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Vietnam
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Vietnam

Vietnam
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
A Panama-flagged container ship on the Pinglu Canal this month. Photo: Xinhua
Diners at a Trung Nguyen Legend cafe in Nanning, the capital of southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo: Frank Chen
China trade

Asean firms hope Pinglu Canal will open China market, but fear flood of imports

The 134.2km Pinglu Canal, which opened earlier this month, helps connect China’s southwestern hinterland with international maritime corridors.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why Southeast Asia feels relief and caution after the Xi-Trump summit

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Hong Kong economy

How Hong Kong firms are future-proofing business in challenging times

Thailand

Thailand has had enough of foreign tourists behaving badly

Viral misbehaviour, crimes and foreign-ownership scandals are exhausting the patience of a country famous for its hospitality.

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Illustration: Kevin Wong
Tourists stroll down Walking Street in Pattaya, Thailand, in August. Photo: AP
Foreign tourists visit Wat Pho Temple, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand, in August. Photo: EPA
International Property

Asia-Pacific hotels a ‘most compelling’ investment sector: CBRE

Rising air travel bodes well for growth after regional investment rises 21 per cent to US$8 billion in first six months, property firm says.

China exports

China has scrapped two-thirds of its planned coal power plants abroad: report

The cutbacks have saved 6.4 billion tonnes of potential carbon emissions, though campaign’s momentum slowed last year, report finds.

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South China Sea

Why Brunei prefers ‘quiet diplomacy’ over confrontation in South China Sea

As a nation with a small military, Brunei would rather work with Beijing in safe zones such as peacekeeping than butt heads, analysts say.

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Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (left) and son Prince Abdul Mateen arrive for the Asean Summit welcome ceremony in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8. Photo: EPA
Food and Drinks

World Gourmet Festival: Where culinary titans collaborate and create

Acclaimed chefs including Álvaro Clavijo, Julien Royer and Josiah Citrin embrace the challenge of blending diverse culinary styles with niche Thai ingredients.

Japan

Japan asks for US$43 million to weed out cherry tree-devouring longhorn beetle

Further growth in the ‘invasive’ beetle population could make it difficult to enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the spring.

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.

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

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

Far from being isolated, Moscow’s relationships across the non-Western world are a geopolitical constant the West cannot break.

Russian President Vladimir Putin waves while boarding a plane upon his departure from India on September 13. Photo: Kremlin/Sputnik/EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

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

Experts say the loss will hit Asian refiners first before feeding through to inflation, currencies and economic growth across the region.

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.

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.

An aerial drone photo taken on June 11 shows the Pinglu Canal in Qinzhou, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua
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.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in New Delhi during the Brics summit on Saturday. Photo: Handout via Reuters
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.

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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.

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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.

ManpowerGroup says the turnaround was driven not only by more firms planning to hire, but also by a sharp reduction in the number expecting to lay off workers. Photo: Kit Lai
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.

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.

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.

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A billboard depicting US President Donald Trump underwater amid explosions, with the words “Great Victory! Strait of Hormuz”, in Tehran, Iran, on August 24. Photo: AP
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.

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Young Vietnamese women in Hanoi wave Chinese and Vietnamese flags ahead of state visit by China's president in 2001. Photo: AFP
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.

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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.

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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.

Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday. Photo: AFP
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.

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A staff of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines shows chips manufactured in the country. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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