I. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Deputy Foreign Minister-level Political Dialogue between Viet Nam and Sweden

 On 10 June 2022, the Deputy Foreign Minister-level Political Dialogue between Viet Nam and Sweden will be convened under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam Ha Kim Ngoc and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Robert Rydberg.

 During his working visit to Viet Nam, tentatively, State Secretary Robert Rydberg will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, and participate in a number of other activities to review the cooperation between the two countries in various areas, discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest, and outline future directions for the Viet Nam - Sweden ties.

2. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman paying a visit to Viet Nam

 At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Secretary of State of the US Wendy Sherman and her delegation will pay a working visit to Viet Nam from 10 to 13 June 2022.

During her visit, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will meet with representatives of Vietnamese Ministries and agencies to exchange views on bilateral cooperation, and discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.

II. Q&A

1.Central News Agency: The expansion of Cambodia’s Ream naval base is scheduled to begin on 08 June. Is Viet Nam concerned that this naval base may further increase China’s activities and military power at sea, thereby escalating tensions in the region, and particularly complicating the situation in the East Sea, or South China Sea?

 Viet Nam’s consistent position is that Viet Nam always hopes and strives to strengthen its excellent ties with countries around the world. Viet Nam also hopes that the cooperation among countries will actively contribute to regional and global peace, security, stability and prosperity.

2. Phoenix TV: Please provide an assessment on the economic, trade and investment ties between Viet Nam and Hong Kong in recent years. Many tourism companies voice their hope to attract international tourists from high-spending markets, including Hong Kong. Viet Nam has reopened its borders to tourists in the new normal. Should Hong Kong also decide to reopen, how may this affect the potential for economic and tourism cooperation between the two sides in the post-pandemic era?

 Viet Nam attaches importance to further strengthening the mutually beneficial exchange and cooperation with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Over the past years, the Viet Nam - Hong Kong relationship has continued to record robust progress, with economic, trade and economic ties and tourism cooperation being the most notable highlights.

 Amid the complicated evolution of COVID-19, in 2021, the trade ties between Viet Nam and Hong Kong still managed to maintain its growth momentum, with the total trade turnover between the two sides amounting to 13.6 billion USD, a year-on increase of 18%. Hong Kong is currently Viet Nam’s 5th largest foreign investor. Viet Nam has also become Hong Kong’s 7th largest trading partner, and 2nd largest among ASEAN countries. People-to-people exchange and travelling between the two sides also witnessed encouraging developments. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, there were around 20 flights between Viet Nam and Hong Kong per day. Hong Kong also constitutes an excellent source of tourists, with over 50,000 tourist entries to Viet Nam in 2019.

 Given the vast untapped potential for cooperation between the two sides, and the demand from both sides to reopen borders and foster recovery in the post-pandemic era, we do hope and are fully confident that the cooperation between Viet Nam and Hong Kong will continue to thrive, particularly in economic, trade, investment and tourism ties, thereby bringing about substantive benefits for both sides and contributing to cooperation and development in the region.

3. Akahata: Yesterday, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong joined President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol in a virtual meeting. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stated that Viet Nam always followed with keen attention and stood ready to make active contribution to the peace and denuclearization process in the Korean Peninsula. Viet Nam has a close friendship with both the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). In this connection, how may Viet Nam contribute to these relations?

Viet Nam’s consistent position is to support peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Korean Peninsula. Viet Nam supports the efforts of parties concerned to act in good faith and promote dialogue towards the denuclearization and enduring peace in the Korean Peninsula.

In this spirit, and as a country enjoying a traditional friendship with the DPRK and a strategic partnership with the ROK, Viet Nam will continue to make active contributions, within its capacity, to promoting dialogue, cooperation and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

4. VnExpress: Australian authorities stated that an Australian maritime surveillance plane was threatened by a Chinese fighter jet while flying over international airspace in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Beijing claimed that the Australian plane was approaching its so-called “Chinese airspace” above Viet Nam’s Paracel Islands, which China is exerting illegal control over. Please provide your comment on this matter.

 Viet Nam believes that the activities of all countries need to comply with international law, the UNCLOS 1982, and the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), so as not to escalate tensions in the region, and to make substantive contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, order, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

 Viet Nam reiterates that it has sufficient legal groundwork and historical evidence to exert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in line with international law.