Vietnam
TOPIC
 / location

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
Chinatown in Melbourne, seen in 2020. Despite its strong trade and people-to-people links to Asia, reinforced by waves of migration, Australia’s Asia literacy has steadily declined. Photo: Shutterstock
Australia

Opinion | Australia is losing its ability to engage Asia on its own terms

With security increasingly tied to regional developments, Australia’s eroding Asia literacy risks shutting Canberra out of crucial decisions.

videocam
Environment

Opinion | Forest conservation must be long-term priority for Southeast Asia

videocam

Video | Pickleball craze sparks controversy in Vietnam

‘It drives me nuts’: why Vietnam’s newest craze is keeping neighbours awake

‘The noise makes it impossible for me to sleep. It just keeps going pop-pop-pop,’ a Hanoi resident says.

videocam
People play pickleball in the playground of a residential area in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Asia needs AI talent to fuel its future growth

As governments around the region take steps to upskill workers for an AI-driven world, companies must also do their part.

videocam
South China Sea

China opens shopping centre on Woody Island in disputed Paracels

6,000 square metre complex is latest Chinese civilian facility on South China Sea island after first hardware store and hotpot restaurant.

7
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Science

Lard can actually keep you fit and feeling more comfortable, Chinese study finds

Long-held beliefs about animal fats being unhealthy are challenged as scientists discover consumption at moderate levels can have benefits.

videocam
A scientific study has found that in moderation, lard can have health benefits. Photo: Shutterstock Images
To Lam

Vietnam’s To Lam may secure dual role as party and state head in rare move

The proposal is likely to be endorsed at a party congress scheduled to take place in Hanoi next month.

videocam
US-China trade war

Explainer | Will US-led ‘Pax Silica’ be a new dawn for the international AI supply chain?

Trump administration aims for deeper technology cooperation on new AI infrastructure with allies.

videocam
15
Year in Review

SCMP Plus Year in Review 2025: China

As the year comes to a close, SCMP Plus highlights the biggest China-related stories of the year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a military parade in Beijing in September. Photo: AP
Extreme weather

Asia’s year in extreme weather and natural disasters, from earthquakes to floods

From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025.

Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE
SCMP Highlights

Philippines’ Chinese tourism woes, police officer goes viral: 7 Asia highlights

From India’s anxiety over US-Pakistan deals to South Korea’s visa policy debate, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Asean

Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change

Environmental crimes and poor oversight are also worsening the risks faced by animals and trees.

videocam
China economy

Opinion | Why China has moved to curb steel exports

China’s pivot to emerging markets has kept its export machine running. But frictions are growing and steel is the most visible flashpoint.

A worker stacks steel products meant for the export market at a factory in Binzhou, Shandong province, China on April 15. Photo: AFP
Education

Opinion | As UK universities lose prestige, Asian institutions stand to benefit

The decline of Britain’s universities and the challenges facing Western academia in general stem from education no longer being treated as a national investment.

4
People walk past the Bridge of Sighs at Oxford University in Britain on December 5. Photo: Reuters
India

‘Pax Silica’: America’s new AI inner circle and Asia’s chosen few

Japan, South Korea and Singapore made the cut, leaving key partners like India and Vietnam – and even New Zealand – on the sidelines.

6
South Korea

Vietnamese influx surges as South Korea’s foreign population hits record high

The Vietnamese population in South Korea jumped by 15.5 per cent last year, the fastest growing among major ethnic groups.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Thailand

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Environment

Video | Vietnam’s recyclers risk cancer in toxic villages

UN study finds ‘very high’ lead and dioxin levels in Vietnamese communities handling domestic and imported plastic waste, with residents reporting widespread illness.

The Philippines

Philippines struggles to win back Chinese tourists as regional rivals surge

New data shows Chinese arrivals to the Philippines hit 312,000 last year, only 18 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

videocam
5
China trade

Battle for China’s durian market gets even juicier as Laos enters the fray

Laos could present a real challenge to other players in China’s vast durian market due to its low costs and logistical advantages.

videocam
A local vendor sells durians at a stall near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Several Southeast Asian nations including Cambodia export the fruit to China, which is the world’s largest buyer by far. Photo: AP
Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | American cuisine better than Vietnamese, Korean? New ‘best’ list stirs tempers

The ‘100 Best Cuisines in the World’ list from TasteAtlas is angering people with its contentious food rankings. Singapore at number 90?

Bowls of pho from Bep in Hong Kong. Vietnamese cuisine is ranked at number 16 on TasteAtlas’s latest list of the “100 Best Cuisines in the World”, one place below American cuisine. Photo: Bep
Environment

Dirty, dangerous, cancer-prone: toxic truth about Vietnam’s recycling villages

‘There’s no shortage of cancer cases in this village,’ a worker, who has been sorting plastic in Xa Cau for a decade, says.

videocam
Malaysia

Trump’s tariffs on Southeast Asia put US Christmas gifts at risk

From Hot Wheels to headphones, new levies are squeezing the supply of Americans’ festive favourites.

US-Asean relations

Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy

The region appears just twice in the new 32-page US National Security Strategy, raising fears it is being relegated to a ‘bargaining chip’.

19
US President Donald Trump is pictured next to Malaysian flags before departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Air Force One in October. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam

Outdated teaching methods and the rise of language translation apps have made most Japanese less inclined to learn English, educators say.

videocam
Japanese schoolchildren cross a street in Tokyo. English proficiency is dropping in Japan, a fact that some critics are attributing to outdated teaching methods. Photo: AFP
Environment

‘I have to wear a mask all the time’: Hanoi’s smog hits crisis levels

On Thursday, Hanoi was the world’s fourth most-polluted city, with officials citing vehicles, industry, and crop burning for the poor air quality.

Americas and the Caribbean

Mexico lawmakers approve tariff increase on Chinese and other Asian imports

The move, which still requires Senate approval, would affect goods like cars, clothes and steel from China, India, South Korea and elsewhere.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement