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Vietnam has proved again to be the market offering the most attractive office yields in the world, according to the latest Savills Office Yield Spectrum 2H 2017 report.

Transaction volumes by overseas investors increased by between 1 per cent and 39 per cent in the first half of 2017 year-on-year, remaining in positive territory.

The global search for yield has traditionally been one of the main reasons behind investment in the Asia-Pacific office sector.

The Top 2 markets offering the highest yields in the world remained Vietnam’s gateway cities: Hanoi at No. 1 position with an 8.65 per cent yield and Ho Chi Minh City at No. 2 position, with 7.86 per cent.

“Vietnam’s office market has shown excellent performance, particularly in Grade A, with occupancy rates reaching over 95 per cent in the CBDs of the two cities,” said Mr. Neil MacGregor, Managing Director of Savills Vietnam.

“In light of various integration opportunities, economic reforms, and booming economic growth in the past few years, Vietnam’s economy has welcomed consistently increasing flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country which, in turn, has helped secure sustainable growth,” he added.

In fact, Vietnam office market in Vietnam has been proven to be outstanding. Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s commercial hub, is one of the top five markets for investment and development in the world, according to this year’s Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2018 report, a real estate forecast jointly published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC.

Ho Chi Minh City (fifth in investment, second in development) – With an economic trajectory thought to be similar to an early-day China, Vietnam is seeing large regional developers and an increasing number of private equity funds betting it will offer up a repeat of the Mainland China experience in terms of property price inflation.

Leading buy/hold/sell ratings for the various asset classes are as follows:

Office – buy Ho Chi Minh City, sell Taipei.
Residential – buy Ho Chi Minh City, sell Seoul.
Retail – buy Ho Chi Minh City, sell Taipei.
Industrial/distribution – buy Shenzhen, sell Taipei.

According to 《Asia Times》, Vietnam housing and office prices have been rising for three years and these two property segments will continue to attract most investment. Office rents in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to leap by 6.19% in 2018, the fastest rate in Asia. Sydney (6.5%) and Melbourne (6.2%) lead Asia-Pacific forecasts.

Rents for A grade offices averaged US$465 a square meter in the second quarter, making Ho Chi Minh City more expensive than Jakarta (US$270), Bangkok (US$226) and Kuala Lumpur (US$126). Hong Kong (US$1,925 per sqm) is still the priciest Asian city, ahead of Beijing (US$994 per sqm) and Shanghai (US$830 per sqm).

As Vietnam’s economy thrives, the market will continue to see further interest in all real estate sectors, with a focus on office and hospitality, driven by increasing FDI, booming tourism and, more recently, industrial and logistics real estate developments.

Source: VietNamNet , PwC , Asia Times

VNR and China Railway (CR) jointly held a ceremony to welcome the container block train at Dong Dang Station in Vietnam’s northern province of Lang Son.

The train departed from Huanggang Station in Nanchang city, Jiangxi province, China, on November 22 and arrived at the Yen Vien Station in Hanoi on November 25.The train includes 33 containers of 40 feet in length, carrying Chinese goods exported to Vietnam such as office furniture, food and car spare parts, among others.

After arriving Vietnam, the train will travel back to China carrying Vietnamese goods exported to China, such as agricultural products, minerals, and electronic products, among others.The transportation using the container block train has brought about considerable benefits to customers, as it has helped to shorten the transport time to only four days instead of 15 days by sea. It has also halved the freight rate in comparison to the freight via road transport.

It is scheduled that, the VNR and CR will operate one route per week before increasing it to three routes per week. According to the VNR, the two sides are working to operate more train routes from other Chinese provinces to Vietnam and are attempting to transport goods from Europe, Russia and Middle-Asian countries through China to Vietnam.

The first container train linking Vietnam with China has arrived in Hanoi’s Yen Vien station on November 25, according to the Vietnam Railways (VNR).

According to the VNR, the transportation using the container block train has brought about considerable benefits to customers as it shortens the transport time to only four days instead of 15 days by sea with quick and convenient customs procedures. It also halves the costs compared to road transport.

After the first trial run, the two sides will organise one train trip a week and then three trips per week.The train route results from the cooperation between the Vietnam Railway (represented by Rail Transport and Trading Company- RATRACO) and the China Railway (represented by China Railway Container Co., Ltd).

The two sides have negotiated and signed contracts for container management in the respective territories. They are making efforts to connect with customers to transport goods from European and Central Asian nations to Vietnam through China and vice versa.

A train loaded with auto parts and office equipment departed from the Henggang Railway Station in Nanchang on the day, marking the launch of the service.

The total length of the route is more than 1,700 kilometres, passing through Pingxiang city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Vietnam.The journey will take around five days, 15 days less than the original route through sea. The cost is only half that of road transport.

The train service will become regular next year.The new service is expected to promote economic and trade cooperation between landlocked Chinese provinces, such as Jiangxi, with Southeast Asia

Source: Vietnam Net

The movie “Kong: Skull island” tells about the Hollywood’s legendary monster from movie “King Kong” (2005). The film is set mainly in the skull island – home of the king of monkeys. The “Kong: Skull Island” was filmed at the famous sites in Vietnam such as Quang Ninh Province (Ha Long Bay), Ninh Binh, Quang Binh.

Quang Ninh Province (Ha Long Bay):

Ha Long Bay – one of the most fascinating, but very tourist sites throughout Vietnam. The biggest “tourist attraction” in Vietnam. About 2,000 mountainous islands, islets and karst formations creates a unique place in the whole world. This place was written in UNESCO World Heritage List. Travel agencies in Ha Long already offer a variety of boat trips and trips focusing on the places where this movie was filmed.

Filming locations of Kong: Skull Island in Ha Long Bay:

Ba Hang – a group of several karst formations and islands Ha Long Bay. You can see this place from Bai Tho viewpoint (Núi Bai Tho).

Thiên Cung Cave – the cave on the Đầu Gỗ Island, 5 km from the Tuần Châu tourist island.

Sung Sot Cave – well-known big cave, 10 km east of Cat Ba Island.

Ngoc Vun Island – is the larger island, located approximately 15 km west of the Quan Lan Island.

Ninh Binh Province:

Ninh Binh – another of the filming sites of Kong in northern Vietnam. Neighborhood near the city covers a huge area of karst scenery interwoven of the rivers and rice fields, where it is possible to buy some of the boat trips. This place is also called “Inland Ha Long” because of the similarity with the Ha Long Bay. However, it is significantly smaller than Ha Long Bay, but this region has a great historical significance. Places such as Hoa Lu (formerly a historic capital of Vietnam), Trang An Landscape Complex and Bai Dinh Buddhist temple are the national and cultural heritage of Vietnam.

Filming locations of Kong: Skull Island in Ninh Binh:

Van Long Nature Reserve – karst scenery, similar site Tam Coc or Trang An, less popular, boat trips possible. Van Long Nature Reserve is about 20 km from theNinh Binh town, rent a motorbike and go.

Tràng An Landscape Complex – karst scenery and beautiful and very popular historic site written in UNESCO World Heritage List. Boat trips possible. There are several smaller buddhist pagodas and temples.

Tam Coc – Bich Dong – a popular tourist site and karst scenery similar to Trang An. Boat trips possible. There are several smaller buddhist pagodas and palaces. Appropriate choice of the movement is bicycle, no hills or climb.

Quang Binh Province:

Quang Binh – this place is known mainly through the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and the largest cave in the world – Son Doong Cave. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is written in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We can say it is place like Ninh Binh, however, but it is much larger. The starting point if you want to explore these places is Dong Hoi town, located about 50 km from the park and you can get to Dong Hoi by train.

