Viet Nam News LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after narrowly surviving a confidence vote sparked by the crushing defeat in parliament of her Brexit deal. After a tumultuous 24 hours which she admitted voters might find "unsettling", she conceded the divorce terms she struck with the EU had been roundly rejected, but vowed to work to find an alternative. "Now MPs have made clear what they don’t want, we must all work constructively together to set out what parliament does want," May said in a televised evening address to the nation. On Tuesday, MPs dealt the prime minister the heaviest drubbing in modern British political history by rejecting the divorce agreement by a stunning 432 votes to 202. But May emerged victorious on Wednesday night in a confidence vote triggered by the opposition Labour party, the first for 26 years, winning 325 votes to 306. She set out a … [Read more...] about UK PM May reaches out to rivals after winning confidence vote
Uk pm
UK PM to warn against ‘damage’ of second Brexit vote
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday warn MPs against supporting a second referendum, saying it would do “irreparable damage” to British politics. “Let us not break faith with the British people by trying to stage another referendum,” she is expected to tell parliament, according to extracts from her speech released by Downing Street. “Anther vote... would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics,” she will say, adding that a second vote “would likely leave us no further forward”. She will warn that another referendum would also “further divide our country at the very moment we should be working to unite it”. Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in 2016 and is set to leave on March 29 next year, although May is struggling to get parliament to accept a divorce agreement she struck last month. May has faced calls for a second referendum to resolve the impasse but has … [Read more...] about UK PM to warn against ‘damage’ of second Brexit vote
UK PM survives confidence vote over Brexit deal
Viet Nam News LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday survived a confidence vote by her own MPs but lost the support of one third of her colleagues, signalling the battle she still faces to get her Brexit deal through parliament. May won the backing of 200 Conservative lawmakers, but 117 voted to oust her -- and only after she conceded she would step down before the 2022 election. "I’m pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues in tonight’s ballot," she said outside her Downing Street office after the result was announced. "A significant number of colleagues did cast votes against me and I’ve listened to what they’ve said." She said she wanted to "get on with the job of delivering Brexit", and to see "politicians on all sides coming together". The result, announced after a secret ballot, was met with huge cheers from May’s supporters gathered in parliament, while the pound rose on the news. But leading Brexit rebel … [Read more...] about UK PM survives confidence vote over Brexit deal
PM holds bilateral meetings in ASEM 12 framework
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third from left) meets with President of the EC Jean Claude Juncker (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held bilateral meetings with many foreign leaders on the sidelines of the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Brussels on October 18 and 19 (local time). PM Phuc took the occasions to inform the foreign leaders on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and its contributions to the common cause of the international community. He asked the EU member countries to push for the early signing of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which was approved by the EC on October 17, underlining that together with the agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA), the EVFTA will provide an important foundation for Vietnam and the EU to bring their relations into a new period of development, as well as to strengthen ASEAN-EU partnership and connectivity between EU and the Asian-Pacific region. The … [Read more...] about PM holds bilateral meetings in ASEM 12 framework
UK PM faces backlash over Brexit compromise
Prime Minister Theresa May's office insisted Friday (Oct 12) it would not "trap" Britain in an endless customs union with the EU after Brexit, amid reports some ministers could quit if this is the price of a divorce deal. British Prime Minister Theresa May wants a new trade deal with the EU by the end of December 2021 at the latest AFP/HENRY NICHOLLS But her spokeswoman declined to confirm that a fall-back plan to keep open the land border with Ireland after Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019 would be "time-limited". Negotiations in Brussels have stepped up ahead of a high-stakes EU summit next week, and May briefed selected members of her cabinet late Thursday on how she intends to get an agreement. Several eurosceptic ministers are now reportedly considering resigning over plans to give ground on the so-called backstop arrangement. Britain has proposed a customs arrangement with the EU to avoid physical checks between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, until the … [Read more...] about UK PM faces backlash over Brexit compromise
UK PM calls for ‘free elections’ in Thailand
