Accordingly, criminals take advantage of the ignorance of some people to send a link via SMS or online chat apps (Zalo, Facebook) for these victims to download and install a fake VNeID app, whose interface is identical with the real one.

The fake app will ask for high-level device access rights, including reading sensitive data and messages with OTP codes. The criminals will then use these confidential codes and data to control the bank accounts of the victim for property appropriation.

To avoid this scam, the Public Security Ministry warns that citizens only install VNeID from the formal source of App Store (for iOS) and Play Store (for Android). It is not advisable to use unknown links or sources for the installation of this important software.

It is also not recommended to turn on the feature of installing apps from unidentified sources on the smart device in order to safeguard it. In addition, citizens are warned not to provide their personal information to strangers via phone.

The Public Security Ministry asks that the public regularly update news on administrative procedures on its official e-Portal or Fanpage as well as the formal sites of the local police. When detecting a suspicious case, people should immediately contact the police officer in charge of their neighborhood or the nearest police station for further instruction.

At present, the Ministry of Public Security has only two official e-Portals of bocongan.gov.vn and mps.gov.vn. The domain name to access local members of this ministry has the structure of tendonvi.bocongan.gov.vn or tendonvi.mps.gov.vn (where tendonvi is the short form of full form of that member unit in unaccented Vietnamese or in English.

The domain name to access provincial Public Security Departments has the structure of congan.tentinhthanh.gov.vn (where tentinhthanh is the name of the provincial or municipal People’s Committee).

Vietnamese community in Belgium celebrate Tet festival

An event called “Spring of Love” was organised by the General Union of Vietnamese in Brussels (UGVB) on February 11 (the second day of the first lunar month) on the occasion of the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, offering an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese in the country to get together and honour their common root.

President of the UGVB Huynh Cong My spotlighted the significance of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival with the OVs, and affirmed the union’s role in connecting the OVs with the homeland’s culture.

Conveying Tet wishes to the Vietnamese community, Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao laid stress on the sound ties between Vietnam and Belgium, and expressed his hope for the future development of the relations with the upcoming visit by Belgian King and Queen to Vietnam in October.

The cultural centre of Woluwe Saint-Pierre district of Brussels was turned into a warm Tet space, and was a favourite check-in point of visitors to the event. It featured a calligraphy corner where Jean-Sébastien Gill – a French national who is a fan of the art of calligraphy – wrote New Year wishes for the OVs, and a charity corner where handicrafts were sold to raise money for children in difficult circumstances in Vietnam.

Additionally, visitors also have a chance to enjoy art performances staged by Vietnamese artists in Europe.

HCM City sees increases in tourist arrivals, revenue during Tet holiday

Ho Chi Minh City welcomed around 75,000 foreign tourist arrivals over five days since the start of the Tet holiday (February 8) to February 12, or the third day of the first lunar month, up 15.4% year-on-year, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.

During the Tet holiday that will last until February 14, the city is expected to serve 1.8 million visitors, a year-on-year rise of 5.9%.

Revenue is estimated at 6.55 trillion VND (268.1 million USD), up 4% year-on-year.

The increases were attributed to the city’s organisation of activities to welcome the Lunar New Year of the Dragon and its efforts to improve the quality of tourism products.

PM urges expedited construction of Tan Son Nhat airport’s Terminal 3

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged ministries, sectors, contractors and relevant sides to speed up construction of Terminal 3 (T3) at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City so that it can be completed before April 30, 2025 to mark 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day.

Inspecting construction at the site on February 12 (the third day of the first lunar month), PM Chinh expressed his delight over the enthusiastic and bustling working atmosphere at the construction site even during the Tet holiday.

He hailed the concerted efforts of Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Transport and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) in accelerating the project, while asking contractors to re-schedule working progress, mobilise vehicles, equipment and human resources, improve construction to hasten the project, and work to ensure construction quality.

The PM also instructed the municipal authority and competent sides to join hands to smoothly roll out construction of supporting facilities, including transport connection with nearby areas and Long Thanh International Airport.