Filming locations of Kong: Skull Island in Quang Binh:

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park – karst and mountainious scenery, caves, hills, trekking, nature. Tourist place and the most visited place in the province of Quang Binh.

Da Deo Pass + Cha Noi valley – pass, which winds around the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and nearby Cha Noi Valley.

Yen Phu Lake – it is not so well-known place, located about 15 km west of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

“Rat cave” (Tu Lan Cave Complex) – a cave complex, approximately 25 km from the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park.

Before the movie “Kong: Skull Island” many directors have recreated the beauty of Vietnam through the many films such as “Pan” (2015), “The Chinese Botanist’s Daughters” (2006) “The quiet American” (2002), “Indochine” (1992), “L’amant” (1991).

Source：Viet Vision Travel, Northern Vietnam

Golden Emperor collaborated with National Arts and held the Charity Movie Night yesterday. Through enjoying “Our Days in 6E,” nominated for two awards at the Profima International Film Fest & Awards, we would like to raise public awareness of ethnic minorities and social integration in Hong Kong. We were honored to have casting members Ms. Lemon Yip and Mr. Brian Yuen joined us to extend our gratitude to everyone’s generous participation.

Proceeds from the Charity Movie Night, after cost deduction, will be donated by National Arts to charities targeting social harmony. The event was very well received with tremendous support and we wholeheartedly thank for every participant’s selfless benevolence.

Above: Charity Movie Night held by Golden Emperor was well supported by generous participants.

Above: Casting members from the movie, Ms. Lemon Yip and Mr. Brian Yuen, extend their gratitude to everyone’s selfless participation.

Above: Everyone has a wonderful and philanthropic evening.

Vietnam and the US issued a Joint Statement, affirming to continue stepping up the bilateral comprehensive partnership, at the end of the State visit by US President Donald Trump on Sunday.

The two leaders reaffirmed their intent to continue high-level contacts and exchanges of delegations, and to strengthen existing dialogue mechanisms, including party-to-party dialogues. They pledged to deepen and expand the bilateral trade and investment relationship through formal mechanisms, including the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). They welcomed the announcement of more than 12 billion USD in new commercial agreements during President Trump’s visit and welcomed expanding bilateral energy ties.

The two leaders underscored their commitment to deepen defense cooperation and shared resolve to address regional security challenges. President Tran Dai Quang thanked the United States government for the transfer of a Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutter to help improve Vietnam’s maritime security and law enforcement capabilities. Both leaders welcomed the plan for the first visit to a Vietnamese port by a United States aircraft carrier in 2018. They affirmed the 2018 – 2020 Plan of Action for US – Vietnam Defense Cooperation to implement the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation and the 2015 Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations, strengthening bilateral defense relations in areas of maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, and overcoming war legacy issues.

The two presidents underscored that the two countries would deepen and gradually expand security and intelligence cooperation, enhancing information sharing and joint training on issues of mutual concern. They reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation to address the legacies of war and enhancing people-to-people ties to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship between the two peoples.

The two leaders discussed and welcomed initiatives to preserve peace and stability and to advance cooperation and development in the Indo-Pacific. They recognized the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the region, and pledged to respect and to support the centrality and unity of ASEAN in the evolving regional architecture. Both sides committed to deepening the US – ASEAN Strategic Partnership based on the principles outlined in the 2016 Sunnylands Declaration.

Both leaders expressed grave concern over the DPRK’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and tests, which violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and threaten international peace and security. They urged all countries around the world to fully and strictly implement all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to ensure their effective enforcement.

The two leaders underscored the strategic importance to the international community of free and open access to the East Sea, the importance of unimpeded lawful commerce, and the need to respect freedom of navigation and over-flight, and other lawful uses of the sea. The two sides reiterated the stance on the East Sea in the previous Vietnam – US and ASEAN – US Joint statements. They called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and an early conclusion to an effective, legally binding Code of Conduct for the East Sea (COC).

Source: VOV World