling. The Asian Development Bank recently cut its projections for 2013 growth for Asia’s developing nations, as well as its growth projection for 2014. Other monitoring groups including the IMF, HSBC, and others have warned of weakness in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and of course China. [read more]

Deutsch­land fördert "Grünes Wachstum" in Vietnam

26.07.2013 (BMZ) - Deutsch­land und Vietnam haben am 25. Juli 2013 bei den ent­wick­lungs­po­litischen Re­gie­rungs­ver­hand­lungen in Bonn die Neuausrichtung der Zu­sam­men­ar­beit auf die Zukunftsthemen Umwelt, Energie und Berufsbildung beschlossen. Das Bun­des­mi­nis­te­ri­um für wirt­schaft­liche Zu­sam­men­ar­beit und Ent­wick­lung (BMZ) unterstützt das Bestreben Vietnams, die Wachs­tums­stra­te­gie des auf­stre­benden Schwellen­landes ver­stärkt umwelt- und sozial­ver­träglich zu gestalten. [Weiterlesen]

Rutschende Halden - Hilfe gegen Staub, Erosion und gefährliche Rutschungen

26.07.2013 Harro Stolpe/RUBIN (scinexx) - In fünf Einzelprojekten ging es den deutschen Forschern zunächst darum herauszufinden, wie sich der Bergbau im Einzelnen in Vietnam auswirkt und dann Lösungen für die daraus resultierenden Schwierigkeiten zu entwickeln. So installierten die Wissenschaftler Messinstrumente, um die Entstehung und Ausbreitung von Staub und Schadstoffen bei der Kohlengewinnung und -verarbeitung zu erfassen. Sind die größten Quellen des Staubs bekannt, können an den entsprechenden Stellen Filteranlagen installiert oder beispielsweise Transportprozesse so verändert werden, dass nur noch wenig Staub in die Umwelt austritt. [Weiterlesen]

Schmutziger Nachbar - Weltnaturerbe Ha Long Bucht und der Steinkohle-Tagebau

26.07.2013 Harro Stolpe/RUBIN (scinexx) - Die Ha Long-Bucht im nördlichsten Zipfel von Vietnam gehört zu den Traumreisezielen in Südostasien. Seit 1994 ist die Bucht, in der knapp 2.000 Kalkfelsen teils über hundert Meter hoch aus dem Wasser aufragen, Weltnaturerbe der UNESCO... Was kaum jemand weiß: Dieses Touristenparadies ist auch eines der größten Kohleabbaugebiete des Landes. Schon seit der Kolonialzeit wird hier Steinkohle im Tagebau gewonnen, mit allen Gefahren, die davon für die Umwelt ausgehen. [Weiterlesen]

Outcry after Chinese tourists pictured hunting rare sea creatures in disputed Paracel Islands

26.07.2013 Amy Li (South China Morning Post) - Months after the first Chinese tour ship sailed into the disputed Paracel Islands claimed by both China and Vietnam, the country’s online community has expressed fears that tourism could ruin the picturesque South China sea islands.

Concerns have been sparked after a controversial post in which a tourist uploaded photos of his recent trip to the previously unexplored Paracels - often advertised as ”China’s Maldives" - and boasted of hunting sea creatures on the islands. [read more]

Exploitation of Vietnam’s Rivers Pollutes Local Water Sources

24.07.2013 (RFA) - Excessive exploitation of rivers and lakes in Vietnam has pushed down water levels and polluted water resources of local communities, according to regional experts, who want the government to better enforce regulation of waterways.

The problem is mostly evident in the central and south of the country where waterways are increasingly used for farming and to generate power. “At the moment, water exploitation of rivers is over the limit—especially for hydropower plants—which has lowered the level of Vietnam’s rivers,” said Lam Thi Thu Suu, a coordinator with Vietnam Rivers Network (VRN), a consortium of NGOs, academics and government officials monitoring the country’s waterways. [read more]

CPI in Vietnam's two big cities rises in July due to fuel hike

23.07.2014 (Individual.com) - HANOI (Xinhua via COMTEX), The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is forecast to increase in July in Vietnam's two big cities due to the increased prices of major commodities, especially fuel hike during the month, local statistics offices reported Tuesday.

Specifically, July CPI in Hanoi rose 0.22 percent and in southern Ho Chi Minh City, 0.17 percent, over June.

In the capital, prices of all 11 commodities increased, of which transport costs rose the most, up 115 percent. Besides, prices of housing, power, fuel and construction materials saw a rise of 0.66 percent over the previous month. [read more]

Ex-Im Bank rejects funding for dirty coal project in Vietnam

Friends of the Earth: Obama administration keeps promise in climate action plan

18.07.2013 (Friends of the Earth) - Washington, D.C. – Today the Board of the U.S. Export-Import Bank voted to reject financing for the 1200-megawatt Thai Binh II coal plant in the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. Earlier this week, Friends of the Earth and other organizations wrote to President Obama asking that he intervene and assure that this project be rejected because funding the plant would be a clear violation of both the president’s climate action plan and the Ex-Im Bank’s own environmental policy. 

Damon Moglen, senior strategic advisor at Friends of the Earth, had this reaction to the Bank's decision:

“Friends of the Earth commends the Obama Administration for rejecting financing for this dirty power plant, and believe it bodes well for the implementation of the President’s ban on public financing for overseas coal deals. Going forward, we urge Ex-Im and other government agencies to ensure that the spirit and intent of this commitment is upheld, and not weakened by fine print and loopholes. With this momentum, the president should now encourage these institutions to support investment in renewable energy, efficiency technologies and energy storage so as to assure that we have a real, clean 21st century energy future.”  - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam in gold spree to support dong

18.07.2013 by Todd Watson (investvine) - The State Bank of Vietnam has launched a concerted effort to acquire more gold from Vietnamese citizens in an attempt to shore up the dong, which has slid 21 per cent against the US dollar over the last five years. The dong sunk last month against the dollar for the first time since 2011. The country’s central bank has announced that it has no intention of further devaluing the dong and will take whatever measures are necessary to strengthen it, including reigning in the gold market. [read more]

Vietnam To Scrutinise Sizable FDI Projects

17.07.2013 (Bernama) - HANOI - Vietnam will scrutinise large-scale foreign direct investment (FDI) projects by reviewing independent evaluations before giving them licenses, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) on Wednesday. Accordingly, agencies in charge of granting investment licences will be required to submit reports to the prime minister and the Ministry of Planning and Investment for independent evaluation, China's Xinhua news agency reported. [read more]

How to provide clean water in rural areas: an example from Vietnam

16.07.2013 Hoang Thi Hoa (The World Bank Group) Despite Vietnam’s significant economic growth in recent years, there continues to be a gap between urban and rural areas when it comes to access to clean water and hygienic sanitation facilities. Many poor households in rural areas still do not have access to clean water or to a toilet. During one of our earlier field visits for the Red River Delta Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RRDRWASS) project which began almost 10 years ago, I was struck by what a lady from a community told me. She questioned why people in urban areas have access to good water supply and sanitation services while those in rural areas do not. She said that compared to urban residents, perhaps people in rural areas were happy with a lower level of service and that the demand for better services was simply not there. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

McDonald's plant erste Filiale in Vietnam

16.07.2013 (RPO) - Hanoi. Die Fastfood-Kette McDonald's will ihr erstes Restaurant im kommunistisch regierten Vietnam eröffnen. Die Filiale soll Anfang kommenden Jahres eröffnet werden. Franchisenehmer in Vietnam wird Henry Nguyen, ein vietnamesisch-amerikanischer Investor und Schwiegersohn von Ministerpräsident Nguyen Tan Dung, wie McDonald's am Dienstag mitteilte. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

McDonald’s Takes on KFC to Burger King in Vietnam Entry

16.07.2013 By John Boudreau (Bloomberg) - McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) the world’s largest restaurant chain, will open its first restaurant in Vietnam next year, taking on earlier entrants such as Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) as it seeks to profit from the country’s growing middle class.

Henry Nguyen, founder of Good Day Hospitality and managing partner of IDG Ventures Vietnam, was awarded the license to operate McDonald’s in the country, the company said in a statement. Nguyen, who oversees $100 million invested in technology, media, telecommunications and consumer companies in Vietnam, is the son-in-law of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

McDonald's va s'installer au Vietnam

16.07.2013 (Le Parisien) - McDonald's a annoncé mardi l'ouverture d'un premier restaurant au Vietnam l'an prochain, après avoir accordé une franchise au gendre du Premier ministre du pays communiste.