Being built at the total cost of 11 trillion VND (450.36 million USD), T3 will be the largest domestic passenger terminal with a capacity of 20 million passengers a year. It will be capable of handling 7,000 passengers per hour during peak hours and will accommodate all types of aircraft. It is designed to have four floors, one basement, 90 counters, 27 boarding gates and 25 security gates.

Thanks to the drastic direction and resolve from the Government, Ho Chi Minh City and relevant sides, bottlenecks were removed for the project, resulting in a modern terminal being shaped up after six month of construction.

According to the ACV, nearly 1,400 engineers and workers, 16 tower cranes, and equipment were dispatched to the construction site at peak time to ensure that the progress is in line with schedule.

Upon completion, the project is expected to relieve congestion at the country’s largest airport.

Deputy FM attends 7th Indian Ocean Conference

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu has highlighted the need to build a common vision towards stability, sustainability and connectivity across seas and oceans, including the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the East Sea, while addressing the recent seventh Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth, Australia.

To realise the vision, Vu proposed maintaining the rules-based order at sea, and ensuring respect for and compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); promoting the role of diplomacy in solving disputes and disagreements at sea by peaceful means based on international law, minimising risks of miscalculation and preventing conflicts; and enhancing effective and practical maritime cooperation, including in maritime security, maintaining freedom of navigation and aviation, protecting the environment and marine ecosystem, and promoting the blue economy.

He emphasised ASEAN's strong commitment to respecting international law, addressing disputes by peaceful means, not using or threatening to use force, and fully respecting legal and diplomatic processes, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and building a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with the UNCLOS.

Co-chaired by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on February 9-10, the conference attracted the participation of leaders, senior officials, researchers and scholars from over 30 countries and international organisations inside and outside the region.

Delegates shared different perspectives on the regional and world context, in which they stressed the trend of increasing connectivity and interdependence between regions, seas and oceans including the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the East Sea; common traditional and non-traditional challenges such as climate change, transnational criminal activities, and territorial disputes that are threatening seas and oceans; and huge implications and consequences for economic development, the ecological environment, the operation of supply chains and conflict risks if countries fail to work together to deal with these challenges.

Within the framework of the event, the Vietnamese official had meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, the UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, Deputy Foreign Ministers of Australia, Maldives and Japan, and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and representatives of some ASEAN countries.
 
At a meeting with Roger Cook, the premier of Western Australia state, Deputy Minister Vu asked the premier to continue facilitating the integration of Vietnamese working and studying in the state, and proposed speedier visa granting procedures for Vietnamese businesspeople, skilled workers and students.
 
The two sides noted satisfaction at the positive developments in relations between Vietnamese localities and Western Australia, particularly the opening of a direct air route between Ho Chi Minh City and Perth in January 2024 and an Invest and Trade Representative Office of Western Australia in HCM City in March 2023.

2023 - a highlight in Vietnam-Saudi Arabia relations: Ambassador

The year 2023 marked a bright spot in the Vietnam-Saudi Arabia relations with regular exchanges of delegations at all levels, and fruitful meetings between leaders of the two countries, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohammed Ismaeil A. Dahlwy said.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2024, he laid stress on the visit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage to Saudi Arabia last October, affirming that it has helped elevate the bilateral ties, and positively contributed to connecting the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

During the visit, the first working trip of a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia and the second of a Vietnamese high-level leader in 13 years, the two sides organised the Vietnam – Saudi Arabia business forum, and signed five cooperative documents in the areas of judiciary, foreign affairs, crime prevention, tourism and trade promotion, helping complete legal frameworks and create favourable conditions for future bilateral cooperation, the ambassador noted.

According to him, Saudi Arabia attaches importance to developing collaborative ties with Vietnam in various fields, which is reflected through the working trip to Vietnam by Minister of Tourism Ahmed Mibin Aqeel-Khateeb, and successful organisation of the Vietnam – Saudi Arabia business forum and the fifth meeting of the Vietnam – Saudi Arabia Intergovernmental Committee.

