Vietnam reveals state-run Alibaba-and-Amazon alternative, aims it at the EU

Vietnam has launched its own e-commerce platform to help in-country businesses access European Union markets. Vietnam wants the platform to help it take advantage of EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which in 2020 eliminated most tariffs and lowered regulatory barriers between Vietnam and the European bloc. Vietnam …

[demon driver]

Good move

Marketplaces should be run and governed by the public, ensuring fair regulations, not by corporations.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Good move

"""

The minister said the state hoped to create "a complete digital ecosystem, helping businesses to make trading activities on a single platform" and to deliver one such platform for all of Vietnam.

"""

That's the government (not democratically elected). But I guess that is what you mean by public. "Public" is an ambiguous term. The (current) UK prime minister went to a "public" school (Eton) therefore he is qualified to be prime minister (apparently). But in the US Eton would be called a private school.

In any event, I wish them the best of luck.

[Steve K]

Re: Good move

Confusingly Eton would be called booth a Public school AND a private school in the UK.....

[Claverhouse]

Re: Good move

And an Independent School... Like most medieval grammar schools created to give pauper children a fair chance. Something it still does if you redefine the word 'poor'.

.

.

Fun Fact: 20 prime ministers went to Eton. The results are before us.

[[e-mail]]

Very Interesting

I voted remain, mainly cos I worked for an international company and saw the benefits of EU membership on a daily basis, but that argument is dead and buried.

I've no confidence that either the EU or UK have the competence to create an export driving infrastructure platform but it would be an amazing if either did. Think of the absurdity of this, a government actually doing something useful which will raise the standard of living of their population, what are they smoking?

Even more absurd, imagine the UK government developing a successful IT program, try not to shit urself laffin'

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Very Interesting

The real absurdity here is the EU falling over itself to give free trade access to a non-democratic one-party state which has a very poor human rights history, yet does everything it can to block free trade with a democratic ex-partner which shares far more of its fundamental principles. Double-standards?

[Teiwaz]

Re: Very Interesting

yet does everything it can to block free trade with a democratic ex-partner

It's only a wonder the Vietnamese weren't battering on the UKs door for a trade agreement, seeing how world beating we are...

The EU is doing nothing to block trade with the UK other than apply 3rd Country rules (which we voted for in leaving the EU and Customs Union). Doesn't seem that much of a slowdown on EU imports to UK, so they are trading with us.

[codejunky]

Re: Very Interesting

@Teiwaz

"It's only a wonder the Vietnamese weren't battering on the UKs door for a trade agreement, seeing how world beating we are..."

Didnt that take effect on the 1st Jan? Signed on the 29th Dec 2020?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Very Interesting

Good point, but do these ^C^V of existing EU FTAs by the UK really reflect our best interests? Or are they just a panicked attempt to hide a lack of the Department for International Trade's ability/nous in negotiating trade deals?

[EricB123]

Re: Very Interesting

Isn't ^C^V WordStar?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Very Interesting

Yup it was. And ^ is still used by many oldhands as shorthand for CTRL.

[codejunky]

Re: Very Interesting

@AC

That depends. If your a believer in remain for the trade deals then its a good thing. If you are for the UK trade agreements being adjusted for our economy then its a good thing. If thought ends at 'brexit bad' then its a bad thing.

But to the satisfaction of Teiwaz we have the trade agreement as he obviously sees it as an important indicator of the ability of the UK.

[codejunky]

Re: Very Interesting

@[e-mail]

I do hope it works to raise living standards there. I have some friends there and one particularly who travels internationally to drum up business and make content. I have no idea if it would make any difference to her particularly but for the general living standards to rise would be a benefit to her and her family.

[IGotOut]

Don't worry.

Vietnam will build itself up, then the US will notice it has pretty much the same government structure as China (a pseudo communist regime with appaling human rights), put it on a block list, and move into the next low rent country.

[Claverhouse]

Re: Don't worry.

They could always have a war there...

[CrackedNoggin]

Re: Don't worry.

I think it might have less to do with govt structure and more to do with fear of being overtaken economically, technologically, and militarily. The way the cards have fallen Vietnam and the USA need each other for the forseeable future.