Vietnam’s National Day marked in Canada, Hong Kong

Participants in the Canada event pose for a photo (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the event, Director of the CVS in Toronto Nguyen Dai Trang recalled milestones in the autumn of 1945, with the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as a pinnacle. 

Prof. Daphne Taras, Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management under Ryerson University, said there remains room for two-way trade in the fields of farm produce, machinery and apparel. In particular, more and more Vietnamese students have chosen Canada for their study destination. 

Canada is now the third-largest trade partner of Vietnam in America while Vietnam is the largest trade partner of Canada in ASEAN. A community of about 250,000 Vietnamese is contributing to a bilateral comprehensive partnership. 

The same day in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong Tran Thanh Huan hosted a banquet marking the 74th anniversary of National Day and the 25th anniversary of the Vietnamese Consulate General in the territory. 

Reviewing Vietnam’s achievements over the past more than 30 years of renewal, Huan said Vietnam recorded the economic growth of 7.08 percent last year and expects to reach the growth of 6.9 percent this year, becoming the third-largest in ASEAN and climbing 11 places to the 57th out of 156 countries and territories worldwide. 

Last year, Vietnam was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020 – 2021 tenure with 192 out of 193 votes. 

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Hong Kong reached 19.8 billion USD in 2018, up 9.4 percent annually. The year 2019 marks a record investment flow from Hong Kong with 134 new projects worth 5.3 billion USD, making it the fifth-largest investor in Vietnam with over 1,500 projects valued at 21.3 billion USD. 

The number of tourists traveling between the two sides rose by around 2 percent in the first half of this year. Direct flight service between Hong Kong and Phu Quoc was launched in April 2019.

Financial Secretary of Hong Kong Paul Chan Mo-Po affirmed that Hong Kong always considers Vietnam one of its most important partners in ASEAN. 

He said the Hong Kong – ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and relevant investment agreements which took effect in June 2019 will create a favorable business environment and solid legal foundation to encourage Vietnamese firms to do business in Hong Kong. 

He also welcomed Vietnamese enterprises and researchers to Hong Kong to study the development potential of the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area./.

VNA