Le géant mondial de la restauration rapide prévoit d'ouvrir cet établissement début 2014 dans la capitale économique du sud, Ho Chi Minh-Ville (ex-Saïgon), après avoir nommé comme "titulaire de sa licence de développement" l'homme d'affaires Henry Nguyen, mari de la fille de Nguyen Tan Dung, a-t-il précisé dans un communiqué.

"Alors que nous développons notre présence en Asie, nous cherchons des partenaires ayant un sens aigu des affaires et une compréhension unique de notre marque", a déclaré Dave Hoffmann, président de McDonald's pour l'Asie-Pacifique, le Moyen-Orient et l'Afrique. [en savoir plus...] - [tiếng Việt]

World Bank expects slower growth for Vietnam

14.07.2013 by Arno Maierbrugger (investvine) Vietnam’s economy is expected to grow at a moderate rate of around 5.3 per cent in 2013 and 5.4 per cent in 2014, according to a report by the World Bank released on July 12. The country’s inflation rate will be at 8.2 per cent by the end of 2013. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

China slowdown: A cause for Concern?

13.07.2013 By Tan Sri Lin See-Yan (The Star Online, Malaysia) - REVIEW just about any recent economic-social indicator coming out of China. It points to a clear slowing-down of activity, reflecting poor exports and sluggish business performance, and increasing signs that credit-driven growth has run its course. China and Asean-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam) have been providing the much needed lift to the slackening global economy as US recovery stays stuck in the mud, with eurozone still mired in recession. [read more]

Vietnam Rules Out Devaluing Dong, Threatens Strong Intervention

11.07.2013 (Bloomberg News) - Vietnam’s central bank said it has no plans for a repeat of last month’s dong devaluation, the first since 2011, and pledged to support the currency. “The State Bank of Vietnam affirms that it isn’t going to adjust its dong-dollar exchange rate and will take determined measures to stabilize the rate,” Deputy Governor Le Minh Hung said in a note posted on the State Bank of Vietnam’s website late yesterday. “That includes strong intervention,” he said, adding that foreign-exchange reserves “are at high levels.” [read more]

Vietnam Outlook Rated Stable, But Wide Reforms Needed: S&P

11.07.2013 (Bernama) - HANOI, July 11 (Bernama) -- Global ratings firm Standard and Poor (S&P) has retained its BB-long term and B short term sovereign credit ratings on Vietnam, and said the country's outlook is stable, Xinhua news agency reported.

It also affirmed a BB- issue rating on Vietnam's senior unsecured bonds and a BB+ long term and a B short term Asean regional scale rating on the country. [read more]

Documentary criticizes Japan’s export of nuclear technology

10.07.2013 by Ida Torres (The Japan Daily Press) - A documentary film that exposes the effect of Japan nuclear technology on a small village in Vietnam will be shown at this year’s Fukuoka Asian Film Festival. Shinobiyoru Genpatsu (“Encroaching Nuclear Power Plant”) is a scathing indictment against the government’s pursuit of exporting nuclear technology to developing countries like Vietnam. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Securing the Economic Dimension

Trans Pacific Partnership is a Threat To National Sovereignty

10.07.2013 by Dr. Chandra Muzaffar (CounterPunch)  - The proponents of the Trans Pacific Partnership argue that the TPP would bring huge benefits to Malaysia “with as much as US $ 40 billion (RM 128.4 billion) in annual export gains and US $ 25 billion in annual income gains by 2025.” Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in particular will reap a bonanza. The TPP, it is said, will also “give Malaysia preferential access to a US $ 15 trillion economy, which means access to the US $ 500 billion in US government tenders.” As against these projections, there are issues of tremendous significance pertaining to the TPP that have been raised by a variety of citizen groups in almost all the 12 countries (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States and Vietnam) that are currently part of the negotiation process. These issues have emerged as a result of leaks since no officially sanctioned draft has been placed before the public. [read more]

Fitch: Vietnamese Bad Bank May Not Fully Tackle Bad Debt Woes

09.07.2013 (Reuters) - SINGAPORE/HONG KONG/LONDON, July 08 (Fitch) The creation of a Vietnamese asset management company (VAMC), or "bad bank", to buy non-performing loans (NPLs) is unlikely to fully resolve the banks' asset-quality problems unless accompanied by meaningful regulatory improvements, Fitch Ratings says. With no fresh capital, the banks are likely to be limited in their ability to restructure and support the domestic economy. We believe Vietnamese banks may still face capital-impairment risks even after offloading bad debt to the VAMC, based on preliminary data. [read more]

China Cash Squeeze Seen Creating Vietnam-Size Credit Hole

08.07.2013 (Bloomberg) - China’s money-market cash squeeze is likely to reduce credit growth this year by 750 billion yuan ($122 billion), an amount equivalent to the size of Vietnam’s economy, according to a Bloomberg News survey. [read more]

Vietnam wants to be Hollywood of Southeast Asia

06.07.2013 by Arno Maierbrugger (investvine) - Officials from Vietnam’s Department of Cinema have announced they want to draft a plan to make the local film industry the “leading one in Southeast Asia by 2020″. At a recent conference in Hanoi, the plan has been introduced to screenwriters, producers, directors and other experts.

Filmmakers said Vietnam needs to adopt a new digital technology that allows films to be broadcast through satellites, sold online, and even enables new creative approaches. [read more]

Vietnam telecommunications market: Latest market analysis presented

06.07.2013 (TransWorldNews) - London - Conflicting sources of data mean that it is difficult to obtain a clear picture of Vietnam's telecoms market; government sources vary in their calculations as to market size, and, as key operators are state-owned¸ they do not have an obligation to publish operational data and financial results. The figures available do show a general upward trend in Vietnam's mobile market - although the pace of growth has slowed in recent years. [read more]

Vietnam’s Bonds Drop as Funds Withdraw on Devaluation Concern

05.07.2013 (Bloomberg News) - Vietnam’s five-year government bonds fell this week, driving the yield to the highest level in more than a month, on speculation overseas investors are withdrawing funds to guard against a further devaluation in the dong. The central bank devalued the currency last month for the first time since 2011 by weakening the reference rate by 1 percent, effective June 28. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Asia’s Startups Are Hindered By Confusing And Outdated Laws, Says The Economist Intelligence Unit

04.07.2013 Catherine Shu (AOL Tec) - Asia boasts almost half of the world’s two billion Internet users, rapidly growing digital infrastructure and strong mobile penetration. So what’s keeping the continent’s startup industries from producing a rival to Amazon, eBay or Facebook? In a new report, research group the Economist Intelligence Unit identifies an almost overwhelming array of obstacles for the region’s startups–including laws governing online businesses that have resulted in jail time for entrepreneurs. [read more]

Vietnam Should Study Temasek Model to Boost State Firms

04.07.2013 (Bloomberg News) - Vietnam should consider following the model of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Pte and Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional Bhd. as it seeks ways to boost productivity at state-owned enterprises, McKinsey & Co.’s country head said.

“It could be very interesting to look at successful stories that Malaysia and Singapore had,” Marco Breu, McKinsey’s chief executive officer in Vietnam, said in an interview. “They created this arms-length view between the government and the SOEs, this entity which then started managing them professionally with only business incentives in mind.” [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam must base future export growth on enhancing competitiveness and capturing greater value added – said latest trade facilitation report

04.07.2013 (The World Bank) – With trade becoming a major contributor to economic growth, Vietnam’s future export growth must be based on enhancing competitiveness and capturing greater value addition, concluded a report jointly prepared by the Vietnam National Committee for International Economic Cooperation and the World Bank today.

The report, titled “Trade Facilitation, Value Creation and Competitiveness: Policy Implications for Vietnam’s Economic Growth” noted that Vietnam has posted a strong trade performance in a difficult external environment – exports rising 34 percent in 2011, 18 percent in 2012 and nearly 20 percent in the first quarter of 2013.  However, Vietnam has been less successful in diversifying its exports basket and in moving up the global supply chains. Vietnam’s ability to escape the “middle-income trap” is also predicated upon its ability to create a more competitive and efficient economy. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Südafrika: 461 Nashörner getötet

04.07.2013 (WWF) - Wilderei auf Dickhäuter im ersten Halbjahr 2013 weiter dramatisch steigend. Kriegsähnliche Auseinandersetzungen im Nationalpark.

