All posts by Đọt Chuối Non

Me? Me? Me?... Yeah yeah yeah amigo... What can me say about me-self?... me-self...me-self... Ole ole ole... me me me... I'm a young banana shoot... My dad is Banana Pa... My mom is Banana Ma... I am happy happy happy... I run around... oops... I can't run... I sing aloud... all day long... I sing in the rain... I sing in the shine... I sing day and night... I sing all the time... I watch the butterflies and the bees... and the cranes and the geese... Aha aha aha... here we go again... this little swallow circling on my head... the little swallow on my head... is about to poop on me... Hey, little fella, don't cha know where to unload ya poopa?... But, that's alright... I can swallow my pride to befriend a swallow... Yup yup yup... swallow my pride to befriend a swallow...

China warns India on eyeing trade talks with Taiwan; slams US-Tibet meeting

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian (Photo: Reuters)

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian (Photo: Reuters)

3 min read. Updated: 20 Oct 2020, 09:20 PM IST Elizabeth Rochelivemint.com

  • ‘There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,’ says Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian
  • The comments come against the backdrop of tensions between India and China along their common border in Ladakh

NEW DELHI: China on Tuesday warned India against launching any talks with Taiwan on trade saying such a move would be violative of the one China policy New Delhi has so far supported.

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What Pompeo’s visit augurs for post election Vietnam-US relations

By Viet Anh   November 3, 2020 | 07:00 am GMT+7 vnexpress

With minor differences, international observers agree that the latest Vietnam visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signals post presidential election continuity.

While at least one expert is troubled by the lack of any new development, others see significance in the visit happening, per se.

“Pompeo’s unexpected visit to Hanoi must be viewed as a significant development, because it came at a time when the Covid-19 has severely impacted high-level face-to-face meetings,” Carlyle Thayer, Emeritus Professor from the University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defense Force Academy, said.

U.S Secretary of State Pompeo (L) with Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, October 30, 2020. Photo by Vietnam News Agency.

U.S Secretary of State Pompeo (L) with Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, October 30, 2020. Photo by Vietnam News Agency.

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Vietnam among top performers in Global Law and Order survey

Vietnam among top performers in Global Law and Order survey
Vietnamese police during a drill in Hanoi in 2019. photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.

By Dang Khoa   November 1, 2020 | 11:46 am GMT+7 vnexpress
Vietnam is 10th in this year’s Global Law and Order index that measures people’s perceptions of personal security.

For the report published earlier this week, American analytics firm Gallup asked nearly 175,000 people in 144 countries and territories via telephone and in person about their “confidence in their local police, their feelings of personal safety, and the incidence of theft and assault or mugging in the past year.”

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Học đàn lại

Hôm qua mình bắt đầu đi học đàn lại, đã lâu lắm rồi, mình mới lại có cái cảm giác hứng khởi thế. Mình lại há hốc với từng âm thanh, với từng đoạn nhạc cất lên mà mình đàn được, đã lâu lắm rồi mới học một bài nhạc mới, thật sự cảm giác rất khó tả, nó giống như là mình bỏ quên sở thích của mình lâu quá, đã lâu lắm rồi mới cười nhiều như vậy. Mình bắt đầu háo hức với những ngày sắp tới, chỉ bằng suy nghĩ về những bản nhạc yêu thích mà mình sắp đàn được, cảm giác rất tuyệt vời. Mình còn nhớ cái lần đi lựa đàn, chú bán đàn lén chụp hình mình lúc ngồi đàn thử, chú bảo, chú chưa từng thấy ai vui như vậy khi ngồi đàn cả (thiệt xấu hổ, chắc vẻ mặt hơi quá lố). Continue reading Học đàn lại

China’s military rise poses the greatest foreign policy challenge to the next US President

Analysis by Brad Lendon, CNN

Updated 0300 GMT (1100 HKT) October 30, 2020

Hong Kong (CNN) China was one of two countries, along with Russia, named in a 2018 Pentagon report as posing the most significant military challenge to the United States. Two years on and that challenge has only grown.

Beijing’s program of rapid modernization has seen its military transformed into a true global power, capable of comfortably projecting its forces throughout the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

This year alone has seen China engage in deadly border clashes with Indian troops; China’s People’s Liberation Army aircraft have repeatedly buzzed Taiwanese and Japanese air defenses; and Chinese ships have been involved in multiple incidents in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups conduct dual carrier operations in the Indo-Pacific earlier this year.

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North-South high-speed railway to be core part of national transport system

30/10/2020    07:10 GMT+7 vietnamnet

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministry of Transport to propose a feasible plan for the North-South high-speed railway, considering this the backbone of the national strategy on railway development by 2050.

North-South high-speed railway to be core part of national transport system
 
A train in Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

The high-speed line, inter-provincial, inter-regional and urban railway networks must also be added to the strategy, he said.

He was speaking at a Government meeting on Wednesday on the development strategy for Vietnam’s railway towards 2050.

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The Great American Recovery: Third Quarter GDP Blows Past Expectations

October 29, 2020 The White House

4 minute read

Council of Economic Advisers

After releasing his plan to reopen America safely in April, President Trump remarked that prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, the United States had “built the greatest economy anywhere in the world . . .  and we’re going to build it again.”