He added that both sides worked closely and supported each other at the regional and international forums, while negotiating various agreements to shape up a foundation to consolidate the bilateral relations.

In particular, economic cooperation was a highlight in the ties in 2023, with Saudi Arabia being Vietnam’s leading economic partner in the Middle East and two-way trade reaching 2.68 billion USD, the diplomat said.

Building on the achievements that the two nations have carved out over years, the Saudi Arabian Embassy will continue to consolidate the existing cooperation mechanisms, promote the exchange of delegations at all levels, and serve as a bridge to connect the two peoples.

This year, the embassy will organise a series of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (October 21, 1999-2024) with culture and art exchanges, exhibitions, and trade promotion events on schedule.

Expressing his hope that the year 2024 will bring Vietnam new achievements, he wished Vietnam will stay strong and prosperous, and develop strongly to become one of the "economic dragons" in the region.

He said he wants to make further contributions to the Vietnam – Saudi Arabia cooperation in the time ahead.

PM visits workers on duty during Tet holiday

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited workers who are on duty in Hanoi during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday on February 12, or the third day of the first lunar month.

Visiting the construction site of Station S12 under the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line project, he praised labourers for working throughout Tet.

He asked units to not only arrange vehicles and workforce, but also research and apply technology to speed up construction on the project, which has been delayed for a long time. After 13 years of construction, with many adjustments, the Nhon - Hanoi Station metro line project is currently about 78% complete.

The Government and Hanoi city will continue to analyse causes for the slow progress to find solutions to them and create the best conditions to promote the implementation, affirmed Chinh.

 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gives lucky money to workers of the Hanoi Urban Environment Company (Photo: VNA)
Paying a Tet visit to workers of the Hanoi Urban Environment Company (URENCO) who were cleaning Dien Bien Phu and Hoang Dieu streets, the Government leader thanked them for working on holiday for a green, clean and safe capital city.

Extending his best new year wishes to employees of the Yen Phu Water Plant, he hailed their efforts to ensure water supply during the week-long holiday.

He requested the Hanoi Water Limited Company to ensure water security to well serve the capital city’s residents, and reduce the rate of clean water loss.

Vibe Fest kicks off in Binh Thuan province

A six-day spring festival officially opened at NovaWorld Phan Thiet tourism and entertainment economic city in the south central province of Binh Thuan on February 12 (the 3rd day of the first lunar month), expected to attract more visitors to the province.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Phan Thiet city People’s Committee Phan Nguyen Hoang Tan stressed that the Vibe Fest, featuring an array of stellar art programmes and fascinating entertainment activities, marks the start of a series of large-scale tourism events that Binh Thuan will hold in 2024 to realise it set target of 9.5 million tourist arrivals this year.

Meanwhile, Dennis Ng Tech Yow, General Director of Novaland Group – the developer of NovaWorld Phan Thiet, said that the group stands ready to join hands with the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and localities to organise tourism promotion activities.

NovaWorld Phan Thiet, with various novel and modern amenities already or to be put into operation, is hoped to not only turn tourism into an economic spearhead in Binh Thuan but also help put Vietnam in the group of 30 countries with leading competitive tourism capacity in the world, he said.

A kaleidoscope of activities are organised within the Vibe Fest, including Hip-hop, Rap and dance shows, folk and modern games for both individuals and groups, and music and circus festivals.

Besides, a food festival is arranged at the Miami night fair with more than 100 stalls displaying regional staples and cuisines.

Visitors also have many opportunities to have an exchange with renowned artisans and calligraphers.

Foreign medical experts, students share joy of Tet in Vietnam

Cuban experts and doctors at Dong Hoi Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospital in the central province of Quang Binh and international students at Thai Nguyen University in the northern province of the same name have been celebrating the ongoing Lunar New Year Festival (called Tet in Vietnamese) – the longest and biggest traditional festival in Vietnam.

According to Tran Tien Hung, deputy director of the hospital, every year, a cozy year-end dinner is held to connect Vietnamese staff with Cuban doctors and medical experts and help the Cuban friends enjoy interesting moments and traditional Vietnamese dishes on Tet days.

