Tác giả: Đào Thu Hằng

I'm from Hanoi, Viet Nam. I'm an author of Dot Chuoi Non (dotchuoinon.com/author/hangbelu/), a blog on Positive thinking, founded by Dr. Tran Dinh Hoanh, an attorney in Washington DC. I'm a co-founder of Conversations on Vietnam Development - cvdvn.net, a virtual think tank. I am a co-founder of two companies in Viet Nam working on children education services. I advise companies on STEAM education, English language education for children and students in Vietnam. I'm studying the Buddha's teaching and the teaching of Jesus. I practice mindful living including meditation. I hold a PhD on Sustainable Energy Systems from University of Lisbon and Aalto University. I graduated from Hanoi University of Technology on Environmental Engineering. I obtained a Master degree of the same major from Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University. My English-language blog at: hangbelu.wordpress/. I play table tennis as a hobby.

All Railroads Lead to China: China’s Borderlands Strategy of Integration in Laos

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Laos shift from landlocked to land-linked by lowering transport costs, boosting trade, attracting investment and tourism

Stepping onto the Laos-China Railway (LCR) in Luang Prabang, the picturesque former royal capital in Northern Laos, brings a rush of aesthetic familiarity to anyone who has ridden the high-speed rail in China. From the train station massage chairs to the voice over the loudspeaker and the advertisements on seatbacks, the experience is decidedly Chinese. The result is both comforting and disorienting: riders feel they are not quite in China, but not quite all the way out of it either. China’s borderlands strategy of integration through connectivity results in borders that are blurred and shifted. The LCR is a physical manifestation of this new kind of borderland.

Opened in December 2021, the LCR is celebrated by China and Laos as a major accomplishment. President Xi Jinping called the LCR a “landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.”1 The railway connects the Yunnan provincial capital of Kunming to Laos’s national capital of Vientiane, covering one thousand kilometers in less than ten hours—a trip that previously took days.2 It is a marvel of modern engineering, traversing the mountain jungle terrain of southern Yunnan and northern Laos with a long series of tunnels and bridges. It is the first leg constructed of China’s vision for a pan-Asia railway system connecting Kunming to Singapore via three trunks: Myanmar in the west, Laos and Thailand in the center, and Vietnam and Cambodia in the east.

The Laos-China Railway in Luang Prabang, Laos. By author, September 2025.

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Laos Orders Reduced School Week to Offset Fuel Cost Pressures

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

kpl.gov.la 20/03/2026 07:54

On March 19, 2026, the Prime Minister’s Office of the Lao PDR issued Notice No. 366/PMO mandating nationwide adjustments to school operations, as part of emergency measures to ease the financial strain on families amid continued fuel price volatility.

The directive, addressed to the Ministry of Education and Sports, introduces immediate changes to learning schedules while preserving academic standards and signaling further contingency steps if economic conditions worsen.

Under the order, all general education institutions—public and private—are required to scale back in-person instruction from five days to three days per week. Schools must continue delivering the full curriculum, with the academic calendar extended to compensate for reduced classroom time.

For teacher training institutes, vocational schools, and higher education institutions, schedules will be restructured into full-day sessions, combining morning and afternoon classes, while similarly reducing attendance to three days per week. Teaching personnel without assigned classes are instructed to report for duty on a rotating basis.

Officials said the policy is aimed at lowering transportation-related expenses for households while ensuring continuity in education delivery.

The government also outlined escalation measures should fuel-related pressures persist. Institutions with adequate digital infrastructure will transition to remote learning, while those lacking technical readiness may be required to temporarily suspend operations.

To support potential online learning, the Ministry of Technology and Communications has been tasked with verifying internet reliability nationwide and assessing the availability of essential equipment.

Authorities stressed that parents, teachers, and students must prepare for immediate implementation, highlighting the government’s broader effort to balance economic relief with uninterrupted access to education during a period of heightened cost pressures.

