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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

Asean

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

2 hours agovideocam

Singapore

Vietnam’s To Lam warns of 3 crises converging in Asia-Pacific security

29 May 2026 - 10:56PM

The Philippines

Vietnam, Philippines to forge stronger ‘alignment’ on 50 years of ties

29 May 2026 - 7:18PM

Thailand

Trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy: Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties

The president, who visited Ho Chi Minh’s former home in Udon Thani, will meet the Thai king and hold talks with PM Anutin.

28 May 2026 - 4:37PM

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (left) and Vietnam’s President To Lam review a guard of honour at Government House in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Crime

Samoan suspect confesses to hired hit in Vietnam on Sydney gangster

In a rare gun crime in Vietnam, the suspect admitted that he and an accomplice were in Ho Chi Minh City looking for two victims.

27 May 2026 - 7:28PM

United States

‘Notorious’ Vietnam market defies raids, tariff threats to sell Gucci dupes

‘Police come once a year with a TV crew. They film the seizure of a shop, and then it’s business as usual,’ a Ninh Hiep bazaar seller says.

27 May 2026 - 3:45PM

Dong Jun

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

26 May 2026 - 9:17PMvideocam

Dong Jun pictured at last year’s Asean-China defence ministers’ lunch in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong transport

Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis

Some airlines say they will operate all scheduled flights beyond June after initial consolidation efforts to offset higher jet fuel prices.

25 May 2026 - 1:41PM

Asean

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

With only eight of 18 links built and a 100-terawatt demand surge looming, analysts say the blueprint may need an overhaul for the AI age.

25 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Hong Kong transport

What to eat and buy at Hong Kong airport’s revamped Terminal 2

Passengers and visitors will find 25 shopping and dining options, including McDonald’s, Nap Tea and Imperial Patisserie.

24 May 2026 - 5:16PMvideocam

The revamped Terminal 2 at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Edmond So

Ageing society

Asian Angle | Asia’s silver dividend can offset ageing’s economic toll

Research shows demographic decline hits productivity, not workforce size. Keeping older workers active through technology is the solution.

24 May 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

A street food hawker waits for customers by a roadside in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 12. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

Asian Angle | What the China-US stability pact means for Southeast Asia

The real test of Beijing and Washington’s adoption of ‘constructive strategic stability’ will be how words translate into action.

23 May 2026 - 11:00AM

Iran

UN event on nuclear non-proliferation treaty stumbles, US and Iran clash

There was no consensus among the 191 parties to the NPT, the third failure in a row at a conference reviewing the treaty.

23 May 2026 - 10:09AM

Asean

Over 4,300 Southeast Asian species face extinction threat

Tigers, giant catfish, gibbons and pangolins are among the thousands of ‘critically endangered’ or ‘endangered’ species in the region.

23 May 2026 - 3:23PM

A critically endangered Sumatran rhino calf with its mother at the Way Kambas National Park Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry

Truong My Lan

Vietnam sells disgraced tycoon’s Hermes bags to recoup US$27 billion in damages

Truong My Lan was convicted for embezzling US$12.3 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank in the nation’s largest fraud case.

22 May 2026 - 12:15PMvideocam

Truong My Lan attends her trial at a court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Belt and Road Initiative

China’s new US$10.7 billion canal near completion to boost Asean trade links

The Pinglu Canal – a US$10 billion waterway connecting China’s heartlands to the Gulf of Tonkin – will begin trial operations as soon as September.

22 May 2026 - 2:40PM

Trip Inspiration

Asia’s new hotels: from Kyoto to Bangkok, luxury awaits

Discover Asia’s most captivating new luxury hotels – from Kyoto’s geisha-haunted Imperial to Lugu Lake’s matrilineal retreat – where heritage craftsmanship meets cutting-edge design.

21 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Energy

Video | Hanoi hits the brakes on petrol motorbike ban

The proposed ban has already been scaled back, as riders demand better infrastructure and government support before making the switch to electric.

19 May 2026 - 9:04PM

FILE PHOTO: People ride their motorbikes duing rush hour at Hanoi's Old Quarter, in Hanoi, Vietnam, August 30, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

01:53

The Philippines

Philippine navy’s ‘aspirational’ middle power claim comes under scrutiny

The navy based its assessment partly on regional partners admiring its newer ships that were deployed in recent joint exercises.

20 May 2026 - 11:00AMvideocam

Hong Kong science and tech

Hong Kong’s CUHK aims to bring AI to life with humanoid-focused robotics lab

City’s first embodied AI lab, backed by 24 tech firms, is set to advance humanoid and quadruped robotics research and training over next five years.

18 May 2026 - 11:38PM

South China Sea

Chinese scientists land on Sandy Cay as tensions with Philippines spike again

Manila says it sent a plane over the South China Sea reef in an effort to ‘drive away’ those carrying out ‘unauthorised’ research activity.

18 May 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

The Philippine coastguard says it spotted a Chinese research vessel accompanied by two coastguard ships. Photo: X/jaytaryela

Sri Lanka

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

18 May 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Police escort detained Indians and Nepalis suspected of running cyber fraud centres to a court in Galle, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Thailand

Face forward: why Thailand is the next big thing in beauty trends

The T-beauty industry is growing by 5 per cent each year and is estimated to be worth over US$10 billion by 2030.

17 May 2026 - 1:37PMvideocam

China-Asean relations

Asian Angle | China offers Southeast Asia clear advantages in nuclear power

With its experience in exporting nuclear reactors, China can offer long-term energy security and technological upgrades.

17 May 2026 - 12:00PM

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Vietnam’s US$5 billion Apec island is running out of time

Phu Quoc is a test case for Vietnam’s build-fast model. But with 18 months to go, the island is short of workers, diesel and hotel rooms.

17 May 2026 - 8:00AM

A staff member sweeps the grounds of a resort on Phu Quoc island, which is set to host world leaders for the November 2027 Apec summit. Photo: AFP

To Lam

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

16 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Vietnam’s To Lam waves after shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on May 6. Photo: EPA

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

The US delegation went to Beijing looking for deals, but a ‘super cycle’ of capital expenditures across Asia is already fuelling enormous growth.

16 May 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

US-China relations

As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started

There’s a lesson for the US president in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century.

15 May 2026 - 8:43PMvideocam

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Vietnam

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

Vietnam’s To Lam warns of 3 crises converging in Asia-Pacific security

Vietnam, Philippines to forge stronger ‘alignment’ on 50 years of ties

Trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy: Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties

The president, who visited Ho Chi Minh’s former home in Udon Thani, will meet the Thai king and hold talks with PM Anutin.

Samoan suspect confesses to hired hit in Vietnam on Sydney gangster

In a rare gun crime in Vietnam, the suspect admitted that he and an accomplice were in Ho Chi Minh City looking for two victims.

‘Notorious’ Vietnam market defies raids, tariff threats to sell Gucci dupes

‘Police come once a year with a TV crew. They film the seizure of a shop, and then it’s business as usual,’ a Ninh Hiep bazaar seller says.

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis

Some airlines say they will operate all scheduled flights beyond June after initial consolidation efforts to offset higher jet fuel prices.

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

With only eight of 18 links built and a 100-terawatt demand surge looming, analysts say the blueprint may need an overhaul for the AI age.

What to eat and buy at Hong Kong airport’s revamped Terminal 2

Passengers and visitors will find 25 shopping and dining options, including McDonald’s, Nap Tea and Imperial Patisserie.

Asian Angle | Asia’s silver dividend can offset ageing’s economic toll

Research shows demographic decline hits productivity, not workforce size. Keeping older workers active through technology is the solution.

Asian Angle | What the China-US stability pact means for Southeast Asia

The real test of Beijing and Washington’s adoption of ‘constructive strategic stability’ will be how words translate into action.

UN event on nuclear non-proliferation treaty stumbles, US and Iran clash

There was no consensus among the 191 parties to the NPT, the third failure in a row at a conference reviewing the treaty.

Over 4,300 Southeast Asian species face extinction threat

Tigers, giant catfish, gibbons and pangolins are among the thousands of ‘critically endangered’ or ‘endangered’ species in the region.

Vietnam sells disgraced tycoon’s Hermes bags to recoup US$27 billion in damages

Truong My Lan was convicted for embezzling US$12.3 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank in the nation’s largest fraud case.

China’s new US$10.7 billion canal near completion to boost Asean trade links

The Pinglu Canal – a US$10 billion waterway connecting China’s heartlands to the Gulf of Tonkin – will begin trial operations as soon as September.

Asia’s new hotels: from Kyoto to Bangkok, luxury awaits

Discover Asia’s most captivating new luxury hotels – from Kyoto’s geisha-haunted Imperial to Lugu Lake’s matrilineal retreat – where heritage craftsmanship meets cutting-edge design.

Video | Hanoi hits the brakes on petrol motorbike ban

The proposed ban has already been scaled back, as riders demand better infrastructure and government support before making the switch to electric.

Philippine navy’s ‘aspirational’ middle power claim comes under scrutiny

The navy based its assessment partly on regional partners admiring its newer ships that were deployed in recent joint exercises.

Hong Kong’s CUHK aims to bring AI to life with humanoid-focused robotics lab

City’s first embodied AI lab, backed by 24 tech firms, is set to advance humanoid and quadruped robotics research and training over next five years.

Chinese scientists land on Sandy Cay as tensions with Philippines spike again

Manila says it sent a plane over the South China Sea reef in an effort to ‘drive away’ those carrying out ‘unauthorised’ research activity.

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

Face forward: why Thailand is the next big thing in beauty trends

The T-beauty industry is growing by 5 per cent each year and is estimated to be worth over US$10 billion by 2030.

Asian Angle | China offers Southeast Asia clear advantages in nuclear power

With its experience in exporting nuclear reactors, China can offer long-term energy security and technological upgrades.

Vietnam’s US$5 billion Apec island is running out of time

Phu Quoc is a test case for Vietnam’s build-fast model. But with 18 months to go, the island is short of workers, diesel and hotel rooms.

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

The US delegation went to Beijing looking for deals, but a ‘super cycle’ of capital expenditures across Asia is already fuelling enormous growth.

As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started

There’s a lesson for the US president in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century.

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis