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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

Customers check out products at a retail store in Kochi, India. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Asia-Pacific to lead global retail sales, weather Middle East conflict

The region is projected to contribute to two-thirds of global new retail sales over the next five years, fuelled by e-commerce.

5 Jun 2026 - 10:00AM

Taiwan

How Japan, Philippines are building a maritime security front against China

3 Jun 2026 - 7:50PMvideocam

China airliners

Why China’s C909 jet is rapidly being deployed in Xinjiang

3 Jun 2026 - 7:00AMvideocam

United States

US proposes 25% tariff to punish Brazil over trade practices

The measures cover areas such as electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection and the ethanol market.

2 Jun 2026 - 10:13PM

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks with reporters at the White House in April Greer called the Brazil action “quite nuanced” because of the broad exemptions. Photo: Reuters

Crime

Vietnam detains Australian man who trashed Da Nang cafe

He destroyed bar equipment and furniture, and customers’ belongings, including laptops and mobile phones.

1 Jun 2026 - 9:35PMvideocam

The Philippines

Philippines and Vietnam close ranks on South China Sea as To Lam visits

The Vietnamese president is wrapping up a Southeast Asia tour aimed at shoring up regional security alliances.

1 Jun 2026 - 2:31PM

Singapore

Shangri-La Dialogue: can Asia do ‘less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs’?

In response to Hegseth’s call, participants at the Singapore forum say defence spending levels have to factor in different countries’ needs.

31 May 2026 - 11:46PMvideocam

Participants speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence forum in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

India

India seals BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam, eyes Indonesia next

A senior Indian defence ministry official made the announcement at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore.

31 May 2026 - 10:51AM

Asean

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

31 May 2026 - 10:00AM

China-Japan relations

China and Japan aren’t talking. Will their rare earth trade go quiet?

With bilateral relations at a low and Beijing already enacting limited export controls on critical minerals, fears of a broader ban grow.

31 May 2026 - 7:55AMvideocam

Singapore

Rising costs in Singapore spur business migration as regional alternatives rise

Analysts say the economic gains could come with trade-offs, such as increasing income inequality between skilled and unskilled workers.

30 May 2026 - 4:30PM

The Kuala Lumpur city skyline in Malaysia. Analysts say Kuala Lumpur is a “highly complementary partner” to Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock

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.

30 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Singapore

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

In the Singapore forum’s keynote address, the Vietnamese president urges a strategic framework for trust building to avert such threats.

29 May 2026 - 10:56PM

The Philippines

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

Analysts say To Lam’s first visit to Manila as state leader signals Vietnam’s balanced foreign policy and investment in Asean partnerships.

29 May 2026 - 7:18PM

Vietnam’s President To Lam is due in the Philippines for a two-day state visit on Sunday and Monday. Photo: AP

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

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Vietnam

Asia-Pacific to lead global retail sales, weather Middle East conflict

The region is projected to contribute to two-thirds of global new retail sales over the next five years, fuelled by e-commerce.

How Japan, Philippines are building a maritime security front against China

Why China’s C909 jet is rapidly being deployed in Xinjiang

US proposes 25% tariff to punish Brazil over trade practices

The measures cover areas such as electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection and the ethanol market.

Vietnam detains Australian man who trashed Da Nang cafe

He destroyed bar equipment and furniture, and customers’ belongings, including laptops and mobile phones.

Philippines and Vietnam close ranks on South China Sea as To Lam visits

The Vietnamese president is wrapping up a Southeast Asia tour aimed at shoring up regional security alliances.

Shangri-La Dialogue: can Asia do ‘less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs’?

In response to Hegseth’s call, participants at the Singapore forum say defence spending levels have to factor in different countries’ needs.

India seals BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam, eyes Indonesia next

A senior Indian defence ministry official made the announcement at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

China and Japan aren’t talking. Will their rare earth trade go quiet?

With bilateral relations at a low and Beijing already enacting limited export controls on critical minerals, fears of a broader ban grow.

Rising costs in Singapore spur business migration as regional alternatives rise

Analysts say the economic gains could come with trade-offs, such as increasing income inequality between skilled and unskilled workers.

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

In the Singapore forum’s keynote address, the Vietnamese president urges a strategic framework for trust building to avert such threats.

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

Analysts say To Lam’s first visit to Manila as state leader signals Vietnam’s balanced foreign policy and investment in Asean partnerships.

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.

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

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