How High-Speed Rail is Reshaping Chinese Regional Air Travel

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

cirium.com August 20, 2025

China’s high-speed rail network is reshaping regional air travel, challenging short-haul aviation and redefining how passengers move across the country. Yuanfei Zhao (Scott) explores the co-evolution of rail and air, and examines the implications for airline strategy, fleet demand and the future of China’s regional aviation market.

China’s transportation landscape has undergone a quiet but profound transformation, one that is redefining how people move across the country and recalibrating the roles of air and rail in the national mobility ecosystem. At the heart of this shift is the rapid rise of high-speed rail (HSR), which has not only captured market share from short-haul aviation but has fundamentally altered traveller behaviour, airline network strategies, and urban connectivity.

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Debut the bullet train that rivals airplane flying times – year 2019 Japan

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

nbcnews.com May 19, 2019, 12:00 AM GMT+7

Passengers will be able to travel 680 miles, between Tokyo and Sapporo, in less than four hours.

Image: A prototype of Japan's next-generation Shinkansen bullet train, set to be the fastest train on wheels when it enters service, reached speeds of 320 kilometres (198 miles) per hour on a test run on May 16

Japan’s next-generation bullet train reached speeds of 198 miles per hour on a test run on May 16.Jiji Press / AFP – Getty Images

The picture of a “bullet train” speeding past Mount Fuji is an iconic image of modern Japan.

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In 2000, China’s president, Jiang Zemin, sat down for a rare interview with American television broadcast

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

CBSnews.com On the eve of his visit to the United States, China’s president, Jiang Zemin, sat down for a rare interview with Mike Wallace.

In a wide-ranging and surprisingly frank interview, Jiang talked about many topics, including relations between the United States and China, Tiananmen Square and American morals.

Britainnica.com

Jiang Zemin (born August 17, 1926, Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China—died November 30, 2022, Shanghai, China) was a Chinese official who was general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP; 1989–2002) and president of China (1993–2003).

Jiang joined the CCP in 1946 and graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University the following year with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked in several factories as an engineer before receiving further technical training in the Soviet Union about 1955. He subsequently headed technological research institutes in various parts of China. In 1980 Jiang became vice minister of the state commission on imports and exports. Two years later he became vice minister of the electronics industry and from 1983 to 1985 was its minister. He had meanwhile become a member of the Central Committee of the CCP in 1982. Named mayor of Shanghai in 1985, he joined the Political Bureau in 1987.

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Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister of Singapore about Americans – Interview in 1965

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Footage of an interview of Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister of Singapore, conducted by Australian and British journalists.

Quote: “If the British withdraw, I am prepared to go on with the Austrialians and the New Zealanders. But, I am not prepared to go on with Americans. ….I think they are highly intelligent, often well-meaning, people, and some of their leaders like Mr. Kennedy, the late President, had signs, of growing greatness, depth. But, by and large, the administration lacks depth. But, by and wisdom which comes out of an accumulation of knowledge of human beings and human situations over a long period of time. That is lacking, and it is not their fault what have they got? Three, four hundred years of history, and they have become a nations just recently. I will tell you this. I have had three experiences, only three experiences, with the Americans. And, they did not intend any harm in each one of them. But, the tragedy was; they did real harm.”

Lee Kuan Yew was 44 at the time. He revealed an attempt in 1960 by an agent of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to bribe an official of the Singaporean Special Branch to report on the activities of the Singaporean state. He also revealed that the American agent was arrested and threatened with prosecution. But the case did not come to open court. He told the journalists that he sent a message to the American government, which he accused of “lacking finesse”, to give Singapore $100 million dollars for economic development. However, the Americans responded by offering Lee and his political Party $10 Million. He refused.

Read full interview: National Archive of Singapore TRANSCRIPT OF AN INTERVIEW BY FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE, MR. LEE KUAN YEW, HELD AT TV SINGAPURA AT 1130 HOURS ON 30TH AUGUST

Iran’s Hormuz shipping disruptions raise risks for energy, fertilizers and vulnerable economies

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Global Agriculutre

13 March 2026, London: Military tensions in West Asia are beginning to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, raising serious concerns for global energy markets, fertilizer supplies and vulnerable economies. In a rapid assessment titled “Strait of Hormuz disruptions: Implications for global trade and development,” UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has highlighted the potential risks posed by interruptions in one of the world’s most critical trade corridors.

The Strait of Hormuz carries nearly one quarter of global seaborne oil trade, along with large volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers. Any disruption in this narrow passage therefore has immediate consequences for global energy prices, maritime transport costs and agricultural input supply chains.

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How would the Iran crisis play out in a world powered by renewables not fossil fuels?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

theconversation.com

Imagine the escalating conflict between the US, Israel and Iran unfolding in a world powered mostly by wind, solar and batteries rather than oil and gas.

In today’s fossil-fuelled economy, markets react to Iran’s attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Gulf and the threat to close the strait of Hormuz. Oil prices jump. Governments brace for inflation. Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes through the narrow corridor, linking the Gulf states to the wider world. When tensions rise there, energy markets react instantly.

But in a world where most energy is generated domestically from renewables, would the same threat trigger the same global shock? Would instability in the Gulf still lead to more expensive food and fuel across the world? Or would the economic aftershocks look very different?

To understand what’s at stake, we need to first look at how today’s energy system is structured.

map of middle east
The strait of Hormuz is the narrow point between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean. AustralianCamera / shutterstock

A system built on chokepoints

For about a century, the global economy has depended on fossil fuels produced by a few producers in the Middle East. Chokepoints like the strait of Hormuz carry enormous strategic weight.

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What does China’s 15th ‘five-year plan’ mean for climate change?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

carbonbrief.org

“Steady and pragmatic decarbonisation, rapid clean-energy expansion combined with cautious emission targets, continued coal use to protect energy security and industrial growth.”

China’s leadership has published a draft of its 15th five-year plan setting the strategic direction for the nation out to 2030, including support for clean energy and energy security.

The plan sets a target to cut China’s “carbon intensity” by 17% over the five years from 2026-30, but also changes the basis for calculating this key climate metric.

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Findings from 18 years of a Global Study with Girls from Birth to Adulthood – Landmark study shows global gains for girls, but threats to progress loom

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

reliefweb.int 26 Feb 2026

Studied Countries: Vietnam, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Philippines, Togo, Uganda

Groundbreaking research from Plan International that has documented girls from birth for eighteen years reveals that globally, girls’ lives have improved significantly over the past two decades but identifies these gains are now at risk with the next wave of challenges approaching.

With improved access to education, girls are dreaming bigger and new laws protecting them from child marriage means they have broader choices in shaping their futures. But significant barriers – including widespread gender-based violence and the ever-worsening impacts of climate change – still stand in the way of equality.

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Xây dựng chiến lược dài hạn phòng chống thiên tai và thảm hoạ – Kinh nghiệm từ Nhật Bản

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

nhandan.vn Chủ Nhật, ngày 08/02/2026

Năm 2025, được ghi nhận là một trong những năm đặc biệt, có diễn biến thiên tai cực đoan, đặt ra áp lực lớn đối với công tác chỉ đạo, điều hành. Tuy nhiên, nhờ cách làm mới, chuyển từ ứng phó sự vụ sang chiến lược dài hạn; lấy khoa học công nghệ, chuyển đổi số làm nền tảng, đã giúp giảm đáng kể tác hại do thiên tai gây ra.

Đập ngăn mặn, trữ ngọt trên sông Lèn, phục vụ sản xuất, đời sống nhân dân các địa phương phía đông bắc tỉnh Thanh Hóa. (Ảnh: MAI LUẬN)
Đập ngăn mặn, trữ ngọt trên sông Lèn, phục vụ sản xuất, đời sống nhân dân các địa phương phía đông bắc tỉnh Thanh Hóa. (Ảnh: MAI LUẬN)

Theo Cục trưởng Cục Quản lý đê điều và Phòng, chống thiên tai (Bộ Nông nghiệp và Môi trường) Phạm Đức Luận: Tại Việt Nam, trong năm 2025, thiên tai đã gây ra những con số thiệt hại lớn, với 468 người chết và mất tích, 741 người bị thương, thiệt hại kinh tế ước tính gần 98.700 tỷ đồng. Đó không chỉ là tổn thất về vật chất, mà còn là những hệ lụy lâu dài đối với đời sống và sinh kế của hàng triệu người dân. Trong năm, đã chứng kiến những cơn bão chồng bão, mưa lớn vượt ngưỡng kỷ lục, sạt lở đất kinh hoàng xảy ra ở nhiều vùng, miền… Trong bối cảnh đó, song song với ứng phó, công tác phòng ngừa và kiểm soát rủi ro thiên tai được đặc biệt chú trọng. Cục Quản lý đê điều và Phòng, chống thiên tai đã tham mưu hoàn thiện cơ chế chỉ đạo phòng, chống thiên tai, không để gián đoạn trong giai đoạn cả nước kiện toàn tổ chức vận hành theo mô hình chính quyền địa phương 2 cấp.

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China and Russia challenge the Arctic order

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

But understanding how means looking beyond their partnership

DIIS.dk DIIS Policy Brief 9 July 2025

Sino-Russian Arctic cooperation is real but limited – and should not distract from the broader strategic challenges each country poses individually. While the partnership merits attention, some aspects are more symbolic than substantive, with Russia ultimately controlling the pace and direction.

Media narratives often highlight the growing alignment between China and Russia in the Arctic and the potential threat this poses to other states. Yet the partnership remains constrained by diverging priorities, Russia’s wariness of Chinese influence, and China’s reluctance to expose itself to sanctions or engage in risky ventures.

At the same time Russia’s increasing dependence on China since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has given Beijing opportunities to pursue deeper access to the Russian Arctic on its own terms and in areas that align with its long-term objectives. Rather than engaging broadly, China is selective in how and where it invests or participates – a dynamic that could intensify underlying frictions between the two even as global geopolitical shifts continue to draw them closer in the region.

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Who owns the Arctic and Why the Arctic is climate change’s canary in the coal mine

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Global warming is heating up the Arctic, and global powers like the United States, Russia and China are manoeuvring to stake a claim to the resources under its melting ice. Some experts say the region, once known as an exception – an island of international cooperation in the midst of geopolitical struggles – is becoming the site of a second cold war.

The Arctic may seem like a frozen and desolate environment where nothing ever changes. But the climate of this unique and remote region can be both an early indicator of the climate of the rest of the Earth and a driver for weather patterns across the globe. William Chapman explains why scientists often describe the Arctic as the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to climate change

Who gets to have nuclear weapons and why?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Jul 30, 2025 #AJStartHere #CubanMissileCrisis #IsraelIranTensions
Israel and the US – both nuclear-armed states – recently attacked Iran. They said it was to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon, something Iran denies it’s trying to do.
What determines which countries can, and can’t, have nuclear weapons? And are we seeing a new nuclear race?

Chapters:
01:09 – How the Cuban Missile Crisis led to a new nuclear order.
01:58 – The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the nine nuclear-armed states.
04:49 – The key factors that affect a country’s calculation on nukes.
05:47 – Security: do nuclear weapons make a country more, or less, safe?
07:22 – The US nuclear umbrella – can it still be trusted?
08:10 – Do nuclear weapons enhance a country’s status?
09:40 – What’s going on with Iran?
14:32 – Who gets to police the global nuclear order?
14:52 – How the nine nuclear-armed states are increasing their spending on nukes.