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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

last updated:

29 November, 2024

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18. Brazil, which holds the rotating Brics presidency in 2025, announced on January 6 that Indonesia had become a full member of the bloc. Photo: AFP/Brazilian presidency

Asean

Opinion | With Indonesia, Brics is adding Southeast Asia to its power base

With Indonesia joining the grouping and Malaysia and Thailand as partner countries, Brics has acquired not just mineral-rich members but also key Asean voices.

56 minutes agovideocam

South China Sea

Philippines starts Spratly Islands upgrades after months of tension with China

11 Jan 2025 - 8:41PMvideocam

Banking & finance

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s private banking sector has a ‘chronic disease’. Can it be treated?

11 Jan 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

Malaysia

Tariffs, turmoil and Trump: untangling Malaysia’s Asean chair to-do list

Can Anwar Ibrahim’s diplomatic finesse help Malaysia steer Asean through the storm of rising trade tensions and regional crises?

11 Jan 2025 - 8:00AM

US-China relations

US national security adviser fears Trump might push some nations toward China

Jake Sullivan is concerned that future questions about US reliability will lead countries to say, ‘maybe we need to hedge with China’.

11 Jan 2025 - 6:28AMvideocam

Taiwan

Taiwan’s failure to warn plane away from airforce base sparks security concerns

Many question island’s wartime readiness after pilot nearly lands single-engine aircraft at sensitive military installation by mistake.

9 Jan 2025 - 10:35PMvideocam

Snitches get riches: Vietnam offers cash rewards for reporting traffic offenders

In a country where the average monthly income is around 7.7 million dong, running a red light can now cost more than 6 million dong.

8 Jan 2025 - 3:53PM

Motorists wait at a red light at an intersection in Hanoi on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Squid Game

Squid Game accused of whitewashing South Korea’s Vietnam war ‘atrocities’

Vietnamese authorities are reviewing whether the second season of the Netflix smash-hit series violates the law amid calls for a boycott.

7 Jan 2025 - 9:02AM

South China Sea

South China Sea conflict risks to rise in Trump’s second term, academic forecasts

The year ahead is likely to see Washington take a more aggressive approach to Beijing, while other disputes in the waterway continue.

6 Jan 2025 - 10:54PMvideocam

TikTok

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s ‘Chubby Bear’ approach to TikTok reveals double standards

Vietnam’s TikTok strategy involves enforcing censorship while exploiting youth-centric trends to promote pro-leader narratives.

5 Jan 2025 - 10:00AM

A man in Hanoi looks at TikTok content on his smartphone in October 2023. Photo: AFP

Food and Drinks

Vietnamese chef’s zero-waste recipes pay tribute to parents’ struggle

The son of Vietnamese refugees, Tu David Phu grew up with the idea of food frugality, which he channels in his cookbook The Memory of Taste.

5 Jan 2025 - 4:15AM

Tu David Phu’s hot-pot-style salmon head sour soup. Photo: Penguin Random House

India

Vietnam’s BrahMos plans spotlight India’s rising Southeast Asian security role

The US$700 million deal would make Vietnam the second nation in the region to acquire the supersonic cruise missiles after the Philippines.

6 Jan 2025 - 8:09AM

Asia travel

Vietnam bans vapes, to impose fines for users and jail producers

Country joins others including Singapore, Thailand, India and Australia in banning travellers from bringing in e-cigarettes.

3 Jan 2025 - 11:45AMvideocam

Asean

Vietnam’s hesitation on Brics highlights delicate US ties, economic consideration

Vietnam’s delay in joining Brics reflects its balance between strengthening ties with the US and the potential benefits of aligning with a bloc seen as a US counterweight.

3 Jan 2025 - 8:00AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia on October 24, 2024. Photo: Pool via Reuters

Asean

Opinion | In a Trump 2.0 trade war against China, Vietnam stands to benefit again

With its growing hi-tech manufacturing and US partnership in trade and security, Vietnam will be a critical beneficiary of the economic fallout.

1 Jan 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

A woman rides past the Wistron NeWeb Corporation factory in Ha Nam, Vietnam, on October 11. The plant is expanding to produce satellite equipment for SpaceX. Photo: Reuters

China-Asean relations

Chinese warships make port call in Vietnam after talks on joint patrols

Fleet led by destroyer and amphibious warfare ship docked in eastern city of Da Nang, PLA says.

31 Dec 2024 - 5:00PMvideocam

Ageing society

Vietnam’s birth rate slumps to record low despite propaganda push

Like many Asian countries with falling fertility rates, Vietnam is increasingly concerned about the long-term impact of an ageing society.

30 Dec 2024 - 4:56PMvideocam

China trade

How Vietnam emerged as a serious rival to China’s export machine

Vietnam’s factories have made impressive progress since 2018 and are now competing with China on quality as well as price.

30 Dec 2024 - 9:33AMvideocam

Vietnam is emerging as a formidable competitor to China’s manufacturing sector. Photo: Shutterstock

China trade

Durian, the fashionable fruit that is changing tastes across China

A Shenzhen restaurant has gone viral online after launching a 199-yuan-a-head buffet featuring more than 200 durian dishes.

28 Dec 2024 - 9:00AM

North Korea

Revolution, elections and a baby hippo, this was the year in Asia

From climate change to political storms and a Taylor Swift world tour, Asia in 2024 was characterised by turbulence and surprises.

24 Dec 2024 - 9:30AMvideocam

Vietnam’s biggest city gets its first metro line

The US$1.7 billion metro line runs almost 20 kilometres from the city centre and took 17 years to complete

23 Dec 2024 - 6:00PM

02:02

Urban planning

‘Finally’: Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line opens after years of delays

US$1.7 billion metro line opens in Vietnam’s commercial capital – but it took 17 years to reach this point.

23 Dec 2024 - 6:02PMvideocam

People take a train in Ho Chi Minh. Photo: Vietnam News Agency via EPA-EFE

Asean

Opinion | How Southeast Asia can become the next AI powerhouse

Young, dynamic and fast, the region has unique advantages, supported by investment in infrastructure, talent, policy support and collaboration.

22 Dec 2024 - 8:30PMvideocam

Diplomacy

‘Very striking’: China and Vietnam tighten ties in a ‘3+3’ strategic pivot

The inclusion of public security alongside diplomacy and defence in their new dialogue mechanism has piqued analysts’ interest.

22 Dec 2024 - 8:00AM

South China Sea

To keep calm in the South China Sea, Beijing reaches for the bilateral playbook

China’s often-used bilateral consultation mechanism doesn’t always work, but it does help defuse conflicts, experts say.

22 Dec 2024 - 6:00AMvideocam

Beijing uses bilateral consultation mechanisms with its South China Sea rivals to keep relations calm. Photo: Weibo

China-Asean relations

Defence minister on first overseas trip since Beijing denied he was investigated

Dong Jun meets the head of the Vietnamese Communist Party in Hanoi on visit to mark military anniversary.

20 Dec 2024 - 6:18PMvideocam

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun visited Vietnam this week to attend a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army. Photo: AFP

Crime

Man allegedly sets Hanoi karaoke bar on fire, killing 11 people

Witnesses said the blaze was so large that no one dared to attempt to rescue those trapped inside.

19 Dec 2024 - 11:34AM

Singapore

Singapore, Vietnam eye undersea cable as US flags risks of Chinese contractors

Keppel and Sovico Group in talks to build a new network to meet booming demand for AI services and data centres.

13 Dec 2024 - 2:34PMvideocam

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