British Prime Minister Theresa May called for "free and open elections" in Thailand as she met with the country's leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha in London on Wednesday (Jun 20). Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (left) meets Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha (right) at 10 Downing Street in central London. (Niklas HALLE'N/AFP) Prayut, a former army chief who seized power from Thailand's civilian government in a 2014 coup, will next meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday as part of a highly-publicised European tour. "The Prime Minister urged continued progress towards free and open elections in Thailand in line with international standards, including restrictions on political parties being lifted at an early stage," her spokesperson said after the meeting. May's meeting with Prayut came just two days after Thailand carried out its first execution since 2009, prompting outrage from human rights groups. During their sit-down, Prayut assured May that Thailand … [Read more...] about UK PM calls for ‘free elections’ in Thailand
Chinese President Xi Jinping calls to UK PM Theresa May
Chinese President Xi Jinping and UK PM Theresa May (Source: Getty Images)During the call, the two leaders agreed to further promote the “Golden Era” of bilateral ties between the two sides, adding that China was pushing for more cooperation with the UK under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xinhua reported. President Xi went on to say that as permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the UK should work together to build a new international relationship on the basis of mutual respect, justice and win-win cooperation. He said both countries were supporters of globalization, and that China was willing to work with the UK to support free trade and multi-lateralism. According to China’s state media, President Xi also told PM Theresa May that there needs to be a comprehensive, just and objective probe into a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. The two also agreed that the use of chemical weapons “by anyone, anywhere, for any … [Read more...] about Chinese President Xi Jinping calls to UK PM Theresa May
UK PM May says she wants free trade deal with China
Britain is seeking a free trade agreement with China, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday as she flew to the country for talks with Chinese leaders, adding that more should be done immediately to open up market access for British firms. The ambitious long-term goal of securing a free trade deal with the world's second-largest economy comes as May begins a three-day visit to China accompanied by businesses from sectors where Britain feels it can capitalise on China's growing middle class consumers and rapidly expanding services sector. "China is a country that we want to do a trade deal with," May told reporters aboard her Royal Air Force jet on the way to Wuhan - a university city where she will announce half a billion pounds worth of education deals. "But, I think that there is more we can be doing in the interim...in terms of looking at potential barriers to trade and the opening up of markets to ensure...British businesses able to do good trade into China." Asked about … [Read more...] about UK PM May says she wants free trade deal with China
Vietnam, UK reinforce strategic partnership
Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) hosts the UK official. Photo: VGP Earlier the same day, Mr. Mark Field and Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son co-chaired the sixth Vietnam-UK Strategic Dialogue with the participation of senior officials from the UK Ministry of Defense and National Crime Agency as well as representatives from Vietnamese Ministries of National Defense, Public Security, and Agriculture and Rural Development. In an open atmosphere and on the basis of mutual respect and understanding, the two sides discussed orientations and concrete measures to bolster the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership in a more intensive, practical and effective manner, particularly in politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, education-training, science-technology and security-defense, in the context that the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (1973-2018). They also exchanged ideas about regional and … [Read more...] about Vietnam, UK reinforce strategic partnership
VN calls for more investment from UK
The Deputy PM hailed the outcomes of the 6th Viet Nam-UK Strategic Dialogue in Ha Noi as well as positive developments in the Viet Nam-UK Strategic Partnership. Mr. Mark Field asserted that the British Government continues giving priority to deepening the bilateral ties more intensively in all areas in the upcoming time. The Vietnamese leader suggested the two countries coordinate closely in raising the efficiency of the use of capital sourced from the UK Commonwealth Foundation and facilitating Viet Nam’s access to the fund.Deputy PM Minh also expected that the two Governments will join hands to develop a long-term development roadmap for the Viet Nam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese students to study in the country. Earlier on the same day, British Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field and Vietnamese Permanent Deputy FM Bui Thanh Son co-chaired the 6th Viet Nam-UK Strategic Dialogue. … [Read more...] about VN calls for more investment from UK