TOPIC

/ location

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

Workers process durians for export to China in Lam Dong, Vietnam, as Southeast Asian exporters offloaded a glut of the pungent, spiky fruit, sparking a drop in prices. Photo: Xinhua

China trade

China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.

23 Jul 2026 - 3:00PM

Belt and Road Initiative

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

23 Jul 2026 - 6:17PM

US-China relations

Wang and Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash

22 Jul 2026 - 10:48PMvideocam

Myanmar

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

22 Jul 2026 - 4:40PM

The Mekong as seen from the intersection of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Photo: Rivers and Rights

Food and Drinks

Forget pho: Da Nang food tour spotlights a different Vietnamese noodle dish

Vietnamese food expert Helen Le takes us to her favourite restaurants in Da Nang for mi quang noodles, banh mi, banh xeo and more.

22 Jul 2026 - 12:45PM

Indonesia

Indonesia restarts South China Sea gas project Beijing opposed

A low profile restart of the US$3 billion Tuna field with a Russian partner looks set to test Jakarta’s sovereign resolve.

22 Jul 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers went from small fry to big shots. Can others do the same?

The global green shift is providing a way for emerging economies to catch up with global powerhouses, with help from China’s supply chain.

22 Jul 2026 - 2:34PMvideocam

Hong Kong

A Vietnamese refugee returns to the Hong Kong island where echoes of a lost childhood remain

Entrepreneur Katie Aung revisits the remote site of the detention camp that shaped her younger years.

21 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

India

How India’s ‘practical’ alliances could reshape Indo-Pacific security

New Delhi’s ‘proactive new playbook’ aims to fill the vacuum left by fluctuating US commitments in the region, analysts say.

19 Jul 2026 - 1:00PM

South Korea

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s economic miracle has a made-elsewhere problem

The numbers dazzle, but Vietnamese companies are losing ground in their own export boom as the middle-income trap looms.

19 Jul 2026 - 2:35PM

A Vietnamese scrap collector walks past a Chinese-language sign in Bac Ninh province, Vietnam. Photo: AFP

Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: in celebration of the human spirit

From a photographer on China’s epic belt and road odyssey to the enigmatic man behind Shenzhen’s Weird Building, this edition investigates the people behind the stories.

21 Jul 2026 - 5:18PM

The Khorgos Gateway Dry Port, near Almaty, Kazakhstan, links China, Central Asia and Europe via rail. Photo: Liu Heung-shing

Accidents and disasters in China

Why the atmosphere could become the next geopolitical battleground

There is growing disquiet in several nations about how weather-manipulation tools are used in cross-border rivalries.

18 Jul 2026 - 9:48PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

18 Jul 2026 - 12:00PM

The Philippines

Philippines’ plan to fortify coastal defences: deterrence or target?

The plan to establish coastal defence assets in Palawan is unlikely to close the country’s military gap with China, analysts say.

17 Jul 2026 - 6:16PM

Oyster Bay naval facility in Palawan province, the Philippines. Photo: AFP

South Korea

‘Gateway to Asean’: South Korea bets on Vietnam hub for food expansion

Vietnam will be positioned as a logistics and distribution base aimed at growing demand for South Korean food products across the region.

17 Jul 2026 - 3:11PM

A food vendor (right) talks to a customer at Gwangjang market in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong bar’s World Cup win; Vietnam’s lush resort: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a look at the new Kung Fu Soccer film to a stunning mountain resort in Vietnam, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

16 Jul 2026 - 4:11PM

History

Vietnam arrests 3 publishing bosses over controversial Ho Chi Minh book

Authorities say ‘Stories with Thanh’, which recounts the Communist Party founder’s years abroad, ‘distorts history’.

15 Jul 2026 - 11:08PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran war: is Trump falling into a Vietnam ‘quagmire’?

Renewed strikes put Washington’s appetite for a prolonged war to a familiar historical test, analysts say.

16 Jul 2026 - 12:40AMvideocam

Screen grab from video footage released by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Sepah News website purportedly shows missiles being launched from an undisclosed location towards US targets in Bahrain and Kuwait on July 14. Photo: AFP

Crime

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

India

Vietnam jeweller rattled after India-Hong Kong diamond-smuggling ring bust

Analysts say PNJ faces ‘significant’ reputational risk from the case involving the former director of its gem certification subsidiary.