Berlin. In den ersten sechs Monaten diesen Jahres wurden in Südafrika bereits 461 Nashörner gewildert, davon 288 Tiere allein im Krüger Nationalpark. Damit ist es Südafrika bislang nicht gelungen, den starken Anstieg der Wilderei einzudämmen. Seit 2007 ist die Nashornwilderei um über 6.000 Prozent gestiegen. Das Horn der Tiere wird auf Schwarzmärkten in Vietnam und China zu Kilopreisen gehandelt, die über denen von Gold liegen. Es wird dort als Antikrebs- und Katervorbeugendes Mittelchen genommen. In Südafrika leben fast 75 Prozent aller Nashörner weltweit. [Weiterlesen]

Japan, Vietnam agree on emission quotas

04.07.2013 (The Japan News/The Yomiuri Shimbun) - HANOI (Jiji Press)--Japan and Vietnam have agreed to introduce a bilateral system to exchange Japanese low-carbon technologies for Vietnamese greenhouse gas emission credits... n a separate meeting, Motegi and Nguyen Quan, Vietnamese science and technology minister, agreed to accelerate cooperation to export Japanese nuclear technology to Vietnam, while prioritizing safety. [read more]

"Gesundheitsfolgen von Fukushima, ein Kinderarzt berichtet"

03.07.2013 (Sayonara Genpatsu) - Vortrag von Dr. Alexander Rosen am 16. Mai 2013 in Düsseldorf

Dr. med. Alexander Rosen, Vorstandmitglied der IPPNW(Internationale Ärzte für die Verhütung des Atomkriegs e.V.), berichtet über die Gesundheitsfolgen von FUKUSHIMA und setzt sich besonders mit der Problematik des WHO Berichts auseinander. Videokurzfassung mit japanischen Untertiteln. Video Part 1 (28 min) -  Video Part 2 (26 min.)

Climate Change Conjures Up 'Alarming' Scenarios in Southeast Asia

02.07.2013 By Parameswaran Ponnudurai (RFA) - Imagine these scenarios: The rice bowl of Vietnam cracking. Popular diving spots in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia lying idle with no tourists. Nearly half of Bangkok inundated with water.

Well, they could become a reality in 20 to 30 years—no thanks to the adverse effects of climate change in Southeast Asia exacerbated by forest fires particularly in Indonesia which recently blanketed the region with deadly smoky haze... The new report, based on analysis using advanced computer simulations to paint the clearest picture of vulnerabilities, says that as early as 2040, Southeast Asia's major rice-growing region—the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam—will see crop production drop by about 12 percent due to an estimated sea-level rise of 30 cm (nearly 1 foot). [read more]

Phu Quoc Island: Trouble in Paradise

24.06.2013 (The Ecologist) - Meddling by the Vietnamese government and an invasion of investors has put Phu Quoc island on course to becoming severely tarnished by international tourism, reports Jak Phillips... The island’s wildlife could yet be the biggest victim of development. While the additional construction will inevitably have an impact, there is already the major problem of endangered species being valued more for their edibility than ecology. “One of the toughest challenges is raising awareness among locals and also authorities about conservation,” says Khoi Nguyen, CEO of Wildlife At Risk Vietnam. “At present, many people in authority will say at a meeting that it’s important to protect wildlife and then eat an endangered sea turtle or dugong for dinner.” With this approach to conservation, islanders are not exactly inspired with confidence over their leaders’ commitment to sustainable development. [read more]

How Deep Is Your Love: Vietnam’s Halong Bay

12.03.2013 by James Rippingale (The Ecologist) - Nine years after his first visit to Halong Bay James Rippingdale returns to find dramatic changes have taken place...... Arrive in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, morning or night, and suddenly you’ll find yourself battered by the same question a hundred times over.  Hotel desks, backpackers, taxi drivers, and tour guides will all ask:  “When are you going to Halong Bay?”... In the rest of the country, eco-tours are offered in national parks such as Nam Cat Tien, Ba Na and Cuc Phoung.  The danger here is that given time and steadily increasing numbers, these presently lesser-visited areas may gradually begin to suffer the same problems as Halong Bay. [read more]

Vietnam Devalues Dong for First Time Since ’11 to Boost Reserves

28.06.2013 (Bloomberg News) - Vietnam’s central bank devalued its currency for the first time since 2011 and cut the interest-rate cap on dollar deposits to help “improve” the balance of payments and boost foreign-exchange reserves. The State Bank of Vietnam weakened its reference rate by 1 percent to 21,036 dong per dollar, effective today, according to a statement released late yesterday. The currency, which is allowed to trade up to 1 percent on either side of the fixing, fell 0.8 percent to 21,180 as of 9:06 a.m. in Hanoi, prices compiled by Bloomberg show. The reference rate had been kept at 20,828 since 2011 and the spot rate sank to a record 21,036 most days this month, the lower limit of the trading band.  [read more]

"Heineken ‘absolutely on top’ of fake beer threat after Vietnam gang bust"

26.06.2013 (Food Production Daily) - Heineken insists it is ‘absolutely on top’ of the counterfeiting issues that can appear in emerging markets, after a Vietnamese gang producing fake Tiger and Heineken was busted last week. According to the news outlet, the ring mixed local (cheaper) brand Saigon with Heineken or Tiger in a 50:50 ratio into the more expensive brands’ bottles, working without any mechanical equipment bar a capping machine, and without using gloves or protective clothing.</p><p>The YouTube video, above, purportedly shows the gang in action. [read more]

Xayaburi dam threatens survival of the giant catfish

The alarm sounded by WWF scientists, the species can measure up to three meters and 300 kg in weight. Less than two hundred specimens remain. The dam is an "insurmountable barrier", which blocks the migration for reproduction. Health of Mekong River worsens.

22.06.2013 (AsiaNews) - Phnom Penh - The Xayaburi dam (northern Laos) and many hydroelectric plants along the lower Mekong, the most important river of south-east Asia, are likely to lead to the extinction the giant catfish, denounces the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in a recent study. Considered one of the "biggest" and "rarest freshwater fish"- it can reach up to three meters in length and 300 kg in weight - the giant catfish travels hundreds of miles to the north of Thailand from Cambodia to lay their eggs. However, the barriers set up by the dams could erase the unique species from its natural habitat forever. [read more]

New virus isolated from patients with severe brain infections

18.06.2013 (Medical Xpress) - Researchers have identified a new virus in patients with severe brain infections in Vietnam. Further research is needed to determine whether the virus is responsible for the symptoms of disease. The virus was found in a total of 28 out of 644 patients with severe brain infections in the study, corresponding to around 4%, but not in any of the 122 patients with non-infectious brain disorders that were tested. [read more]

Warmer World Threatens Livelihoods in South East Asia

19.06.2013 (World Bank) - Already vulnerable region faces rising sea-levels, ocean warming, and more intense typhoons, says new report. The rising possibility of a warmer world in the next two decades is magnifying the development challenges South East Asia is already struggling with, and threatens to reverse hard-won development gains, according to a new scientific report released today by the World Bank Group. [read more]

«Ich bin gegen die Atomenergie»

14.06.2013 Von jak (Asienspiegel) - Premierminister Shinzo Abe macht kein Geheimnis daraus, dass er trotz des verheerenden AKW-Unfalls ins Fukushima weiterhin an der Atomenergie festhalten will und deren Export in Länder wie die Türkei (Asienspiegel berichtete) oder Vietnam (Asienspiegel berichtete) als wichtigen Pfeiler für das japanische Wirtschaftswachstum betrachtet. Nun erhält er aber von unerwarteter Seite Widerstand. Die First Lady persönlich, Akie Abe, hält offenbar nichts von den nuklearen Träumen ihres Mannes. «Ich bin gegen die Atomenergie. Mein Herz schmerzt hier zutiefst», zitiert die Asahi Shimbun die 51-Jährige bezüglich ihrer Haltung zur AKW-Exportstrategie der Regierung. Die Äusserung machte die First Lady während einer Rede, die von der Nonprofit-Organisation FurusatoTV auf Video festgehalten wurde. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Japan’s first lady says she is ‘anti-nuclear’

11.06.2013 (Capital news, Kenya) - TOKYO, Jun 11 – The wife of Japan’s pro-business Prime Minister Shinzo Abe does not like nuclear power and would rather her husband’s government did not try to export it, she said in a speech. In comments that appear to run against the grain of government thinking, which is increasingly moving towards switching mothballed reactors back on, Akie Abe said Japan should press on instead with renewables. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Kan now sorry he pushed export of nuclear plant technology

06.06.2013 By Erika Toh (The Asahi Shimbun) - SAN DIEGO - If he could turn the clock back, Naoto Kan says he would never have promoted the export of Japanese nuclear plant technology. Kan, whose tenure as prime minister was defined by his handling of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters, professed embarrassment June 4 at having pushed the policy prior to the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Myanmar-Anleger sollten auf Vietnam schauen

04.06.2013 Von Duncan Mavin (The Wall Street Journal) - Das Gericht des Monats bei Investoren ist derzeit wohl Mohinga, eine Fischbrühe mit Reisnudeln, Ingwer und Zitronengras. Das Nationalgericht Myanmars wird auf jeden Fall aufgetischt, wenn das Weltwirtschaftsforum in dieser Woche in dem lange isolierten Land tagt.

