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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

Garrya Mu Cang Chai is nestled in a protected heritage landscape of terraced rice paddies in the northern Vietnamese mountains. As well as breathtaking scenery, the luxury resort offers wellness treatments, and food and activities intertwined with the traditions of the local Hmong people. Photo: Garrya Mu Cang Chai

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong bar’s World Cup win; Vietnam’s lush resort: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a look at the new Kung Fu Soccer film to a stunning mountain resort in Vietnam, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

3 hours ago

History

Vietnam arrests 3 publishing bosses over controversial Ho Chi Minh book

15 Jul 2026 - 11:08PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran war: is Trump falling into a Vietnam ‘quagmire’?

16 Jul 2026 - 12:40AMvideocam

Crime

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

The black market for brides has boomed in part due to China's gender imbalance, which has left the country with millions more men than women. Photo: Shutterstock

India

Vietnam jeweller rattled after India-Hong Kong diamond-smuggling ring bust

Analysts say PNJ faces ‘significant’ reputational risk from the case involving the former director of its gem certification subsidiary.

15 Jul 2026 - 3:14PMvideocam

South China Sea

How Beijing’s islands of control are reshaping the South China Sea

Ten years after the Hague’s tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:55PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

As it seeks connectivity, Phnom Penh must build diplomatic bridges with as much effort as it constructs ports and canals.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:30AM

People arrive at the construction site of the Funan Techo canal along the Prek Takeo channel in Kandal province, Cambodia, on August 5, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Asia travel

At this stunning Vietnamese mountain resort, luxury meets local culture

Nestled among protected terraced rice paddies 200km from Hanoi, Garrya Mu Cang Chai blends bamboo, wellness and local Hmong tradition.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:15PM

China trade

China’s power exports to Asean surge 40% in first half of 2026

Myanmar is leading the export surge for China’s power in Asean, with exports to the country nearly doubling in the first five months.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:00PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s 20% Hormuz toll jolts markets as Asia adapts to oil shock

Alternative trade routes and an AI tech boom are helping the region cushion the blow of a threatened maritime tariff.

14 Jul 2026 - 6:00PM

US President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves a Nato press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8. Photo: EPA

Japan

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

14 Jul 2026 - 8:03AM

The entrance to the defence ministry of Japan in Tokyo. Photo: AP

South China Sea

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

South China Sea

Is China’s island-building push at Antelope Reef nearing the finish line?

Satellite images suggest construction at the South China Sea atoll, now Beijing’s biggest outpost in the Paracels, is entering a new phase.

13 Jul 2026 - 5:00PM

Video | Vietnamese police have detained the boat captain

Speedboat accident in Vietnam kills 15.

15 Jul 2026 - 11:02AM

00:34

China airliners

China’s C919 on Malaysia Airlines’ radar, but Western certification preferred

Opportunities for Comac’s C919 will increase with certification by Western aviation regulators, a Malaysia Aviation Group executive says.

13 Jul 2026 - 11:00AM

A crowd watches as China's domestically produced C919 passenger jet takes off at an air show in Nanchang, central Jiangxi province, on November 2, 2024. Photo: AFP

Open Questions series

Open Questions | Wu Shicun on why Beijing will not rule out Scarborough Shoal construction

Leading Chinese expert says more fixed facilities could be built in the South China Sea if ‘external forces leave us no choice’.

13 Jul 2026 - 11:01AMvideocam

China-Asean relations

Asian Angle | Why a second ‘China shock’ is good for Southeast Asia

Fear of Chinese imports is misplaced. Roughly 90 per cent of what the region buys is inputs and machinery driving local manufacturing.

12 Jul 2026 - 2:30PM

European Union

Opinion | EU isn’t just selling aircraft to China. It’s helping strengthen a competitor

China Eastern’s multibillion-dollar Airbus orders, after EU delays on certifying Chinese planes, show not inconsistency but leverage towards a long-term goal.

12 Jul 2026 - 9:30AM

Airbus’ second final assembly line for A320 family aircraft in Tianjin, China, on October 22. Photo: Xinhua

Marine safety

Vietnam tourist speedboat capsizes, killing 15 Indian tourists

The speedboat carried 32 Indian tourists and four crew members when it overturned about 400 metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island in southern Vietnam.

11 Jul 2026 - 10:34PMvideocam

South China Sea

Open Questions | South China Sea expert Wu Shicun on Beijing’s red lines

A decade after The Hague ruling against China on the South China Sea, Beijing is open to dialogue on disputes but will not fall for ‘petty games’, Wu Shicun says.

11 Jul 2026 - 12:05PMvideocam

The Philippines

Why the Philippines is losing out in Southeast Asia’s investment boom

With Manila capturing just US$9 billion of the region’s US$244 billion capital influx last year, analysts urge reforms to close the FDI gap.

10 Jul 2026 - 4:25PMvideocam

Fishermen paddle past a cargo ship unloading containers at the Manila international port in the Philippines in December 2025. Photo: AFP

South Korea

Vietnam bets on baby bonuses to get rich before it grows old

Hanoi is throwing cash and housing at its low birth rate, scrambling to protect an export boom that is fast running out of young workers.

7 Jul 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

A pregnant woman holding an umbrella walks past a billboard of a happy family in Hanoi last month. Photo: AFP

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar hopes fruitful friendship with China can rescue durian growers

China is Malaysia’s most important durian market, accounting for about 60 per cent of exports worth US$368 million annually.

