Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian children strengthen friendship at cultural festival

A cultural exchange festival involving children from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia was held in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam, providing an opportunity to deepen friendship and mutual understanding among the children of the three countries. The festival, held biennially since 2010, has become an important platform for children to learn about each other's history, culture, and people. The Mekong Delta region spans over 40,500 sq.km and is home to roughly 18 million people, sharing a nearly 386km border with Cambodia. The region, particularly An Giang province, has developed as a major agro-fisheries hub, providing seamless logistics corridors to Cambodia through its seaports and strategic trade hubs. Amidst this regional cooperation, diplomatic and defense exchanges are also active in the tri-border areas. The tri-border marker, built in 2007, has served as a venue for important political events, including the first provincial-level Vietnam–Laos–Cambodia Border Friendship Exchange in 2018 and the first Vietnam–Laos–Cambodia Border Defence Friendship Exchange in 2023. Economically, the use of public transportation is increasing. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, buses operated nearly 478,000 trips in July, serving over 8.48 million passengers. Air passenger numbers are also on the rise, with over 11 million passengers passing through airports in July, showing increases in both international and domestic travel. Furthermore, Vietnam is focusing on digital transformation initiatives. Dong Nai province is steadily expanding the "Digital Literacy for All" movement across its community. In the fisheries sector, efforts are underway to link fishing vessel registration with the VNeID digital identification platform and the VMS (Vessel Monitoring System), although some vessels remain disconnected and are under investigation. Vietnam is also strengthening cooperation with international organizations and development partners, particularly with the UN, to enhance digital capacity, knowledge sharing, innovation, and force development. This is also important for Vietnam's deepening contributions to international peacekeeping operations. Meanwhile, domestic social issues are also emerging, including allegations of corruption by a deputy minister and accusations of information manipulation and defamation through personal social media accounts. In response to natural disasters, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan is actively providing support to Vietnamese citizens affected by the earthquake in Japan. These grassroots exchanges, infrastructure development, and international cooperation are positioned as part of Vietnam's efforts towards socio-economic development and regional stability under its one-party system. Amidst complex relations with China, strengthening ties with Southeast Asian nations is a crucial element in Vietnam's foreign policy strategy.