Doch auch wenn Myanmar Anlegern den Mund wässrig macht, sollten sie vielleicht nicht zu schnell einsteigen. Ganz sicher bietet das Land viele Chancen, die Wirtschaft hat großes Potenzial. Von den 60 Millionen Einwohnern besitzt zum Beispiel nahezu niemand ein Handy. Logistisch liegt es günstig zwischen Indien und China, und auch Rohstoffe sind reichlich vorhanden. Neue Gesetze erlauben in einigen Branchen bis zu 100 Prozent ausländischen Besitz an Unternehmen. Das belegt, dass die Politik die Türen für auswärtige Investitionen weit geöffnet hat. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam war on Google - Similar to past, Russians join to fight Americans

28.05.2013 Chris Brummitt, Associated Press (journalgazette.net) - HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnam’s booming Internet scene is littered with failed startups that tried to take on Google and other entrenched U.S web companies. 

That’s not deterring a newly launched Russian-Vietnamese outfit that believes it can unseat the American search engine in this fast-growing Asian market and also contend with a jittery, authoritarian government seeking to clamp down on freedom of expression online. 

Like Google rivals elsewhere, Coc Coc, or “Knock Knock” in English, believes the ubiquitous search engine doesn’t get the nuances of the local language. It says its algorithms make for a better, quicker search in Vietnamese, while its local knowledge means the information served will be more relevant – and hence more valuable. [read more] 

Oxfam-Studie: Abwanderungen und gefährliche Jobs als Folge von hohen Lebensmittelpreisen

23.05.2013 (Oxfam Deutschland) Berlin - Die anhaltend hohen und stark schwankenden Lebensmittelpreise haben tiefgreifende negative Folgen für das Alltagsleben von Menschen in armen Ländern. Das zeigt der Bericht „Squeezed“ (Ausgequetscht) von Oxfam und dem Institute of Development Studies (IDS) der Universität Sussex. Für den Bericht wurden in 23 ländlichen und städtischen Gemeinden in zehn Ländern jeweils zehn Familien interviewt sowie verfügbare Erhebungen auf lokaler und nationaler Ebene herangezogen. Zwar scheint in den untersuchten Ländern das Hungerproblem nach der Preiskrise des vergangenen Jahres geringer zu sein als noch 2007. Jedoch sind die Auswirkungen auf das soziale Netz und die Familienstrukturen in armen Gemeinden zum Teil dramatisch. Immer mehr Menschen müssen ihre Familien verlassen und gefährliche Jobs annehmen. Gleichzeitig brechen traditionelle Familienstrukturen weg. Die Regierungen ignorieren diese Probleme oder haben nicht genügend Geld, um den Menschen beizustehen. [Weiterlesen]

La ville chinoise de Kunming, nouveau foyer de protestation contre la pollution

22.05.2013 Par Brice Pedroletti (Le Monde) - Un essaim de camions fait voler la poussière au creux d'un vallon boisé à une trentaine de kilomètres de Kunming, 4 millions d'habitants et capitale de province du Yunnan. L'immense chantier doit accueillir la future raffinerie d'Anning. Sept villages ont été détruits et leurs 3 000 habitants relogés en bordure du chantier dans des rangées de préfabriqués pareils à ceux qui accueillent les rescapés des catastrophes. Chaque famille reçoit 1 100 yuans (150 euros) de dédommagement mensuel par tête. Dans un an, ou peut-être deux, ils seront relogés à une dizaine de kilomètres. [en savoir plus]

Rhino horns 'worth more than gold' in Vietnam 

Poaching of the endangered species in Africa is on the rise, and traffickers often move the horns to Vietnam for sale. 

22.05.2013 Marwan Macan-Markar (Al Jazeera) - At first glance, the poster appears to be a typical advertisement for an African safari: a large rhinoceros set against a rugged, open terrain. Then you take a closer look and realise something is amiss. A cluster of human hands has replaced the two horns that distinguish this African animal from the single-horned Indian and Javan rhino. A message over the creature's head reads: "Rhino horn is made of the same stuff as human nails. Still want some?" Produced jointly by the wildlife watchdogs TRAFFIC and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), these posters are soon to appear on the walls of public places in major Vietnamese cities including the capital, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City. [read more]

Low Population Immunity to New Bird Flu Virus H7N9 in Humans

21.05.2013 (ScienceDaily) - he level of immunity to the recently circulating H7N9 influenza virus in an urban and rural population in Vietnam is very low, according to the first population level study to examine human immunity to the virus, which was previously only found in birds. The findings have implications for planning the public health response to this pandemic threat. [read more]

Vietnam Says Economy at Great Risk of Macroeconomic Instability

20.05.2013 By Jason Folkmanis & Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen (The Jakarta Globe) - Vietnam still faces “great risk” of macroeconomic instability, a deputy premier said, as credit growth trails behind targets while banks work to reduce elevated bad debt that has hampered growth.

While Vietnam is targeting a 12 percent expansion in credit this year, local businesses are facing difficulties getting loans, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told the National Assembly in Hanoi on Monday. Credit grew about 2 percent in the first four months of the year, the government said last week. [read more]

Why Does a Rhino Horn Cost $300,000? Because Vietnam Thinks It Cures Cancer and Hangovers

A rhino-head heist spree is sweeping the world and destroying rhino populations, mostly because of some ridiculous myths 

15.05.2013 Gwynn Guilford (The Atlantic) - It was in most respects a typical heist that happened in Dublin last month. Masked men, roughed-up security guards, $650,000 in stolen booty. But this wasn't art or jewelry that was stolen. The contraband, instead, was four rhinoceros heads. Or, more specifically, their horns. And this wasn't the first time. A rhino-head heist spree swept Europe in 2011, as thieves raided museums and auctions houses in seven countries, prompting 30 investigations by Europol, 20 of which are ongoing. Similar heists have also been on the rise in Africa, as well as in the odd American backwater town. Meanwhile, an online business thrives as well--including one dealer on Facebook who only accepts bitcoin. What is driving this "highly organized" crime ring?

