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Vietnam

Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Vietnam, covering politics, economy, society and the country's relationships with the United States, Australia, China and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries.

Capital

Hanoi

Head of State

President To Lam

Head of Government

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

last updated:

29 November, 2024

Donald Trump

‘I can play golf all day long’: Vietnam confident of its US ties under Trump

‘We think we can handle it,’ Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said of Vietnam’s US ties at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

29 minutes ago

Asia travel

From Hoi An to Hanoi: a ride along Vietnam’s twisty Ho Chi Minh Highway

3 hours ago

South China Sea

Opinion | How Trump could upend South China Sea calculations all round

20 Jan 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

Asean

Malaysia calls for Myanmar ceasefire as Asean pushes for peace talks

The bloc also pressed for progress on a South China Sea code of conduct, aiming to address Beijing’s assertiveness in the region.

19 Jan 2025 - 3:55PMvideocam

Indonesia

In the shadow of US tariffs, Indonesia seeks a Chinese solar boom

With billions of dollars in Chinese pledges and regulatory reforms, Jakarta is betting big on solar – with a weather eye on US trade policy.

18 Jan 2025 - 5:30PM

South China Sea

China and Vietnam reaffirm political ties in top-level call

Xi Jinping underlines commitment to the ‘socialist cause’ in conversation with To Lam.

15 Jan 2025 - 11:59PMvideocam

Vietnam axes second most popular TV broadcaster after 20 years

State-owned VTC went off the air on Wednesday as part of a radical restructuring of media organisations by the ruling Communist Party.

15 Jan 2025 - 3:35PM

A fruit vendor waits for customers in front of the VTC office building in Hanoi on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Asean

Youthful optimism: how Southeast Asian students view their economic futures

Students in six regional countries are hopeful for the future, but worry about corruption, inequality and unemployment, a new survey shows.

15 Jan 2025 - 12:35PMvideocam

China trade

Good night, Vietnam? China economist says Trump tariffs could shut US back door

Li Daokui of Tsinghua University says Chinese manufacturers eyeing Vietnam as a point of entry to the US should ‘reconsider’ in light of tariffs.

15 Jan 2025 - 12:18PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Why Southeast Asia’s participation in Brics matters

With Indonesia joining the grouping and Malaysia and Thailand as partner countries, Brics has acquired not just mineral-rich members but also key Asean voices.

12 Jan 2025 - 5:44PMvideocam

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18. Brazil, which holds the rotating Brics presidency in 2025, announced on January 6 that Indonesia had become a full member of the bloc. Photo: AFP/Brazilian presidency

South China Sea

Philippines starts Spratly Islands upgrades after months of tension with China

The improvements, including a longer airstrip on Thitu Island, will help boost Manila’s military presence in the South China Sea.

11 Jan 2025 - 8:41PMvideocam

Philippine soldiers stationed on Thitu Island. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s private banking sector has a ‘chronic disease’. Can it be treated?

Truong My Lan’s death sentence serves as a warning, but Vietnam needs structural reforms to address the sector’s vulnerabilities.

11 Jan 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

Malaysia

Tariffs, turmoil and Trump: untangling Malaysia’s Asean chair to-do list

Can Anwar Ibrahim’s diplomatic finesse help Malaysia steer Asean through the storm of rising trade tensions and regional crises?

11 Jan 2025 - 8:00AM

US-China relations

US national security adviser fears Trump might push some nations toward China

Jake Sullivan is concerned that future questions about US reliability will lead countries to say, ‘maybe we need to hedge with China’.

11 Jan 2025 - 6:28AMvideocam

Jake Sullivan has been the national security adviser for US President Joe Biden. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan

Taiwan’s failure to warn plane away from airforce base sparks security concerns

Many question island’s wartime readiness after pilot nearly lands single-engine aircraft at sensitive military installation by mistake.