Hung said the Cuban experts are also offered more time to experience Tet. However, with a strong sense of responsibility, they are always ready to work and assist in treating patients in emergency cases that require high technical skills.

Between 2018 and now, the hospital has invited seven Cuban experts to work, aiming to improve the professional skills of the medical team, while also helping local people access high-tech services. Currently, two experts in surgery and oncology are still working here.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor, Dr. Ha Xuan Linh, head of the international faculty at the Thai Nguyen University, said this year, the faculty has 50 international students staying to celebrate Tet. It has run a pre-Tet cultural promotion programme to introduce traditional customs of this event to international students and organised Tet visits to and many support activities for those staying in the dormitory area during the festival.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Van, vice rector of the university, it now has 877 foreign students from 23 countries and territories. Considering training the group as an important task, the educational facility has consistently provided the best conditions for them to study and integrate into the local society. The Tet holiday is an opportunity for them to gain more experiences and understanding of the history, culture, and people of Vietnam in general, and of the province in particular.

With these experiences, they will become "diplomatic ambassadors" connecting the friendship between Vietnam and many countries around the world, Van said.

Plan for mutual recognition of int’l driving permits between VN-Korea approved

Vietnamese government has approved the plan for mutual recognition of international driving permits between Vietnam and Korea.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has just signed the Decision No. 163/QD-TTg approving the plan to implement the agreement between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of Korea on mutual recognition of international driving licenses.

The plan will effectively implement the provisions of the agreement between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of Korea on mutual recognition of international driving licenses in accordance with the principles of the Constitution and the laws of Vietnam.

Moreover, the two countries will perfect and strengthen coordination mechanisms while the responsibilities of relevant ministries and agencies for recognition of Korean driver's licenses and violation punishment are verified clearly.

The agreement between the two governments on mutual recognition of international driving licenses was signed on July 16, 2023 and took effect from July 23, 2023.

The signing of the agreement aims to facilitate people-to-people friendly exchanges, especially efforts to expand tourism cooperation as well as strengthen tourism exchange activities between the two countries, further promoting bilateral relations in economic and trade cooperation.

Each country will recognize international driving licenses issued by the other country in the agreement’s classes for a maximum time of one year from the date of entry of nationals from the other country provided that licenses are still valid and drivers can present them with the corresponding national driving license.

Thu Duc City’s transformation gains fruitful results

Thu Duc City’s transformation after applying the National Assembly-approved Resolution 98, on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies to develop Ho Chi Minh City, has gained fruitful results.

During meetings, Secretary of Thu Duc City Party Committee Nguyen Huu Hiep repeatedly emphasized Thu Duc City has flexibly applied the resolution to make breakthroughs.

In particular, after nearly three years of establishment, Thu Duc City has identified the limitations which it encountered and has proactively improved the internal government apparatus. Specifically, several affiliated centers, departments and divisions were quickly established to maximize their functions and tasks.

Up to now, the administrative organization in Thu Duc City has 16 specialized departments and divisions, of which eight specialized agencies have been maintained while five specialized agencies have been renamed. Additionally, two new agencies namely the Department of Public Works - Transportation and the Center for Public Administration have been established.

In the public sector, Thu Duc City has piloted the establishment of the Social Security Center, the City Center for Technical Infrastructure Development, and the Trade and Investment Promotion Center. In addition, Thu Duc City has merged the Cultural Center with the Sports Center into the Cultural and Sports Center.

Chairman of the Thu Duc City People's Committee Hoang Tung shared that the rearrangement of Thu Duc City's government apparatus aims to better perform the task of socio-economic development and improve the quality of service for the sake of residents. The head of Thu Duc City government affirmed that all activities of Thu Duc City revolve around the goal of building a civilized, modern Thu Duc City with a good quality of life.