If you guessed "China," you were wrong. The answer is Vietnam. The country's appetite for rhino horn is so great that it now fetches up to $100,000/kg, making it worth more than its weight in gold. (Horns average around 1-3 kg each, depending on the species.) [read more]

Laos Land Grabs: Deutsche Bank Backs Ruthless 'Rubber Lords'

15/05/2013 By Martin Hesse, Jörg Schmitt and Wieland Wagner (Spiegel Online) - Vietnamese companies have been ruthlessly taking advantage of Laotian locals and their environment to create vast rubber plantations. The "rubber lords" are also getting support for the land grabs from Germany's Deutsche Bank, which is violating its ethics and sustainability policies, critics say. and sustainability policies, critics say. A haggard man wearing only shorts squats on the tiny porch of his wooden shack. The 27-year-old from the Laotian village of Ban Hatxan lives here with his wife and parents. Lying before him are three lifeless lizards, their dinner. Three chickens are running around beneath his pile dwelling, and there is also a pig. This is all the family has left. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Deutsche Bank wegen Landraub in der Kritik

14.05.2013 Leonie Sontheimer (taz) Berlin - Erneut gerät die Deutsche Bank wegen ethisch fragwürdiger Methoden in Erklärungsnot. Die Umweltorganisation Global Witness wirft Deutschlands größtem Kreditinstitut vor, indirekt den Landraub in Kambodscha und Laos zu unterstützen. Im Fokus der Kritik: Das Unternehmen Hoang Anh Gia Lai (Hagl) und die staatseigene Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG), die laut Global Witness bei Landgrabbing in Kambodscha und Laos mitmachten. An der Finanzierung der Unternehmen seien die Deutsche Bank-Fondsgesellschaft DWS und die Internationale Finanz-Corporation IFC, eine Tochter der Weltbank, beteiligt.  [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

In Cambodia, China Fuels Deadly Illegal Logging Trade

14.05.2013 By Charlie Campbell (Time) - On April 26, 2012, Cambodian environmentalist Chut Wutty was killed during an investigation into illegal logging in the country’s arcane Cardamom Mountains. A year on, his family is no closer to learning the truth of what happened that fateful day and why. And now, sadly, Chut Wutty’s cause — the protection of Cambodia’s pristine woodland — is under greater threat than ever. New concessions for plantations and development projects are devastating the nation’s protected forests. On Monday, Global Witness, an advocacy group for which Chut Wutty worked for many years, accused Vietnamese rubber firms allegedly backed by the World Bank and Germany’s Deutsche Bank of driving a land-grabbing crisis. Chut Wutty, 48 when he died, had been on a collision course with Cambodia’s murky business elite for some time. He was shot during a confrontation with security personnel at a land concession for a 338-megawatt hydropower dam to be built by China Huadian Corp. [read more]

Rat meat and Chinese food safety

13.05.2013 By Martin Patience (BBC News, Beijing) - The latest food scandal in China - which has seen rat meat passed off as lamb - has raised more questions about food safety in the country. It seems that barely a day goes by in China without news of yet another food safety scandal. But the latest case - even by Chinese standards - was truly stomach-churning. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam firms involved in 'illegal land grabs'

13.05.2013 By Jonathan Head (BBC News South East Asia) - An environmental group has accused two Vietnamese rubber firms of involvement in massive land grabs in Cambodia and Laos. In its report, Global Witness said HAGL and Vietnam Rubber Group had been allocated over 280,000 hectares for rubber plantations in the countries. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Global lenders 'linked to Vietnam land grabs'

Global Witness accuses companies bankrolled by World Bank and Deutsche Bank of driving land-grabbing crisis in region

13.05.2013 (Al Jazeera) Global Witness, a group that campaigns on resource issues, has accused Vietnamese rubber firms bankrolled by an arm of the World Bank and Germany's Deutsche Bank of driving a land-grabbing crisis in Southeast Asia. [read more]

Vietnam's Appetite For Rhino Horn Drives Poaching In Africa

13.05.2013 by Frank Langfitt (NPR) - Africa is facing a growing epidemic: the slaughter of rhinos. So far this year, South Africa has lost more than 290 rhinos — an average of at least two a day. That puts the country on track to set yet another record after poachers killed 668 rhinos in 2012. Behind the rise in killings are international criminal syndicates and global economic change. Poachers have gone high-tech, using helicopters, silencers and night vision goggles to meet the growing demand for rhino horn in East Asia, especially Vietnam. Some newly rich Vietnamese believe rhino horn — used in traditional Chinese medicine — can now treat all kinds of illnesses. Last year in Vietnam, rhino horn sold for up to $1,400 an ounce, which is about the price of gold. [read more]

Networking - Vietnam to delay introducing 4G until 2015

13.05.2013 By Kevin Kwang (ZDNet) - Summary: Government official says 4G network licensing will not be opened to interested telcos until at least two years later as it wants to ensure the investment efficiency of mobile network operators.

A report by Vietnam News last Saturday cited Information and Communications Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang, who said the country does not intend to open up the process of licensing 4G technology domestically given that many of the operators had just invested heavily in their 3G networks. [read more]

Vietnam’s Star Is Dimming

09.05.2013 By William Pesek (Bloomberg) - Like other would-be tiger economies, Vietnam faces a trifecta of new threats: a crisis-paralyzed Europe, a faltering America, and a newly spendthrift Japan. Yet the biggest risk to the nation’s future may be old-fashioned nostalgia. It has been 27 years since Hanoi launched the “Doi Moi” reforms that allowed privately owned companies to participate in the economy and opened key sectors, such as agriculture. The rapid growth that followed propelled Vietnam toward the realm of middle-income nations, transforming the onetime war zone into a case study for development and poverty reduction. Now, though, Vietnam’s 1986 blueprint for a “socialist-oriented market economy” is looking dated. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam abandons Shinkansen technology for slower railway

09.05.2013 By Manabu Sasaki (The Asahi Shimbun) - HANOI--Vietnam has effectively dropped plans to adopt Japan's Shinkansen bullet-train technology, opting for a slower speed rail link between its two main cities. Japan's high-speed bullet train technology would have linked Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in a minimum of five and a half hours, compared with 29-38 hours at present. Vietnam plans to lower the speed from more than 300 kph to 160-200 kph--at least in the initial stage--to reduce the estimated 5 trillion yen ($50 billion) plus project cost by 20 percent, government and other sources said. [read more]

Slow Reforms Cloud Vietnam’s Economic Growth Outlook, IMF Says 07.05.2013 (Bloomberg News) - Slow restructuring of Vietnam’s banks and state companies contributed to the International Monetary Fund’s decision last week to cut the nation’s growth forecasts. The IMF lowered its projection for Vietnam’s growth to 5.2 percent this year from 5.8 percent previously, and to 5.2 percent in 2014 from 6.4 percent in its report on April 29. The reduction of this year’s forecast is the biggest cut among Southeast Asian countries after Singapore, while the 2014 cut is the biggest downward move for any Asian country, the data showed. [read more]Joint group to push sales of Japanese foods in Vietnam 06.05.2013 (Jiji Press Hanoi) - Japan and Vietnam agreed Saturday to form a joint working group in a bid to boost sales of Japanese foods in the Southeast Asian country. The agreement was reached at a meeting in Hanoi between visiting Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshimasa Hayashi and Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat. Through exchanges of views between the public and private sectors of the two countries, Japan hopes to promote its exports of farm products to Vietnam and help Japanese food processors and restaurant operators expand business in Vietnam.WWF-Report belegt dramatischen Waldverlust am Mekong 03.05.2013 (WWF) - Berlin - Die Länder entlang des Mekong von Myanmar bis zum Delta in Vietnam, leiden unter massiver Waldvernichtung. Mehr als ein Drittel der noch existierenden Wälder in Südostasien drohen in den nächsten 20 Jahren abgeholzt werden. Das ist das Ergebnis des aktuellen Mekong-Report 2013 des WWF. Die Zerstörung hat dramatische Auswirkungen auf die Artenvielfalt und die Lebensgrundlage von Millionen von Menschen. ...  In Thailand und Vietnam wurde mit 43 Prozent fast die Hälfte der Wälder abgeholzt. ... Eine der größten Bedrohungen für die Artenvielfalt in Südostasien ist der geplante Xayaburi-Staudamm in Laos. Dieses Megaprojekt wurde jüngst vom WWF im Report „Die sieben Sünden des Staudammbaus“ zu einem der verheerendsten Kraftwerksprojekte der Welt erklärt. Der Xayaburi-Damm bedroht die Lebenswelt des Mekong bis zum Mündungsdelta in Vietnam und gefährdet damit den Lebensunterhalt von Millionen Menschen, die vom Fischfang abhängig sind. [weiter lesen]

Fast fashion, fair wages: Vietnam's lesson to Bangladesh

02.05.2013 (France24) -  From factory fires to slave labour, the growth of mass manufacturing in South East Asia has not been problem-free, but having shed its "sweatshop" reputation, the region could have lessons for Bangladesh. Communist Vietnam -- which produces clothes for fashion industry giants Zara, Mango and H&M -- shows it is possible to have "extremely strong" labour laws, fair wages and a healthy garment industry, experts say. [read more]

600 Hunde vor dem Kochtopf gerettet

27.04.2013 Von Redaktion TP (Farang Magazin) - In den Provinzen Nakhon Phanom und Sakhon Nakhon haben Marinesoldaten und Grenzer über 600 Hunde sichergestellt. Die Tiere sollten nach Vietnam und China gebracht und dort in Restaurants zu Speisen verarbeitet werden. Hundefleisch gilt in den beiden Ländern als Delikatesse. In Nakhon Phanom wurde ein Pick-up mit 120 Hunden gestoppt. Die Tiere sollten über den Fluss Mekong gebracht werden. Die Schmuggler konnten rechtzeitig fliehen. Grenzpolizisten fanden bei einer Razzia in Sakhon Nakhon in einem Gebäude 550 Hunde. Sie waren in 53 schmale Käfige gepfercht. Während die Tiere verladen wurden, näherte sich ein Lastwagen, der die Hunde vermutlich nach Vietnam bringen sollte. Die Insassen konnten flüchten. [weiter lesen]

Drogerien rationieren Milchpulver nach Hamsterkäufen

25.04.2013 Von Florian Wöhrle (tagesschau.de)  - Milchpulver aus dem Westen ist bei chinesischen Eltern so begehrt, dass der private Import zur Geschäftsidee geworden ist. Einige Produkte sind in deutschen Läden mittlerweile schwer zu bekommen. Die Drogerien verkaufen deshalb nur noch kleine Mengen. [weiter lesen]

Chinese demand for baby milk causes 'ration' in UK

10.04.2013 By Sylvia Hui (Yahoo News) – London (AP) — Demand for baby milk formula is surging in Britain, but it seems likely the powder is going to babies thousands of miles away. British retailers said Wednesday they are limiting purchases of baby milk powder to two tins per customer after noticing some people were buying unusually large quantities in stores, apparently to export to China for profit. Danone, the dairy manufacturer, said it has significantly increased production of powdered baby milk in response to the bulk-buying trend. [read more]

Nouvelle affaire de lait frelaté en Chine

30.03.2013 (Le Monde) - Cinq ans après l'affaire de la mélamine, les scandales alimentaires se répètent en Chine.  Un haut responsable d'une société partenaire du groupe suisse Hero a ainsi été arrêté pour avoir frelaté du lait pour bébés, ont annoncé des responsables jeudi 28 mars. Près de 25 tonnes de poudre ont été saisies dans les entrepôts de Xile Lier, son entreprise installée à Suzhou, dans l'est de la Chine ... Depuis le scandale de la mélamine, la demande pour le lait en poudre pour bébés importé a explosé en Chine, provoquant même une pénurie à Hong Kong qui a dû limiter la quantité de boîtes que les voyageurs sont autorisés à sortir du territoire. [en savoir plus]

Vietnamese avoiding China's fresh produce

19.03.2013 (AsiaFruit) Sales of Chinese fruit and vegetable exports down in Vietnam amid fears regarding food safety standards

Jack Nguyen, a trader with one of the largest Vietnamese fruit importers, has stated that his company’s profits were nearly halved from US$ 11m in 2011 to $6m in 2012. ... While he conceded Vietnam’s sluggish economy has played a factor in this decline, Nguyen stated that ongoing media scaremongering regarding toxic fruit is contributing to negative public perceptions and a move away from Chinese fruit imports.

"It's all about how they can sell more newspapers. Nowadays if you write an article about Chinese products, you immediately get millions of hits online," he said. "We lost a lot of money because of this." [read more]

Vietnam Seeks to Restart Economy

24.04.2013  by Our Correspondent (Asia Sentinel) - As investors are far too painfully aware, Vietnam, which captured the affections of global investors when its growth reached 7.2 percent between 1990 and 2010, has begun to sink into despair. ... While other emerging Asian markets have recovered faster than the west in the wake of the global financial crisis, Vietnam's recovery has been relatively slow and painful, with 2012 growth the lowest in 13 years at 5.0 percent, well below the once-basket case Philippines at 6.6 percent and the 6.2 percent achieved by Indonesia. [read more]

left photot: Vietnam's outraged farmers

Proteste gegen Vietnam Airlines erfolgreich!

21.04.2013 (nandu) Die Welle der Airlines, die nach Protesten beschließen, keine Primatentransporte mehr durchzuführen, nimmt offenbar weiterhin kein Ende. Im Falle von Vietnam Airlines waren aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach ebenfalls die entschlossenen Proteste der Grund für den Ausstieg. So stürmten etwa kürzlich Aktivist*innen in London die nationale Direktion des Unternehmens. Tierversuchsgegner*innen in Frankreich überraschten das Personal der Airline wenige Tage später am Flughafenschalter Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. [weiter lesen]

5.000 Schwalben sterben an Vogelgrippe-Virus

12.04.2013 (Stern.de) - Vor wenigen Tagen gaben die vietnamesischen Behörden bekannt, dass ein vierjähriger Junge an einer H5N1-Infektion gestorben ist. Nun sollen fast 5.000 Schwalben in dem Land an dem Virus verendet sein. [weiter lesen]

Bird flu hits nest farm in Vietnam

12.04.2013 (World News Australia) - Thousands of swifts at a southern Vietnam farm have died of H5N1 bird flu virus, say news reports. Nearly 5000 swifts, whose nests are collected for sale as a luxury health food, have died in southern Vietnam after contracting the H5N1 bird flu virus, say news reports.

The birds, half the population of a facility in Phan Rang Thap Cham City, died between March 28 and April 11, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Friday. [read more]

Vogelgrippe - Vietnam bestätigt Todesfall

09.04.2013 (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) - (apd) Vietnam hat den ersten Todesfall durch Vogelgrippe seit mehr als einem Jahr bestätigt. In der südlichen Provinz Dong Thap kam ein vierjähriger Bub am 4. April wegen eines H5N1-Stamm des Virus ums Leben, teilte ein Sprecher der Gesundheitsbehörde, Doan Tan Buu am Dienstag mit. Nach seinen Angaben bekam der Knabe am 23. März Fieber und andere Symptome, nachdem seine Familie ein Huhn geschlachtet hatte. Das Huhn habe sie in einem Dorf gekauft, in dem Untersuchungen später Vogelgrippe-Infektionen bei Geflügel bestätigten. Der letzte Todesfall durch Vogelgrippe war im Februar vergangenen Jahres gemeldet worden. Der jüngste Todesfall hat keine Verbindung zu der neuen Variante des Virus H7N9, wegen dem in China seit Februar sieben Personen ums Leben gekommen sind. [weiter lesen]

Vietnam Growth Requires Reform, National Assembly’s Ngan Says

06.04.2013 (Bloomberg) Vietnam’s government will need to accelerate economic structural reforms to boost growth that was at a 13-year low last year, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said.

“The economy will continue to face difficulties this year” amid an international slowdown and domestic challenges, Ngan said yesterday at a conference held by the National Assembly’s economic committee in the southern city of Nha Trang. 

The economic slowdown may “not change much” this year, Victoria Kwakwa, the World Bank’s Vietnam country director, said in an interview in Nha Trang yesterday. The government in particular needs to focus on resolving non-performing loans, she said. “It will help restart the process of banks beginning to have the confidence to start lending again in a more prudent way,” Kwakwa said. [read more]

Endangered Vietnam elephant 'skinned, disemboweled'

06.04.2013 (News Com) - THE skinned and mutilated corpse of one of Vietnam's dwindling population of endangered wild elephants has been discovered in a forest in central Quang Binh province, state media said.

Environmental group WWF says Vietnam is one of the world's worst countries for trade in endangered species. Vietnam outlawed the ivory trade in 1992 but shops can still sell ivory dating from before the ban. [read more]

Vietnam's lost charm

Foreign investors are losing faith in their sought-after destination on the back of slow reforms and rising corruption

03.04.2013 Barun Roy (Business Standard, India) Due to slow reforms and rising corruption, the growth in foreign investments has turned negative in Vietnam. 

Something has gone wrong for Vietnam. It finds it's no longer the same darling of foreign investors it used to be.

For three years in succession, it has failed to reach its foreign direct investment (FDI) targets and the government, judging from recent remarks by its ministers, is worried. If the slide continues, they fear, there will be an adverse impact on economic growth, and if economic growth falters, investors could become even more hesitant. This forms a vicious circle, and for being caught in it, Vietnam has only itself to blame. It thought it was special because of its past, and the world would be wooing it no matter what. [read more]

Sanofi builds $75 million factory in Vietnam for ASEAN markets

29.03.2013 (The Economic Times) - PARIS: French drugmaker Sanofi said Friday that it had begun building a new manufacturing facility in Vietnam to serve the expanding pharmaceutical market in southeast Asia. The $75 million (58 million euro) factory "will expand Sanofi's manufacturing capacity in Vietnam to meet the fast growing demand of the Vietnamese pharmaceutical market and will serve as an export platform to ASEAN countries," the company said in a statement. The factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Sanofi's second, is due to be completed in 2015 with an initial capacity of 90 million units per year. Sanofi also boasts factories in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand in the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a market of some 600 million people. [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam: Wirtschaft kühlt sich ab

27.03.2013 Christian Zoller (GodmodeTrader) -  Hanoi – Das Wirtschaftswachstum in dem südostasiatischen Land Vietnam hat sich im ersten Quartal des laufenden Jahres 2013 abgekühlt. Das Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP) stieg in den drei Monaten um 4,89 Prozent im Jahresvergleich an, wie das General Statistics Office (GSO) am heutigen Mittwoch mitteilte. Im vorherigen vierten Quartal 2012 wurde hingegen noch ein höheres Wirtschaftswachstum von 5,44 Prozent notiert.

Begründet wurde das schwächere Wachstum unter anderem mit Problemen der Unternehmen und hohen Zinsraten. „Die Situation zeigt, dass die Wirtschaftslage im zweiten Quartal und im Gesamtjahr 2013 extrem herausfordernd werden wird“, so das GSO.

Erst vor zwei Tagen hatte die vietnamesische Zentralbank ihren Leitzins erneut gesenkt, um die heimische Wirtschaft anzutreiben. Es war bereit die siebte Zinssenkung in etwas mehr als einem Jahr. Die Inflation wurde für den Monat März mit 6,64 Prozent im Jahresvergleich ausgewiesen - die niedrigste Inflationsrate seit sechs Monaten.

Im Vorjahr 2012 legte das vietnamesische BIP um 5,03 Prozent zu und damit so schwach wie seit 13 Jahren nicht mehr, wie aus Daten der Regierung weiter hervorgeht. Die Behörden des Landes sorgen sich zunehmend um die steigende Verschuldung der Banken, fallende ausländische Direktinvestitionen (FDI) und eine Kette von Finanzskandalen bei staatlichen Unternehmen, unter anderem bei dem Schiffsbauer Vinashin.  [tiếng Việt]

Starbucks-Einmarsch in Vietnam

27.03.2013 Von Michael Lenz (Der Farang) - Die wirtschaftlich angeschlagene amerikanische Starbucks-Kette hat ihre Invasion nach Vietnam gestartet. In Ho Chi Minh City, dem früheren Saigon, öffnete die erste vietnamesische Filiale der Fast-Drink-Kette aus Seattle ihre Pforten. Starbucks, dessen Geschäft im Heimatland USA stagniert, muss sich in Vietnam gegen eine große Zahl heimischer Kaffeehäuser und Caféketten beweisen. Kaum ein anderes asiatisches Land hat eine so ausgeprägte Kaffeekultur wie Vietnam. Die Volksrepublik ist zudem der zweitgrößte Kaffeeproduzent der Welt. Asien ist für Starbucks, das auch in Europa und Deutschland nicht richtig vorankommt, die große Hoffnung für Wachstum. Bis Ende 2013 soll es auf dem Kontinent insgesamt 4.000 Starbucks-Filialen geben, 1.000 davon in China. 

"Wasser ist Schlüssel für Asiens Entwicklung"

22.03.2013 (DW) - Mehr als 75 Prozent der Länder Asiens leiden unter Mangel an sauberem Trinkwasser. Doch die Stabilität in diesen Ländern hänge von sicherer Wasserversorgung ab, heißt es in einer Studie der Asiatischen Entwicklungsbank.

"Die Asien-Pazifik-Region hat sich zu einem bedeutenden Wirtschaftszentrum entwickelt. Doch es ist alarmierend, dass keines der Entwicklungsländer in der Region eine sichere Wasserversorgung hat. Die Länder müssen ihr Wassermanagement dringend durch inspirierte Führung und kreative Politik verbessern" - so lautet die zentrale Botschaft einer neuen Studie der Asiatischen Entwicklungsbank (Asian Development Bank - ADB) zu Sicherheit in der Wasserversorgung in Asien. [weiter lesen]

Report warns of Asian water security risk

22.03.2013 (DW) - More than three-quarters of Asia-Pacific countries are experiencing a serious lack of water security, with many facing a water crisis, an Asian Development Bank study says. It recommends ways to take action.

"While the Asia-Pacific region has become an economic powerhouse, it is alarming that no developing country in the region can be considered 'water-secure.' Countries must urgently improve water governance through inspired leadership and creative policymaking," an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official has warned. DW talked to two ADB water security specialists in charge of the Bank's new study on water security, which it prepared jointly with the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF). [read more]

Chinese fruit a turnoff in Vietnam amid sea and trade tensions

19.03.2013 (Associated Press, Hanoi) - Jack Nguyen had sold 20 of his 30 containers of imported American grapes when fresh rumours hit the internet and state-run media: Chinese fruit on sale in Vietnam might look good, but it contains deadly levels of preservatives and pesticides. Shoppers quickly stopped buying imported fruit altogether, believing it all tainted or falsely labelled. The last 10 containers rotted.

While fears about the safety of Chinese food products are often well founded, in Vietnam they are so tangled up with anti-Chinese sentiment it is hard to tell where one begins and the other ends. More than 1,000 years of occupation, a bloody border war in 1979 and renewed assertiveness by China in pushing territorial claims in the South China Sea mean that tales of Chinese perfidy find fertile soil in which to grow. Vietnam’s authoritarian government tries to stop direct criticism of China, or discussion of its relationship with Beijing, because it is vulnerable to charges by nationalists and democracy activists that it lacks the guts to stand up to its fellow communist country. As a result, anger at its giant northern neighbour China is increasingly showing up in consumer behaviour. [read more]

Vietnam to prepare 2,000 workers for nuclear power project

04.03.2013 EBR Staff Writer (Energy Business Review) - Vietnam-based conglomerate Song Da Corporation (SDC), in view of the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear power project, plans to send 2,000 workers and engineers to Japan and Russia for training from 2013.

SDC senior official Le Van Ton was quoted by VietNamNet as saying that these people will be the major labor force of Vietnam for the construction of planned Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plants.

The company has already signed a contract in February with Russia's NIAEP to send some Vietnamese workers to Russia to build the Rostov nuclear power plant.

With 4 turbines and a total capacity of 4,000MW, the Rostov plant is a major project of Russia. Two machines are already operating, while the remaining two are scheduled for completion in 2015.

Vietnam aims to build 13 nuclear power reactors by 2030. During the first phase which runs until 2015, the nation will complete various approvals including investment, site and contractor selection to begin building the first unit.

By 2020, the construction of the first turbine of the Ninh Thuan 1 plant is expected to be completed. The second turbine may be put into operation in 2021.

The capacity of nuclear power plants in the country is likely to reach 8,000MW by 2025 and may touch 15,000MW by 2030.

Vietnam - Coffee exports fall 50.5% in February 2013

26.02.2013 (agrar-net) - Vietnam exported 100,000 tonnes, or 1.67 mln 60-kg bags, of coffee in February 2013, down 50.5% from the same month last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) said. It revised its estimated shipments for January 2013 up to 219,000 tonnes from a previous estimate of 200,000.

Two dead in Vietnam S. suis outbreak

25.02.2013 (foodnavigator-asia) - Two butchers in central Vietnam have from a bacteria that causes clinical diseases in pigs, the Voice of Vietnam has reported. [read more]

State corruption poisons Vietnam's reputation as an investment haven

20.02.2013 Clifford Coonan (The National UAE) - Five years ago, Vietnam was South East Asia's go-to place for foreign investment, rivalling China as the low-cost manufacturing centre of choice in the region.

The country is losing out to nations such as Indonesia in terms of efficiency and value for money.

Inflation is on the rise, the dong currency has weakened and untrammelled borrowing by the SOEs have put a strain on the banking system and left the banks heavily indebted. [read more]

Call for ban on Vietnam exports

22.02.2013 Schalk Mouton (Times Live, South Africa 22.02.2013) - Conservation organisations are to ask for sanctions against Vietnam in an effort to stop rhino poaching.