6 Jul 2026 - 11:58AM

China consumption

Can China’s budget brands crack developed markets? Mixue shows it won’t be easy

Slow expansion in Japan and store closures in Hong Kong suggest low prices may not be enough to win over consumers in mature economies.

6 Jul 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | How bitter Persian Gulf rivals can make peace the Asean way

Promoting de-escalation and shared prosperity in the Persian Gulf may seem arduous now. It once looked that way in Southeast Asia, too.

5 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US mural, depicting an Iranian and US negotiation table, next to the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran, on June 22. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Nearly 60% of Hong Kong parents mistake deadly disease for a cold, survey finds

Doctors urge greater public awareness of deadly meningococcal disease as survey exposes low knowledge and vaccine uptake.

5 Jul 2026 - 5:27PM

Experts have urged parents to consider vaccination as a survey reveals gaps in knowledge of meningococcal disease. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong lifts amber rainstorm warning, but wet weather to remain

Strong winds, swells and heavy showers expected until middle of next week, Observatory says.

4 Jul 2026 - 3:29PM

Singapore

US touts regional ‘balance’ in missile sale to Singapore. What does it mean?

The latest deal sheds light on distinct strategies in a broader American policy of ‘distributed deterrence’, analysts say.

3 Jul 2026 - 7:52PMvideocam

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Vietnam

Hong Kong bar’s World Cup win; Vietnam’s lush resort: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a look at the new Kung Fu Soccer film to a stunning mountain resort in Vietnam, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Vietnam arrests 3 publishing bosses over controversial Ho Chi Minh book

US-Iran war: is Trump falling into a Vietnam ‘quagmire’?

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

Vietnam jeweller rattled after India-Hong Kong diamond-smuggling ring bust

Analysts say PNJ faces ‘significant’ reputational risk from the case involving the former director of its gem certification subsidiary.

How Beijing’s islands of control are reshaping the South China Sea

Ten years after the Hague’s tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

As it seeks connectivity, Phnom Penh must build diplomatic bridges with as much effort as it constructs ports and canals.

At this stunning Vietnamese mountain resort, luxury meets local culture

Nestled among protected terraced rice paddies 200km from Hanoi, Garrya Mu Cang Chai blends bamboo, wellness and local Hmong tradition.

China’s power exports to Asean surge 40% in first half of 2026

Myanmar is leading the export surge for China’s power in Asean, with exports to the country nearly doubling in the first five months.

Trump’s 20% Hormuz toll jolts markets as Asia adapts to oil shock

Alternative trade routes and an AI tech boom are helping the region cushion the blow of a threatened maritime tariff.

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

Is China’s island-building push at Antelope Reef nearing the finish line?

Satellite images suggest construction at the South China Sea atoll, now Beijing’s biggest outpost in the Paracels, is entering a new phase.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Vietnamese police have detained the boat captain

Speedboat accident in Vietnam kills 15.

China’s C919 on Malaysia Airlines’ radar, but Western certification preferred

Opportunities for Comac’s C919 will increase with certification by Western aviation regulators, a Malaysia Aviation Group executive says.

Open Questions | Wu Shicun on why Beijing will not rule out Scarborough Shoal construction

Leading Chinese expert says more fixed facilities could be built in the South China Sea if ‘external forces leave us no choice’.

Asian Angle | Why a second ‘China shock’ is good for Southeast Asia

Fear of Chinese imports is misplaced. Roughly 90 per cent of what the region buys is inputs and machinery driving local manufacturing.

Opinion | EU isn’t just selling aircraft to China. It’s helping strengthen a competitor

China Eastern’s multibillion-dollar Airbus orders, after EU delays on certifying Chinese planes, show not inconsistency but leverage towards a long-term goal.

Vietnam tourist speedboat capsizes, killing 15 Indian tourists

The speedboat carried 32 Indian tourists and four crew members when it overturned about 400 metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island in southern Vietnam.

Open Questions | South China Sea expert Wu Shicun on Beijing’s red lines

A decade after The Hague ruling against China on the South China Sea, Beijing is open to dialogue on disputes but will not fall for ‘petty games’, Wu Shicun says.

Why the Philippines is losing out in Southeast Asia’s investment boom

With Manila capturing just US$9 billion of the region’s US$244 billion capital influx last year, analysts urge reforms to close the FDI gap.

Vietnam bets on baby bonuses to get rich before it grows old

Hanoi is throwing cash and housing at its low birth rate, scrambling to protect an export boom that is fast running out of young workers.

Malaysia’s Anwar hopes fruitful friendship with China can rescue durian growers

China is Malaysia’s most important durian market, accounting for about 60 per cent of exports worth US$368 million annually.

Can China’s budget brands crack developed markets? Mixue shows it won’t be easy

Slow expansion in Japan and store closures in Hong Kong suggest low prices may not be enough to win over consumers in mature economies.

Opinion | How bitter Persian Gulf rivals can make peace the Asean way

Promoting de-escalation and shared prosperity in the Persian Gulf may seem arduous now. It once looked that way in Southeast Asia, too.

Nearly 60% of Hong Kong parents mistake deadly disease for a cold, survey finds

Doctors urge greater public awareness of deadly meningococcal disease as survey exposes low knowledge and vaccine uptake.

Hong Kong lifts amber rainstorm warning, but wet weather to remain

Strong winds, swells and heavy showers expected until middle of next week, Observatory says.

US touts regional ‘balance’ in missile sale to Singapore. What does it mean?

The latest deal sheds light on distinct strategies in a broader American policy of ‘distributed deterrence’, analysts say.

Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

Video | Vietnamese police have detained the boat captain