The efforts of the Party Committee and Thu Duc City government have gradually brought results and been recognized and highly valued by metropolitan inhabitants. Resident Nguyen Ngoc Quang in Quarter 2, Phu Huu Ward commented that since the city’s establishment, people now can feel the real growth of Thu Duc City in developing traffic transport and social infrastructure. Mr. Quang as well as more than 1 million people in Thu Duc City hoped these projects would soon be put into use, helping people travel conveniently. These projects will serve as the impetus for Thu Duc City to thrive.

In particular, Thu Duc City has restarted the Nam Ly Bridge, Tang Long Bridge, and Long Dai Bridge projects after more than 5 years of delay due to the problem of land clearance. To date, the Long Dai bridge connecting Long Binh and Long Phuoc wards has opened to traffic. Also in 2023, Thu Duc City started construction of the An Phu intersection and contractors are busy organizing the construction, ensuring completion on schedule. The project is expected to be completed on April 30, 2025.

In particular, Thu Duc City basically handed over the site for the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road No.3 project with more than 15km passing through the city to the investor. Along with that, large projects from the capital of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee assigned to Thu Duc City to implement include the 2-section project on La Xuan Oai Street and the My Thuy intersection construction project.

Thu Duc City also completed the formalities of the project on La Xuan Oai Street and the My Thuy intersection construction project for the disbursement of public investment capital. With the above-mentioned projects, Thu Duc City finished the task of disbursing public investment in 2023 to ensure tasks assigned by the municipal People's Committee.

Many social housing projects and worker accommodation projects to rent in Thu Duc City have gradually been completed. In early 2024, Thu Duc City started construction on 22 school projects with a total investment of more than VND3,500 billion.

At the same time, the city is focusing on the renovation and operation of Saigon Riverfront Park in Thu Thiem ward (section from Ba Son bridge to Saigon River tunnel).

Furthermore, the city has green space with sunflower fields at the Saigon Riverfront Park. City leaders also arrange space to organize other public activities with squares, docks, pedestrian bridges, and stone parks to attract visitors and tourists.

According to Chairman of Thu Duc City People's Committee Hoang Tung, these are important projects which will pave the way for the embellishment of Thu Duc City’s face as well as great improvement in people's travel and accommodation next year.

Thu Duc City is also focusing on researching and proposing specific project lists to recommend to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to prioritize the allocation of public investment capital and other capital sources (ODA, PPP). At the same time, the city will focus on exploiting land funds along new traffic axes in the area to embellish and develop urban areas to better people's quality of life.

The city has launched a movement to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - 2025). In the first phase, Thu Duc City received nearly 370 works and projects in all fields. Among them, many projects are registered for implementation such as the building of 5,000 social housing apartments, the commencement of the construction of Truong Tho Central Urban Area and Thu Duc City Administrative Center, a healthcare urban area and Rach Chiec Sports Complex.

HCMC offers 24/7 bus service connecting to airport, city center

The HCMC Management Center of Public Transport (MCPT) has announced bus route changes during the Lunar New Year.

The center will adjust bus schedules on some routes but trips to the airport will be constantly operational to meet the travel needs of passengers.

Accordingly, bus No.109 connecting Saigon Bus Station with Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be operated with 72 trips a day from February 4-8 (on the 25th day – 29th day of the last month of the lunar calendar), and February 13-17 (on the 4th day – 8th day of the first month of the lunar calendar). The bus route runs on a 24-hour timetable. There is a trip every 35 minutes.

The bus departs from Saigon Bus Station. It runs through streets including Pham Ngu Lao, Yersin, Tran Hung Dao, Ham Nghi, Pasteur, Vo Thi Sau, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Nguyen Van Troi, Phan Dinh Giot, Truong Son, the flyover near Tan Son Nhat Airport and arrives in the international terminal at the airport.

The bus picks up passengers at row B of the domestic terminal and runs directly to District 1 through streets including Truong Son, Tran Quoc Hoan, Hoang Van Thu, Nguyen Van Troi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ham Nghi, Le Loi and ends the journey at Saigon Bus Station.

The HCMC Management Center of Public Transport (MCPT) will operate Bus No.55, 56, 76, 93, and 150 in accordance with the timetable ensuring the travel needs of people from the new Mien Dong (Eastern) Coach Station to districts and vice versa.

Bus No.67 linking the old and new Mien Dong (Eastern) Coach Stations will change its operating time from 3:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. instead of 4:20 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Passengers can visit the website: buyttphcm.com.vn or use the Go! bus to update information on bus routes and timetables.

What accounts for Viet Nam's diplomatic success in 2023?

The world's media and academic analysts are in virtual agreement that Viet Nam's diplomacy reached a new height in 2023, according to Australian professor Carlyle Alan Thayer.

This was the year Viet Nam was the only country in the world to host visits by Presidents of the U.S. and China. At the same time, Viet Nam raised relations with the U.S. and Japan to comprehensive strategic partnerships.

There were other major accomplishments during the year. Viet Nam hosted several high level visits by foreign leaders including Prime Ministers from Australia, Czech Republic, and Slovenia, President of South Korea, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister.

Viet Nam's leaders travelled extensively. President Vo Van Thuong made official visits to Australia, Italy, the Vatican and Japan. Prime Minister attended the ASEAN-Japan 50th Commemorative Summit in Tokyo. National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue visited Argentina, Cuba and Uruguay.

Viet Nam's leaders were also active in participating in many high-level multilateral meetings. For example, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Group of 7 Expanded Summit in Japan, the World Economic Forum in China, 43rd ASEAN and related Summits in Indonesia, the United Nations General Assembly, and COP28 (28th Conference of Parties on Climate Change) in India.

President Vo Van Thuong attended the APEC Summit and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ministerial meeting in San Francisco. President Vo Van Thuong laid out a roadmap for the future in his address to APEC CEOs. He also gave an insightful address to the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations as he recounted how the two countries achieved trust in their bilateral relations.

Viet Nam's diplomatic successes led many observers to attribute it to "bamboo diplomacy" endorsed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2016 and most recently at the 32nd Diplomatic Conference in Ha Noi in December 2023.

The "ends" of Viet Nam's long-term diplomatic strategic include but are not limited to maintaining Viet Nam's independence and socialist political system. The "ways" of achieving this include, among other things, diversification and multilateralization relations, self-reliance (not taking sides in major power rivalry), and "bamboo diplomacy". The "means" including funding, training, research, policy-making, high-level exchanges, strategic partnerships, etc.

Why has "bamboo" diplomacy been so successful? There are four major reasons. First, Viet Nam has an extensive, well-trained and professional diplomatic corps. Second, Viet Nam engaged in long-term strategic planning (ends, ways, and means). Third, Viet Nam engaged in continual critical review and adjustment of its foreign policies. Fourth, Viet Nam is trusted and has high prestige in the international community.

Local taekwondo fighter wins silver medal at Canada Open

Bac Thi Khiem, 24, brought joy to Vietnamese sports on the first days of the lunar new year as she pocketed a silver medal at the Canada Open 2024 on February 11.

The taekwondo martial artist finished second in the women’s 67kg weight category. 

Khiem outplayed the tournament’s No. 2 seed Leslie Soltero of Mexico in the semi-finals but conceded defeat to No.1 seed Milena Titoneli of Brazil in the final.

Her teammates Truong Thi Kim Tuyen in the women’s 53kg and Tran Thi Anh Tuyet in the women’s 62kg categories were disqualified from the tournament in the quarter-finals.

Khiem has gained good results in international tournaments over recent years. Most recently, at the Asian Games (ASIAD) 2023, she trounced Kim Jandi of the Republic of Korea in the quarter-finals, lost out to Delo Laila of the Philippines in the semi-finals, clinching a bronze medal in the 67kg category.

Khiem is Vietnam’s best hopeful for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as she will compete in the Asian zone’s qualifiers to be held in China in March.

Vietnam sent seven fighters to the Canada Open in Vancouver from February 8 to 11. After the competition, they will vie for medals at the US Open due to take place in Nevada from February 16 to 18.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes