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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

Shipping containers are seen at the port in Nanjing, in China’s eastern Jingsu province, early on June 9. Photo: AFP

China trade

Opinion | Why China’s trade partners may question value of economic integration

Both Beijing and its economic partners must ask whether expanding trade strengthens domestic productive capacity and improves long-term competitiveness.

7 Aug 2026 - 5:17PMvideocam

Macau

Video | Vietnamese coffee syndicate scams over 200 Hong Kong people

5 Aug 2026 - 7:30PM

US-China trade war

Strong as steel: Trump tariffs spark a US production increase

5 Aug 2026 - 8:35AM

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Macau police arrest 8 over HK$100m Vietnam coffee investment scam

Fun Coffee established presence in Hong Kong last year, claiming to be a coffee investment enterprise with assets of more than US$1 billion.

5 Aug 2026 - 7:36PMvideocam

The syndicate claims on its website to be a coffee investment enterprise based in Vietnam. Photo: Handout

The Philippines

Will Philippines’ push for seabed rights derail South China Sea code talks?

Analysts say Manila’s move could make it harder for Asean to agree on a common position regarding the code of conduct.

3 Aug 2026 - 9:55PMvideocam

Jewellery

In Vietnam, diamonds are not forever after smuggling ring bust

Investigators allege more than 30,000 stones worth over US$57 million were brought into the country over the past two years.

3 Aug 2026 - 11:21AM

Asean

What Turkey’s upgrade to Asean dialogue partner status means

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls the development ‘of utmost importance’ in its relationship with Asia-Pacific countries.

3 Aug 2026 - 10:00AM

Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci (right) poses for a photo with Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera Lim (centre) and Asean Political-Security Community Deputy Secretary General Astanah Abdul Aziz during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on July 22. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

Opinion | Will US or China win the next war? That’s the wrong question to ask

We should be asking how we can avoid conflict and work towards ending mutual threats, such as climate change and human injustice.

1 Aug 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

United States

As I see it | Despite immense power, the US delivers neither butter nor bullets

While Americans know they can’t get the welfare benefits they need, their leaders must realise their military can’t give them world domination.

31 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

China exports

China’s surgical robots break into Vietnam as Beijing targets US dominance

Shipments to Asean have surged 246% this year as cross-border healthcare platforms pave way for manufacturers to challenge US giants like Intuitive Surgical.

31 Jul 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

A surgical robot during the 2025 China Medical Equipment Conference & Medical Equipment Exhibition held at Chongqing International Expo Centre in southwest China’s Chongqing, taken on March 14, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

China trade

Opinion | China’s exports feed the Global South’s industrial engines

Far from stifling development, China’s export portfolio indicates a positive-sum diffusion of industrial growth.

31 Jul 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

South China Sea

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

30 Jul 2026 - 4:25PMvideocam

US-Asean relations

Inside America’s US$1.5 billion play for Southeast Asian energy

Gas exports and mini reactors serve US interests as much as Asia’s – provided promised projects actually lead anywhere.

29 Jul 2026 - 7:00PM

US military

Vietnam to host US aircraft carrier despite Trump’s tariffs, Iran war chaos

A 79-year-old veteran of war with America sees the carrier’s visit as proof of how far relations have come.

29 Jul 2026 - 4:15PM

The USS George Washington aircraft carrier on patrol in the Asia-Pacific. Photo: US Navy

Mainland China

Video | China saves 47 Vietnamese sailors after ship sinks

Chinese vessels and a search helicopter saved 47 sailors after their ship went under in bad weather.

27 Jul 2026 - 9:31PM

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Hong Kong science and tech

Black Lake CEO’s strategy to sell AI solutions to factories: turn to food couriers

Tech company founder Zhou Yuxiang sits down with the South China Morning Post for his first interview with a Hong Kong media outlet.

27 Jul 2026 - 10:00AM

South China Sea

Search for survivors continues after cargo ship sinks in South China Sea

State media reported 17 Vietnamese crew members were missing after Saturday night’s accident near Fiery Cross Reef.

27 Jul 2026 - 10:44PMvideocam

Luxury travel

Review | Zannier Bai San Ho offers European luxury with a Vietnamese twist

The resort on Vietnam’s central coast was founded by French hotelier Arnaud Zannier, whose other properties have played host to celebrities like Angelina Jolie.

30 Jul 2026 - 1:19PM

Zannier Bai San Ho was founded by French hotelier Arnaud Zannier. Photo: Handout

Asean

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

26 Jul 2026 - 11:30AMvideocam

Cambodia

Asian Angle | Cambodia’s war on scammers needs a blueprint built to last

Rounding up foot soldiers is easy. The hard part is tracing cash, exposing high-level enablers and protecting coerced victims.

25 Jul 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

China trade

China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.

23 Jul 2026 - 3:00PM

Workers process durians for export to China in Lam Dong, Vietnam, as Southeast Asian exporters offloaded a glut of the pungent, spiky fruit, sparking a drop in prices. Photo: Xinhua

Belt and Road Initiative

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

23 Jul 2026 - 6:17PM

A new state-of-the-art submarine cable enabling faster internet for Cambodia has made a successful landing in Hong Kong earlier this week. Photo: Sina

US-China relations

Wang and Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash

America’s top diplomat describes dispute between Beijing and Manila over Second Thomas Shoal as very negative and benefiting no one.

