Vietnam Roundup: Social housing, doping ban, wind power import

Social housing development

Cities and provinces across Vietnam are prioritising social housing development as part of a national strategy to meet the growing needs of their residents. Under the national policy "Investment in building at least one million social housing apartments for low-income people and industrial park workers in the period 2021-30," major cities, including Hà Nội, the nation’s capital and Ho Chi Minh City, the most populous city in the Southeast Asian nation have shifted focus on this strategy. By 2025, the programme plans to add 428,000 apartments and an additional 634,000 by 2030, according to Vietnam News. Ho Chi Minh City plans to spend about VNĐ3.8 trillion ($160 million) for social housing by 2025 and VNĐ8.6 trillion ($367 million) for social housing by 2030, Vietnam News reported.

Doping ban for gymnast

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has banned Vietnamese gymnast Tran Ha Vi for 24 months after she tested positive for doping. The ban was put in place as a result of a positive sample that was collected during the FIG Asian Championships in Mongolia in 2023, where Vi took home the gold medal. Vi's suspension expires on November 15, 2025, and her performances from September 16, 2023, will be voided. “The federation has required Vi to provide a report on the incident… We heard that she had allegedly taken medicine for a urinary tract infection before the tournament without informing the coaching staff,” a representative from the Vietnam Gymnastics Federation is quoted by local media Tuoi Tre. The Vietnamese gymnast has won 12 gold medals in 11 tournaments between 2011 and 2016.

Wind power import from Laos

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has requested approval from the Vietnamese Prime Minister to import wind power from Laos to address potential electricity shortages in the northern region of the Southeast Asian nation. The proposal is in response to a request from the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) to manage power outages in northern provinces, according to local media Saigon Times. According to agreements between the two countries, the ministry's proposal assesses the viability of importing power from the 250 MW Truong Son wind power facility in Laos. The wind farm, set to begin operations in 2025, will be connected to Vietnam's grid via a 220 kV Do Luong substation in Nghe An province in north-central Vietnam bordering Laos, Saigon Time reported.

Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists are increasingly visiting Vietnam via the Mong Cai international border gate in the northern Quang Ninh province, a coastal province in northeastern Vietnam. Over 141,000 Chinese tourists have crossed the border this year, with daily arrivals reaching around 2,000, the Saigon Times Vietnam reports. According to Saigon Times, the majority of the Chinese tourists are senior citizens, interested in purchasing Vietnamese handicrafts, jewellery, and cigarettes from souvenir shops close to the Mong Cai International Border Gate.

Construction of second airport runway

Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed the construction of a second runway at Long Thanh International Airport in Đồng Nai province in the Southeast region of Vietnam. The first runway is scheduled to be completed in April 2025, according to ACV Director General Vu The Phiet. Building a second runway is essential to guaranteeing the airport's continuous operations if its primary runway is compelled to close. The airport, which has a total investment of VND336.63 trillion ($13.74 billion), is divided into three phases, with the first phase focusing on a passenger terminal and runway, local media Vn Economy reported.