9 Jan 2025 - 10:35PMvideocam

The DA-40 is a single-engine aircraft popular with flight schools. A similar plane approached a Taiwanese military base earlier this week, triggering security concerns. Photo: Shutterstock

Snitches get riches: Vietnam offers cash rewards for reporting traffic offenders

In a country where the average monthly income is around 7.7 million dong, running a red light can now cost more than 6 million dong.

8 Jan 2025 - 3:53PM

Squid Game

Squid Game accused of whitewashing South Korea’s Vietnam war ‘atrocities’

Vietnamese authorities are reviewing whether the second season of the Netflix smash-hit series violates the law amid calls for a boycott.

7 Jan 2025 - 9:02AM

South China Sea

South China Sea conflict risks to rise in Trump’s second term, academic forecasts

The year ahead is likely to see Washington take a more aggressive approach to Beijing, while other disputes in the waterway continue.

6 Jan 2025 - 10:54PMvideocam

US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration is expected to take a confrontational approach to Beijing, fuelling tensions in the South China Sea, according to a Chinese expert. Photo: Reuters

TikTok

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s ‘Chubby Bear’ approach to TikTok reveals double standards

Vietnam’s TikTok strategy involves enforcing censorship while exploiting youth-centric trends to promote pro-leader narratives.

5 Jan 2025 - 10:00AM

Food and Drinks

Vietnamese chef’s zero-waste recipes pay tribute to parents’ struggle

The son of Vietnamese refugees, Tu David Phu grew up with the idea of food frugality, which he channels in his cookbook The Memory of Taste.

5 Jan 2025 - 4:15AM

India

Vietnam’s BrahMos plans spotlight India’s rising Southeast Asian security role

The US$700 million deal would make Vietnam the second nation in the region to acquire the supersonic cruise missiles after the Philippines.

6 Jan 2025 - 8:09AM

A BrahMos missile system is seen in New Delhi during a parade in 2021. Photo: AFP

Asia travel

Vietnam bans vapes, to impose fines for users and jail producers

Country joins others including Singapore, Thailand, India and Australia in banning travellers from bringing in e-cigarettes.

3 Jan 2025 - 11:45AMvideocam

Vietnam has announced a ban on the sale and use of vapes. Photo: Shutterstock

Asean

Vietnam’s hesitation on Brics highlights delicate US ties, economic consideration

Vietnam’s delay in joining Brics reflects its balance between strengthening ties with the US and the potential benefits of aligning with a bloc seen as a US counterweight.

3 Jan 2025 - 8:00AM

Asean

Opinion | In a Trump 2.0 trade war against China, Vietnam stands to benefit again

With its growing hi-tech manufacturing and US partnership in trade and security, Vietnam will be a critical beneficiary of the economic fallout.

1 Jan 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

China-Asean relations

Chinese warships make port call in Vietnam after talks on joint patrols

Fleet led by destroyer and amphibious warfare ship docked in eastern city of Da Nang, PLA says.

31 Dec 2024 - 5:00PMvideocam

Chinese warships made a port call in Da Nang on Saturday. Photo: Weibo/PLA Southern Theatre Command

Ageing society

Vietnam’s birth rate slumps to record low despite propaganda push

Like many Asian countries with falling fertility rates, Vietnam is increasingly concerned about the long-term impact of an ageing society.

30 Dec 2024 - 4:56PMvideocam

Vietnam’s total fertility rate fell to 1.91 children per woman, marking the third consecutive year it has dropped below the replacement level. Photo: Shutterstock

China trade

How Vietnam emerged as a serious rival to China’s export machine

Vietnam’s factories have made impressive progress since 2018 and are now competing with China on quality as well as price.

30 Dec 2024 - 9:33AMvideocam

China trade

Durian, the fashionable fruit that is changing tastes across China

A Shenzhen restaurant has gone viral online after launching a 199-yuan-a-head buffet featuring more than 200 durian dishes.

3 hours ago

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