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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

Comac, the Chinese state-owned aviation company, has been pushing to expand the use of its passenger jets in Southeast Asia in recent years. Photo: Comac

China’s C919 passenger plane

China steps up global aviation expansion as Comac bids for Laos carrier

Laos’ flag carrier would reportedly agree to use Comac jets as part of the deal, as the Chinese aviation firm continues its push into Southeast Asia.

13 Jun 2025 - 3:32PMvideocam

Asean

Is Trump’s Myanmar, Laos travel ban a blow to US-Southeast Asia ties?

12 Jun 2025 - 11:00AM

Asean

Opinion | How Europe can be Southeast Asia’s hedge against US-China trade war

11 Jun 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

China trade

Pressured by US tariffs, Chinese exports expand in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia

‘Exports are being diversified, bit by bit, and Southeast Asian countries are becoming more and more important trading partners,’ analyst says.

10 Jun 2025 - 2:59PMvideocam

Southeast Asian countries are becoming more important trading partners for China as it diversifies exports. Photo: Xinhua

Animals

Snakes on a plane highlight Thailand-India trafficking, NGO warns

Venomous vipers found on Thailand-India flight last week illustrates ‘troubling’ trend driven by exotic pet trade, anti-smuggling group says.

10 Jun 2025 - 2:55AM

Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong students still unable to get US visa bookings: consultancy firms

Visa appointments remain unavailable as of Monday despite openings in Beijing and other jurisdictions, industry figures say.

9 Jun 2025 - 6:17PM

South China Sea

China’s 4 core principles show way to peace in South China Sea, think tank says

China and Southeast Asia must keep resolution of maritime issues ‘within their own hands’, Xinhua Institute research report says.

8 Jun 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

South China Sea

Vietnam ramping up expansion of South China Sea outposts: Chinese think tank

Satellite images show Hanoi reclaiming land and building military facilities such as airstrips on contested Spratly Island reefs, SCSPI says.

7 Jun 2025 - 7:06PMvideocam

China trade

As US-China rivalry squeezes Asian markets, is taking sides even an option?

Analysts break down what the protracted power plays between Washington and Beijing mean for Asian economies as they walk a tightrope of risks vs rewards.

7 Jun 2025 - 7:08AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Xi-Trump phone call fails to spark much enthusiasm on Chinese factory floors

Disillusioned by US president’s shifting policy positions, many manufacturers want to see clearer signals before they make major moves.

6 Jun 2025 - 8:00PM

A worker moves car parts destined for export at a GWM factory in Chongqing on May 21. Photo: Xinhua

Asean

Opinion | How Trump’s tariffs could benefit Asean in the long run

While the tariffs may undermine the bloc’s growth in the short term, they are spurring increased cooperation between member states and with others.

6 Jun 2025 - 6:30PMvideocam

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech at the opening of the plenary session of the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 26. The bloc has proposed a summit between the leaders of its member states and US President Donald Trump. Photo: EPA-EFE

Viral stories

Vietnam bride gets lavish dowry of 100 civet cats worth US$70,000 to create income

22-year-old also lands gold bars and property, but cat gifts prompt concerns over animal exploitation.

9 Jun 2025 - 7:24AM

US-China relations

US avoids currency manipulator label for China, but slams lack of transparency

The decision not to sanction China for currency manipulation comes after Trump hailed a ‘very positive’ call with President Xi Jinping.

6 Jun 2025 - 6:42AMvideocam

US-China trade war

No US tariffs on ‘unavailable natural resources’: commerce chief

Assurance given at House hearing where lawmakers voiced concerns about American consumers facing rising prices.

6 Jun 2025 - 9:13AMvideocam

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AFP

China-Philippines relations

Opinion | With 50 years of history, Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy

Stop allowing South China Sea spat to poison the waters when there are in fact many areas of potential cooperation for mutual benefit.

6 Jun 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

Allowing security issues to dominate relations is neither wise nor strategic. Photo: Shutterstock

Donald Trump

Vietnam tariff reprieve would be the ‘silliest thing’ US could do: Lutnick

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said responding in kind to Hanoi would be a ‘terrible deal’.

5 Jun 2025 - 10:26AMvideocam

Women and gender

Facing gender ratio crisis, Vietnam proposes tougher laws on sex selection

Officials warn Vietnam could have 1.5 million more men than women by 2034 without action.

4 Jun 2025 - 9:12PMvideocam

Ageing society

Vietnam scraps 2-child policy to tackle shrinking birth rate

The nation’s birth rate sunk to a record low in December. Previous laws allowed only one or two children per family, except in special cases.

4 Jun 2025 - 11:26AMvideocam

A Vietnamese woman holds her baby in Hanoi. Vietnam’s total fertility rate dropped to just 1.91 children per woman last year. Photo: AFP

Trade

Vietnam faces list of ‘tough’ US demands to cut Chinese imports in tariff talks

If US requests to effectively cut Vietnam’s reliance on China were met, they could pose a serious challenge to the Southeast Asian country’s economy.

3 Jun 2025 - 7:19PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Asean-GCC-China summit signals a redrawing of trade away from the US

The partnership offers a chance to reduce US reliance through new supply chains, trade agreements and regional production in critical sectors.

3 Jun 2025 - 6:46PMvideocam

Infrastructure

The US$67 billion question: who will fund Vietnam’s North-South express railway?

Vingroup and Thaco’s proposals to build the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City high-speed rail line both demand substantial state support.

2 Jun 2025 - 5:30PM

A passenger train at a railway crossing in Hanoi last year. Vietnam approved the new high-speed railway in November as part of efforts to modernise the country’s colonial-era railway system. Photo: AFP

Asean

Opinion | This moment in US-China rivalry is Asean’s chance to remake the bloc

Between a new trade deal with China and a potential audience with Trump, Asean has a chance to be the architect of a new regional order.

1 Jun 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) and other Asean heads of government, heads of state and representatives – including Xanana Gusmao (far right), the prime minister of incoming Asean member Timor-Leste – pose for a photo at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 26. Photo: Reuters

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 7 over attempted burglary of jewellery store

Suspects aged between 19 and 44 apprehended at around 5am while attempting to break into store inside On Luk Street shopping centre.

1 Jun 2025 - 4:01PM

South China Sea

Chinese forces patrol Scarborough Shoal to ‘defend sovereignty’

Show of force comes a day after state broadcaster airs rare footage of Chinese military drills on a contested reef of the Spratly Islands.

31 May 2025 - 5:57PMvideocam

Banking & finance

Hong Kong regains favour with investors, companies: Deutsche Bank

Yuan internationalisation, global expansion plans of Chinese firms drive a resurgence in the city’s importance, a senior executive says.

31 May 2025 - 9:37AM

An aerial view of Hong Kong on May 19, 2025. Photo: AFP

United States

Editorial | Solidarity best in face of US tariff tensions

Amid global uncertainty, China is strengthening economic ties with other leading trading partners such as members of Asean and the Gulf states.

31 May 2025 - 2:25AMvideocam

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) gestures as he welcomes China’s Premier Li Qiang ahead of the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Photo: handout

United States

Vietnam seizes fake Rolex watches, Prada bags from mall facing US wrath

The raid at Saigon Square Shopping Mall came after Washington accused the country of being a major hub for illegal activities.

30 May 2025 - 2:59PM

Cambodia

Can Vietnam navigate China’s Mekong ambitions and regional ties?

China’s Mekong River projects pose strategic and environmental challenges for Vietnam, threatening regional influence and vital agricultural resources.

30 May 2025 - 3:16PMvideocam

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