Traffic, which monitors illegal trade in wildlife, and the World Wide Fund for Nature will ask the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species next month to ban all dealings in Cites-listed species with Vietnam and Thailand if the two countries do not take steps to stop the illegal trade in rhino horn and ivory.  [read more]

China’s Water Pollution Crisis

22.01.2013 By Elizabeth C. Economy (The Diplomat 22.01.2013) - According to one report, “up to 40 percent of China’s rivers were seriously polluted” and “20 percent were so polluted their water quality was rated too toxic even to come into contact with.” [read more]

Vietnam's state sector a 'cancer' in economy

30.01.2013 (France24) - AFP - Opaque, corrupt, inefficient -- Vietnam's state-run companies are used to criticism, but now they stand accused of creating a systemic economic crisis which the communist regime cannot fix. More than 25 years after it started a transition towards a market economy, the government is trying to unpick a web of state-owned firms, which have a stranglehold on the economy and are proving stubbornly resistant to reform. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam: le secteur public, "tumeur" d'une économie exsangue

30.01.2013 (France24) - AFP - Opaques, mal gérés, corrompus, au dessus des lois: les grands groupes publics vietnamiens n'ont jamais été aussi mal considérés, décrits comme des mastodontes rétifs à toute réforme, premiers responsables d'une crise économique profonde et systémique. Plus de 25 ans après avoir lancé la transition vers l'économie de marché en 1986, le gouvernement fait face à un entrelacs de sociétés dont la transformation tant attendue n'a jamais eu lieu. [en savoir plus...] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam verwandelt einen Klimakiller in einen Wärmelieferanten

17.01.2013 (Handelsblatt) - Aus Abfall wird Biogas: Eine Stärkefabrik in Vietnam fängt das Methan auf, das bei der Verarbeitung von Maniok entsteht. Statt die Atmosphäre zu schädigen, wird das Gas benutzt, um die Brennöfen der Fabrik zu befeuern. Ein Film von Christian Jaburg Mehr [weiter lesen]

From a climate killer to an energy source

15.01.2013 (Deutsche Welle) -  A starch factory in Vietnam is capturing methane generated while processing cassava. Instead of damaging the environment, the toxic gas is used to fuel the factory's furnaces. Vietnam is one of the world's largest cassava producers. The production process generates huge amounts of starch-rich waste water – and when that ferments, it produces methane, a highly toxic climate killer. In fact, the gas is 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. The Daklak Tapioca Factory in central Vietnam is now using the gas to power its operations. The furnaces that were once fueled by coal now run on methane. [read more]

Vietnam convierte un asesino del clima en proveedor de calor

15.01.2013 (Deutsche Welle) -  Biogás producido por residuos: una fábrica de almidón en Vietnam captura el gas metano generado al procesar la yuca. El gas se utiliza para operar los hornos de la fábrica en vez de liberarse a la atmósfera. Vietnam es uno de los diez mayores productores de yuca del mundo. Al procesar la planta, se producen grandes cantidades de aguas residuales que contienen almidón. Cuando el agua fermenta, genera mucho gas metano, un asesino del clima de primer orden. La fábrica de tapioca Daklak, en el altiplano central de Vietnam, recolecta el gas metano y lo transforma en energía, que ahora utiliza para operar su maquinaria. Antes, la caldera funcionaba con carbón; ahora funciona con gas metano. [seguir leyendo]

IBM mit Auftrag aus Vietnam

18.01.2013 (IT-Times) - Der US-Technologiekonzern und IT-Servicedienstleister IBM hat bekannt gegeben, einen Auftrag von der Vietnam National University erhalten zu haben. Eine Smart Computing Lösung soll installiert [weiter lesen]

Ein Herz für gequälte Bären

18.01.2013 Udo Schmidt (ARD) - Der Gallensaft von Bären soll gegen Leberleiden helfen. Dafür werden die Tiere in Asien oft in engen Käfigen gehalten und sterben nach wenigen Jahren. Ein Bären-Rettungszentrum in Vietnam wurde nun zum Zankapfel der Politik. Erst ein Machtwort des Regierungschefs brachte Klarheit: Das Zentrum bleibt. [weiter lesen]

Vietnam setzt auf Textilexporte

17.01.2013 (FashionUnited Germany) - Vietnam plant, bis 2020 eines der fünf größten textil- und bekleidungsherstellenden Länder zu werden, so Studie Nr. 159 von “Textile Outlook International” des Forschungszentrums Textiles Intelligence. Zugleich möchte das Land auch soziale und ökologische Verbesserungen fördern. [weiter lesen]

Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre saved from eviction after campaign

16.01.2013 Vietnam has abandoned plans to close a bear sanctuary at the heart of a land dispute in one of its national parks. [read more]

Vietnam - Ein Tiger gerät ins Taumeln

13.01.2013 Klaus Methfessel (Wirtschaftswoche) - Eine platzende Immobilienblase, Berge fauler Bankkredite, geringeres Wachstum: Vietnam, vor kurzem noch zu den „Next Eleven“ der wachstumsstarken Schwellenländer gezählt, schwächelt. Der wichtigste Feiertag ist in Vietnam das Tet-Fest – die Vietnamesen feiern wie die Chinesen traditionell das Neujahrsfest nach dem Mondkalender. Doch vor dem Beginn des Jahrs der Schlange am 10. Februar ist vielen Arbeitern und Angestellten gar nicht nach Feiern zumute. Der Grund: Normalerweise erhalten sie zu dem Fest ihren jährlichen Firmenbonus. Doch der fällt in diesem Jahr häufig niedriger als im Vorjahr oder sogar völlig aus. [weiter lesen]

Vietnamese mit Nashorn für rund 15 Millionen Baht verhaftet

09.01.2013 (TIP Zeitung) - Am 6. Januar wurde auf dem internationalen Flughafen Suwannaphum in Bangkok ein 56 Jahre alter Vietnamese verhaftet. Der Mann hatte gut 10 Kilogramm Nashorn in seinem Gepäck.  [weiter lesen]

Vietnam – Hoffnungen haben sich noch nicht erfüllt

09.01.2013 (Platow Online) Zur Jahresmitte 2012 sah der IWF die Perspektiven Vietnams noch relativ optimistisch mit einem Wachstum von 6% für 2012 und 6,3% für das laufende Jahr, wobei die Inflation (Konsumentenpreise) mit 10,8% bzw. 7,4% angesetzt wurde. Ganz so positiv wird es am Ende kaum ausgehen. [weiter lesen]

Starbucks geht ins Kaffeeland Vietnam

09.01.2013 (Deutsche Welle) Die weltgrößte Kaffeehauskette Starbucks eröffnet bald ihre erste Filiale in Vietnam. Das US-Unternehmen will mit seinem Engagement in Asien den Stillstand auf dem amerikanischen Heimatmarkt ausgleichen. Vietnam ist der zweitgrößte Kaffeeproduzent der Welt. Das Land ist zudem nach Brasilien der zweitgrößte Exporteur des schwarzen Muntermachers. Die größten Abnehmer sind die USA und Deutschland. Dabei beziehen die Deutschen die meisten Bohnen aus Vietnam. [weiter lesen]

Indien überholt Thailand bei Reisexporten

04.01.2013 (Finanzzentrum cash) - BANGKOK (awp international) - Thailand ist nach drei Jahrzehnten erstmals nicht mehr Reis-Exportweltmeister. Mit seinem Basmati und anderen Sorten überholte nicht nur Indien, sondern auch Vietnam den langjährigen Klassenprimus, der seinen Namen mit Jasmin-Reis gemacht hat. Thailand exportierte im vergangenen Jahr 6,9 Millionen Tonnen, wie die Reisexporteure am Freitag mitteilten. Indien führte dagegen nach US-Angaben mehr als 9,5 Millionen Tonnen aus, Vietnam 7,6 Millionen Tonnen. Thailands Exporte brachen um mehr als ein Drittel ein - unter anderem, weil die Regierung Bauern hohe Reispreise im Inland garantiert. Die Lagerbestände sind dadurch übervoll.

Riesen-Prämie für Elefantenbabys in Vietnam

04.01.2013 (Die Welt) Hanoi - Elefantennotstand in Vietnam: Die Tiere sterben aus, und die Behörden wollen Züchter nun mit großen Prämien dazu bringen, mehr Elefantenbabys zu produzieren. [weiter lesen]