15 Jul 2026 - 3:14PMvideocam

South China Sea

How Beijing’s islands of control are reshaping the South China Sea

Ten years after the Hague’s tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:55PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

As it seeks connectivity, Phnom Penh must build diplomatic bridges with as much effort as it constructs ports and canals.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:30AM

People arrive at the construction site of the Funan Techo canal along the Prek Takeo channel in Kandal province, Cambodia, on August 5, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Asia travel

At this stunning Vietnamese mountain resort, luxury meets local culture

Nestled among protected terraced rice paddies 200km from Hanoi, Garrya Mu Cang Chai blends bamboo, wellness and local Hmong tradition.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:15PM

China trade

China’s power exports to Asean surge 40% in first half of 2026

Myanmar is leading the export surge for China’s power in Asean, with exports to the country nearly doubling in the first five months.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:00PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s 20% Hormuz toll jolts markets as Asia adapts to oil shock

Alternative trade routes and an AI tech boom are helping the region cushion the blow of a threatened maritime tariff.

14 Jul 2026 - 6:00PM

US President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves a Nato press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8. Photo: EPA

Japan

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

14 Jul 2026 - 8:03AM

The entrance to the defence ministry of Japan in Tokyo. Photo: AP

South China Sea

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

South China Sea

Is China’s island-building push at Antelope Reef nearing the finish line?

Satellite images suggest construction at the South China Sea atoll, now Beijing’s biggest outpost in the Paracels, is entering a new phase.

13 Jul 2026 - 5:00PM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Vietnam

China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

Wang and Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

Forget pho: Da Nang food tour spotlights a different Vietnamese noodle dish

Vietnamese food expert Helen Le takes us to her favourite restaurants in Da Nang for mi quang noodles, banh mi, banh xeo and more.

Indonesia restarts South China Sea gas project Beijing opposed

A low profile restart of the US$3 billion Tuna field with a Russian partner looks set to test Jakarta’s sovereign resolve.

China’s EV makers went from small fry to big shots. Can others do the same?

The global green shift is providing a way for emerging economies to catch up with global powerhouses, with help from China’s supply chain.

A Vietnamese refugee returns to the Hong Kong island where echoes of a lost childhood remain

Entrepreneur Katie Aung revisits the remote site of the detention camp that shaped her younger years.

How India’s ‘practical’ alliances could reshape Indo-Pacific security

New Delhi’s ‘proactive new playbook’ aims to fill the vacuum left by fluctuating US commitments in the region, analysts say.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Asian Angle | Vietnam’s economic miracle has a made-elsewhere problem

The numbers dazzle, but Vietnamese companies are losing ground in their own export boom as the middle-income trap looms.

This week in PostMag: in celebration of the human spirit

From a photographer on China’s epic belt and road odyssey to the enigmatic man behind Shenzhen’s Weird Building, this edition investigates the people behind the stories.

Why the atmosphere could become the next geopolitical battleground

There is growing disquiet in several nations about how weather-manipulation tools are used in cross-border rivalries.

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

Philippines’ plan to fortify coastal defences: deterrence or target?

The plan to establish coastal defence assets in Palawan is unlikely to close the country’s military gap with China, analysts say.

‘Gateway to Asean’: South Korea bets on Vietnam hub for food expansion

Vietnam will be positioned as a logistics and distribution base aimed at growing demand for South Korean food products across the region.

Hong Kong bar’s World Cup win; Vietnam’s lush resort: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a look at the new Kung Fu Soccer film to a stunning mountain resort in Vietnam, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Vietnam arrests 3 publishing bosses over controversial Ho Chi Minh book

Authorities say ‘Stories with Thanh’, which recounts the Communist Party founder’s years abroad, ‘distorts history’.

US-Iran war: is Trump falling into a Vietnam ‘quagmire’?

Renewed strikes put Washington’s appetite for a prolonged war to a familiar historical test, analysts say.

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

Vietnam jeweller rattled after India-Hong Kong diamond-smuggling ring bust

Analysts say PNJ faces ‘significant’ reputational risk from the case involving the former director of its gem certification subsidiary.

How Beijing’s islands of control are reshaping the South China Sea

Ten years after the Hague’s tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say.

Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

As it seeks connectivity, Phnom Penh must build diplomatic bridges with as much effort as it constructs ports and canals.

At this stunning Vietnamese mountain resort, luxury meets local culture

Nestled among protected terraced rice paddies 200km from Hanoi, Garrya Mu Cang Chai blends bamboo, wellness and local Hmong tradition.

China’s power exports to Asean surge 40% in first half of 2026

Myanmar is leading the export surge for China’s power in Asean, with exports to the country nearly doubling in the first five months.

Trump’s 20% Hormuz toll jolts markets as Asia adapts to oil shock

Alternative trade routes and an AI tech boom are helping the region cushion the blow of a threatened maritime tariff.

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

Is China’s island-building push at Antelope Reef nearing the finish line?

Satellite images suggest construction at the South China Sea atoll, now Beijing’s biggest outpost in the Paracels, is entering a new phase.

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s economic miracle has a made-elsewhere problem