22 Jul 2026 - 10:48PMvideocam

Myanmar

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

22 Jul 2026 - 4:40PM

Food and Drinks

Forget pho: Da Nang food tour spotlights a different Vietnamese noodle dish

Vietnamese food expert Helen Le takes us to her favourite restaurants in Da Nang for mi quang noodles, banh mi, banh xeo and more.

22 Jul 2026 - 12:45PM

A bowl of mi quang, a Vietnamese noodle dish widely enjoyed in central Vietnam, is served at Mi Quang Nhung in Da Nang. Food influencer Helen Le takes writer Andrew Sun to this joint and others during a food tour of Vietnam’s third city. Photo: Andrew Sun

Indonesia

Indonesia restarts South China Sea gas project Beijing opposed

A low profile restart of the US$3 billion Tuna field with a Russian partner looks set to test Jakarta’s sovereign resolve.

22 Jul 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

A Chinese coastguard vessel sails through the North Natuna Sea in this photo released by Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency in 2024. Photo: Bakamla/EPA-EFE

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers went from small fry to big shots. Can others do the same?

The global green shift is providing a way for emerging economies to catch up with global powerhouses, with help from China’s supply chain.

22 Jul 2026 - 2:34PMvideocam

Hong Kong

A Vietnamese refugee returns to the Hong Kong island where echoes of a lost childhood remain

Entrepreneur Katie Aung revisits the remote site of the detention camp that shaped her younger years.

21 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

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Vietnam

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Why China’s trade partners may question value of economic integration

Both Beijing and its economic partners must ask whether expanding trade strengthens domestic productive capacity and improves long-term competitiveness.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Vietnamese coffee syndicate scams over 200 Hong Kong people

Strong as steel: Trump tariffs spark a US production increase

Hong Kong, Macau police arrest 8 over HK$100m Vietnam coffee investment scam

Fun Coffee established presence in Hong Kong last year, claiming to be a coffee investment enterprise with assets of more than US$1 billion.

Will Philippines’ push for seabed rights derail South China Sea code talks?

Analysts say Manila’s move could make it harder for Asean to agree on a common position regarding the code of conduct.

In Vietnam, diamonds are not forever after smuggling ring bust

Investigators allege more than 30,000 stones worth over US$57 million were brought into the country over the past two years.

What Turkey’s upgrade to Asean dialogue partner status means

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls the development ‘of utmost importance’ in its relationship with Asia-Pacific countries.

Opinion | Will US or China win the next war? That’s the wrong question to ask

We should be asking how we can avoid conflict and work towards ending mutual threats, such as climate change and human injustice.

As I see it | Despite immense power, the US delivers neither butter nor bullets

While Americans know they can’t get the welfare benefits they need, their leaders must realise their military can’t give them world domination.

China’s surgical robots break into Vietnam as Beijing targets US dominance

Shipments to Asean have surged 246% this year as cross-border healthcare platforms pave way for manufacturers to challenge US giants like Intuitive Surgical.

Opinion | China’s exports feed the Global South’s industrial engines

Far from stifling development, China’s export portfolio indicates a positive-sum diffusion of industrial growth.

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

Inside America’s US$1.5 billion play for Southeast Asian energy

Gas exports and mini reactors serve US interests as much as Asia’s – provided promised projects actually lead anywhere.

Vietnam to host US aircraft carrier despite Trump’s tariffs, Iran war chaos

A 79-year-old veteran of war with America sees the carrier’s visit as proof of how far relations have come.

Video | China saves 47 Vietnamese sailors after ship sinks

Chinese vessels and a search helicopter saved 47 sailors after their ship went under in bad weather.

Black Lake CEO’s strategy to sell AI solutions to factories: turn to food couriers

Tech company founder Zhou Yuxiang sits down with the South China Morning Post for his first interview with a Hong Kong media outlet.

Search for survivors continues after cargo ship sinks in South China Sea

State media reported 17 Vietnamese crew members were missing after Saturday night’s accident near Fiery Cross Reef.

Review | Zannier Bai San Ho offers European luxury with a Vietnamese twist

The resort on Vietnam’s central coast was founded by French hotelier Arnaud Zannier, whose other properties have played host to celebrities like Angelina Jolie.

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

Asian Angle | Cambodia’s war on scammers needs a blueprint built to last

Rounding up foot soldiers is easy. The hard part is tracing cash, exposing high-level enablers and protecting coerced victims.

China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

Wang and Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash

America’s top diplomat describes dispute between Beijing and Manila over Second Thomas Shoal as very negative and benefiting no one.

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

Forget pho: Da Nang food tour spotlights a different Vietnamese noodle dish

Vietnamese food expert Helen Le takes us to her favourite restaurants in Da Nang for mi quang noodles, banh mi, banh xeo and more.

Indonesia restarts South China Sea gas project Beijing opposed

A low profile restart of the US$3 billion Tuna field with a Russian partner looks set to test Jakarta’s sovereign resolve.

China’s EV makers went from small fry to big shots. Can others do the same?

The global green shift is providing a way for emerging economies to catch up with global powerhouses, with help from China’s supply chain.

A Vietnamese refugee returns to the Hong Kong island where echoes of a lost childhood remain

Entrepreneur Katie Aung revisits the remote site of the detention camp that shaped her younger years.

Opinion | Why China’s trade partners may question value of economic integration

Video | Vietnamese coffee syndicate scams over 200 Hong Kong people