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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

Customs officers display the seized cannabis at the department headquarters in North Point. Photo: Karma Lo

Crime in Hong Kong

Customs seizes record HK$125 million worth of marijuana shipped by sea, arresting 3

Seizure of 535kg of cannabis buds found hidden inside insulated boxes shipped from Thailand marks largest seaborne drug bust in city’s history.

19 Sep 2026 - 8:15PM

Vladimir Putin

Opinion | Why the Global South keeps its doors wide open to Russia

19 Sep 2026 - 12:00PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi oil pipeline closure puts Asia’s economic resilience to the test

18 Sep 2026 - 9:50PM

Extreme weather

Torrential rain in Vietnam leaves 3 dead, 16,000 homes flooded

More heavy rain is expected through the weekend, with some areas forecast to receive a deluge of over 100mm.

18 Sep 2026 - 1:46PM

Local residents commute by boat through a flooded village on the outskirts of Hanoi on Thursday. Photo: VNA / AP

Infrastructure

Can the new Pinglu Canal become China’s Yangtze of the southwest?

The 134.2km waterway promises shorter routes to the sea and lower transport costs, potentially reshaping the fortunes of landlocked regions.

18 Sep 2026 - 11:19AM

India

India and Vietnam aim to turn ‘China plus one’ rivalry into trade gains

New Delhi and Hanoi are looking to join market scale with manufacturing capacity to build new trade links, analysts say.

17 Sep 2026 - 7:30PM

India

‘Growing stronger’: India and Russia push to expand defence ties

Analysts say offers of Su-57 stealth jet tech and BrahMos upgrades signal an exit from simple buyer-seller deals.

16 Sep 2026 - 3:50PM

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Brics summit in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: Kremlin/dpa

China exports

China launches Pinglu Canal, slashing transit time to Southeast Asia

Newly opened Pinglu Canal will allow cargo from inland provinces to reach the Gulf of Tonkin, avoiding a 560km detour, deepening trade ties.

16 Sep 2026 - 1:46PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s job outlook rebounds in fourth quarter as fewer employers plan cuts

Firms looking to hire after previous quarter’s slump as city’s economic environment improves, according to survey by ManpowerGroup.

15 Sep 2026 - 4:34PM

Food and Drinks

How a Vietnamese chef is turning family favourites into Michelin-starred feasts

Inspired by his roots, Hiep Truong is elevating traditional Vietnamese cuisine at his Upstairs Tasting Room in Ho Chi Minh City.

15 Sep 2026 - 12:45PM

Hiep Truong, head chef and co-owner of the Michelin-starred Upstairs Tasting Room in Ho Chi Minh City, talks about what inspires his dishes, his family background and why cooking never makes him feel tired. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Thailand

Southeast Asia weighs energy transition amid LNG supply crunch

At Gastech 2026, policymakers implore pragmatism over net-zero targets and closer cooperation to ensure affordable LNG supplies.

14 Sep 2026 - 8:35PM

People attend Gastech Bangkok 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

War and conflict

My Take | US-Israeli failure to bomb Iran into submission was preordained

From Nazi Germany to Vietnam, history is rich with examples of countries that simply refuse to surrender to bombing.

13 Sep 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Mainland China

Asian Angle | Politics aside, young Vietnamese are warming to China

Hit dramas, trendy consumer brands and economic opportunity are drawing a new generation into China’s cultural orbit.

13 Sep 2026 - 12:00PM

Science

US-China decoupling could benefit other countries, Chinese study finds

The study suggests a complete severing of trade ties would hurt both superpowers while bringing temporary gains elsewhere.

12 Sep 2026 - 8:00PM

While Chinese trade would be reshaped by a complete decoupling with the United States, the scenario could bring temporary gains to other economies, a trade war game suggests. Photo: AFP

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Once sidelined, China stands ready to broker fourth Trump-Kim handshake

Beijing seeks role as central player in Korean peninsula diplomacy but wants a guarantee Washington has clear goals, source says.

10 Sep 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meet inside the DMZ in June 2019. Trump says he is keen to meet Kim again. Photo: TNS

South Korea

Caught between US and Iran, South Korea weighs Hormuz role

Seoul is sending a fact-finding mission to the UAE as it balances Washington’s security requests with warnings of Iranian retaliation.

9 Sep 2026 - 6:47PM

The Philippines

Philippines wants to be a global semiconductor giant by 2030. Can it get there?

An ‘ambitious’ road map aims to more than double annual exports of chips and electronics to US$110 billion by 2030.

8 Sep 2026 - 5:18PM

To Lam

Vietnam’s To Lam visits Russia and France amid South China Sea tensions

Visiting Moscow and Paris in succession allows To Lam to rally support for Hanoi’s maritime stance without taking sides, analysts say.

8 Sep 2026 - 8:10PM

To Lam, Vietnam’s president and general secretary of its Communist Party, waves to members of a welcoming delegation in Moscow on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Science

Study saying China’s solar policy hurt birds may have miscounted 2 billion egrets

Critics claim report in top US journal lacked quality control and used data suggesting one park had more than the entire global population.

6 Sep 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Asia-Pacific media outlets forge new partnerships ahead of Shenzhen Apec summit

SCMP and Nanfang Media Group have signed an MOU to deepen media cooperation, as the southern tech hub prepares to welcome regional leaders.

5 Sep 2026 - 6:03PM

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People? is a striking portrait of Vietnam war trauma

The Vietnam war drama, in competition at the Venice Film Festival, explores trauma, redemption through a US Marine’s true-life journey.

5 Sep 2026 - 1:15AMvideocam

Rodney Hicks in a still from Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?, directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. Geoffrey Rush, Mark Merphy and Tatyana Ali co-star.

Crime

Vietnam arrests deputy minister over probe into huge bribes

Tran Van Thuan’s arrest comes as police investigate a scheme involving ‘smuggling’ and reselling of medical equipment at inflated prices.

2 Sep 2026 - 11:24PMvideocam

Police officers march during Vietnam’s National Day celebrations in Hanoi last year. Photo: AFP

Singapore

Can Singapore be the ‘natural choice’ to bridge Asean and Central Asia?

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore aims to explore ways to boost cooperation between both regions in various sectors.

3 Sep 2026 - 2:36AM

China trade

China’s US$10.8b short cut: new Pinglu Canal prepares to supercharge Asean trade

Delivery of first command vessel looks to signal imminent opening of megaproject connecting inland factories directly to Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam.

2 Sep 2026 - 8:00PM

China travel

How Japan fell from China’s tourism top 3 despite record summer travel boom

Mainland carriers scrap more than 30 per cent of flights to Japan as travellers turn to South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.

2 Sep 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Chinese airlines transported 153.64 million passenger trips between July 1 and Monday, a historic high. Photo: AFP

South China Sea

South China Sea island build-up heightens Vietnam’s security concerns

Hanoi voices strong objections after reports emerge about Chinese construction works in the Paracels archipelago.

2 Sep 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

A satellite image taken by Vantor on August 17 shows China’s construction work at Yagong Island. Photo: Vantor / AFP

IPO

Why Philippine chain Jollibee chose Hong Kong over New York to list spin-off

Company’s plan to list international arm in Hong Kong underscores city’s IPO diversification drive.

2 Sep 2026 - 3:17PM

Malaysia

As rice output falls, Malaysia looks to China’s ‘2 yields, 1 land’ model

Chinese rice-prawn farms could help boost Malaysia’s farming production as it faces hurdles to meet its rice self-sufficiency goal.

1 Sep 2026 - 7:08PM

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