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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

This photo taken on March 4, 2024, shows a Chinese airplane C919 at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos. Photo: Xinhua

Belt and Road Initiative

As China’s ‘Air Silk Road’ grows, can homegrown C909, C919 jets take off abroad?

Beijing plans to deepen civil aviation ties under the Belt and Road Initiative, boosting air connectivity and exporting Comac-made aircraft.

2 hours agovideocam

US-China relations

Asian Angle | Anatomy of choice: why Southeast Asia is aligning with China

6 Sep 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

China’s party diplomacy in play as communist leaders gather for parade

6 Sep 2025 - 11:00AMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

How Chinese view US rivalry, Beijing’s deterrence muscle: SCMP daily highlights

From Chinese public opinion on US, Russia and North Korea to science and tech at Victory Day parade, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

4 Sep 2025 - 9:15PM

President Xi Jinping (centre) with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Tiananmen Square on Wednesday for China’s Victory Day military parade. Photo: EPA

China’s military drills

China’s allies give top marks for parade but the West is not won over

Russia, Iran and Cuba credit the host with showcasing the strength of the Chinese military.

4 Sep 2025 - 6:14PMvideocam

Asia travel

Gastronomic events to whet your appetite this autumn

Well-known chefs take Bangkok, Indonesia boasts sustainable dining, female culinary stars land in Da Nang, and Bali chefs whip up a feast at the W Maldives.

3 Sep 2025 - 6:15PM

SCMP Highlights

Filipinos target ‘nepo babies’, Malaysia’s electric train: 7 Asia highlights

From dominance of Singapore’s PAP to Vietnam’s island building in South China Sea, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

2 Sep 2025 - 12:53PM

Claudine Co is known for posting photos of her lavish lifestyle. Photo: Facebook/Claudine Co

North Korea

Explainer | What’s the rail truth behind North Korean leader Kim’s special green train?

North Korean rulers like to travel by the bulletproof train as it has more space for their large entourage, food and amenities, experts say.

2 Sep 2025 - 10:56AM

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong exporters warn US tariffs to hurt sales during coming holiday season

Tariffs of 10 to 41 per cent took effect on August 1 in 70 jurisdictions, including Southeast Asia where city’s exporters produce goods for US.

2 Sep 2025 - 8:30AM

SCMP Highlights

SCO summit opening, self-charging smartwatches: SCMP daily highlights

From the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders to a potential advance in wearable devices, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

1 Sep 2025 - 10:51PM

Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and China’s Xi Jinping. Photo: Kyodo

Asia travel

Where you can go in Asia for an open-water swimming trip

Swim among manta rays and dolphins in the Philippines, or try to glimpse of whale sharks and Komodo dragons in Indonesia.

2 Sep 2025 - 2:38PM

Swimming around Indonesia’s Gili Islands, home to corals and Hawksbill turtles. Photo: All Blue Swim Tours

Food and Drinks

French influence in Vietnam declines as Chinese language, culture gain ground

Relations with France are good, but French fluency has declined since independence 80 years ago, as more students choose to study Chinese or English.

1 Sep 2025 - 4:34PM

South China Sea

Will China boost defence posture as Vietnam deepens footprint in Spratlys?

Vietnam’s actions in South China Sea unlikely to change strategic balance, but could prompt Beijing to fortify defences, experts warn.

1 Sep 2025 - 9:16AMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | China, Southeast Asia and the shared legacy of anti-fascist struggle

China’s ambassador to Asean reflects on the lessons of WWII and why the region’s destiny must be determined together.

30 Aug 2025 - 11:00AM

A memorial service to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in Hong Kong on August 9. Photo: Dickson Lee

Diplomacy

Putin, Kim, Xi at military parade, Modi in China

This week: Donald Trump threatens 200 per cent tariff over Chinese rare earths, chip stocks surge, Shanghai relaxes home purchase rules. Next week: Putin, Kim and Xi watch Beijing military parade, Modi and other leaders attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, movie filmed in space hits the screens, and more.

29 Aug 2025 - 5:00PM

SCMP Highlights

Arrest of Malaysian ex-PM’s son, mathematician ponders leaving US: 7 highlights

From China’s turbine breakthrough to a billion-dollar property sale in Hong Kong, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

29 Aug 2025 - 12:30PM

Donald Trump

Opinion | Trump’s tariff merry-go-round is destroying global trade. What next?

Submitting to Trump’s deals, Western allies have ceded their position as defenders of multilateral trade. The world needs new alternatives.

29 Aug 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Why Trump’s furniture tariffs could complicate efforts to reassemble China trade

‘Furniture is not like electronics,’ one analyst warns. ‘You cannot ship in bits and parts and screw it together in North America’.

27 Aug 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

Workers produce sofas for sale to Europe and the United States at a furniture workshop in China’s Jiangsu province in December. Photo: Getty Images

India

From India to Vietnam, Lego bets on Asia’s booming toy market

Lego’s record sales prompt expansion in Asia, with new stores in India and a factory in Vietnam, aiming to tap into the growing middle class.

27 Aug 2025 - 7:19PM

South China Sea

What Vietnam’s South China Sea island-building spree means for Asean

Will Vietnam’s land reclamation strain Asean unity, or will the bloc remain focused on the ‘obvious elephant in the room’?

27 Aug 2025 - 4:32PMvideocam

Aviation

Even as passenger numbers stay firm, Asia-Pacific airlines may face headwinds

It’s flying high for now, but how long can the region’s air travel industry withstand the storm of a global trade war?

26 Aug 2025 - 9:32AM

Observers say trade wars will bring “headwinds” to the aviation industry, rather than a crisis. Photo: Getty Images

Extreme weather

‘Terrifying’ Typhoon Kajiki batters Vietnam, blowing roofs off homes

The country’s weather agency said rainfall could reach 500 millimetres until the end of Tuesday in several parts of northern Vietnam.

26 Aug 2025 - 4:33PMvideocam

Waves surge in Ha Tinh province, Vietnam on Monday as Typhoon Kajiki makes landfall. Photo: AP

South China Sea

China vows to stand maritime ground as Vietnam ‘expands’ Spratlys construction

Hanoi has sped up island-building on multiple reefs in the contested South China Sea archipelago, US think tank says.

25 Aug 2025 - 7:17PMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

Taiwanese laptop maker Asus’ subsidiary builds Nvidia-powered supercomputer

The project is expected to help raise Taiwan’s total computing capacity by at least 50 per cent.

24 Aug 2025 - 11:00AM

South China Sea

Vietnam’s island-building on disputed Spratlys to surpass China’s efforts: report

Satellite images show Vietnam has begun reclamation on eight reefs and upgraded military infrastructure in disputed waters.

23 Aug 2025 - 4:20PM

Vietnam has rapidly expanded its outposts in the Spratly Islands over the past six months, creating almost as much new land as in the previous two years combined. Photo: CSIS/AMTI

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong customs seizes 278 million cigarettes in tobacco smuggling crackdown

Customs and Excise Department says it has strengthened cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to curb inflow of illicit cigarettes.

21 Aug 2025 - 10:05PM

Millions of contraband cigarettes were seized in 84 large-scale cases in the first half of the year. Photo: Jelly Tse

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, mainland Chinese authorities arrest 42, foil people-smuggling ring

Suspects include illegal migrants while syndicate allegedly forged IDs, housed workers and placed them in low-paid jobs.

21 Aug 2025 - 7:26PM

US-ally trade wars

Opinion | Trump’s tariffs could prompt Asian nations to rethink export-led growth

Disruptions from the new tariff regime open the door to a greater focus on household consumption in the region.

19 Aug 2025 - 5:38PMvideocam

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