At that time, the consensus among economic forecasters was that pandemic-induced lockdowns would result in a sharp economic contraction in the second quarter, and that the economy would experience tepid growth in the third quarter as it slowly clawed back pandemic losses. But because of the President’s pro-growth policies that set a strong pre-pandemic foundation—and the extraordinary speed and scale of the Administration’s support for America’s families and businesses—our nation’s recovery continues to exceed expectations.

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The message of the US Secretary of State’s unplanned visit to Vietnam

31/10/2020    10:15 GMT+7

The unexpected visit by US Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo to Vietnam reflects the development of Vietnam – US relations. Pompeo’s visit to Vietnam took place after his visits to four Asian countries.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, US Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo officially visited Vietnam on October 29-30 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations.

A US diplomat said that Pompeo’s visit to Vietnam was not on schedule.

Thông điệp chuyến thăm bất ngờ của Ngoại trưởng Mỹ đến Việt Nam
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The surprising schedule of Mr. Pompeo showed the development of the Vietnam – US relations. Pompeo’s visit to Vietnam took place after his visits to four Asian countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.

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Minister warns about development of small-scale hydropower

29/10/2020    18:10 GMT+7 vietnamnet

Answering the local press on the sidelines of the National Assembly session, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Tran Hong Ha said the principle of his ministry is ‘not to develop small-scale hydropower at any cost’.

Many experts believe that the historic floods in the central region some days ago were the results of climate change. How does the draft of the amended law on environmental protection address the issue?

Minister warns about development of small-scale hydropower

Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Tran Hong Ha

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The real winners of the US-China trade dispute

DW

With tariffs on Chinese products high, US importers are turning to other countries. A DW analysis shows where Americans are now buying their cell phones, computers, furniture and clothing from instead.

Data visualization preview picture Trade War

Dung Trans’ business is booming: “Last year, we added a second floor to our factory. And now I’m looking at a new site four times larger than the current one.” For his company, the ongoing trade dispute between China and the United States has been a boon. And he is not alone.

The United States and China have been locked in a trade dispute for more than two years. Between July 2018 and September 2019, the US raised tariffs on almost all imports from China by up to 25%.

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US-India Talks Come Amid Heightened China Tensions

By Nike ChingUpdated October 25, 2020 01:41 PM VOA
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waves before boarding his plane departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Sept. 17, 2019.
STATE DEPARTMENT – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper departed for India Sunday to strengthen bilateral security cooperation as Washington looks to confront Chinese geopolitical and economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. Besides New Delhi, the top U.S. diplomat is also traveling to Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia from October 25-30. Continue reading on CVD >>

AES, PetroVietnam Gas to sign $2.8 billion LNG deal: Pompeo

Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 16:44 GMT+7 Tuoitrenews

AES, PetroVietnam Gas to sign $2.8 billion LNG deal: Pompeo
The logo of the multinational electric power company AES is seen at an office in Santiago, Chile June 4, 2019. Photo: Reuters

HANOI — AES Corp. will sign a deal with PetroVietnam Gas GAS.HM to develop a $2.8 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and a power plant in Vietnam, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday.

“Vietnam has given the green light to AES Corp., a company based in Virginia, to go forward with the project,” Pompeo said at a virtual Indo-Pacific Business Forum.

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Resilient Shores: Vietnam’s Coastal Development Between Opportunity and Disaster Risk

 OCTOBER 21, 2020 World Bank

0:00 / 3:25

In a country that is among the most exposed to natural hazards, Vietnam’s coastline often bears the brunt. Resilient Shores lays out a resilience strategy that can guide Vietnam through the decisive actions it must take to safeguard the prosperity of future generations from climate change and disaster risks.

Image

Source: Google Earth

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Sansha city and corporate activity in the South China Sea

Google xóa tên Trung Quốc khỏi quần đảo Hoàng Sa của Việt Nam - Báo Người  Lao Động

TĐH: Woody Island, also called Yongxing Island (simplified Chinese: 永兴岛; traditional Chinese: 永興島; pinyin: Yǒngxīng Dǎo; lit.: ‘Eternal Prosperity Island’) in People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Phu Lam Island (Vietnamese: Đảo Phú Lâm) in Vietnam, is the largest of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea (SCS), with an area of 2.1 square kilometres (0.81 sq mi). Wooddy Island and the rest of Paracels were taken by China’s intrusion forces from The Republic of Vietnam (Việt Nam Cộng Hòa) in the Paracel Battle of Jan. 1974. War of Aggression to take a disputed territory is a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, and cannot constitute a legitimate an legal possession of the territory. See China’s Three Wars of Aggression against the Vietnamese People)

The island has been under the control of the People’s Republic of China since 1956. It is administered by Sansha, a town located on the island.

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India signs defensive agreement with US following Himalayan standoff with China

By James Griffiths, CNN

Updated 0946 GMT (1746 HKT) October 27, 2020US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) is greeted by US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster upon his arrival at an airport in New Delhi on October 26, 2020.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) is greeted by US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster upon his arrival at an airport in New Delhi on October 26, 2020.

Hong Kong (CNN) The United States and India have reaffirmed their defensive and security relationship, as Washington continues to rally allies in Asia amid concerns over increased Chinese military activity in the region.

During a press conference Tuesday in the Indian capital, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh announced the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), enabling greater information-sharing and further defense cooperation between the two countries.”

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