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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

US President Donald Trump (bottom right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping upon arriving at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. Photo: Reuters

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.

6 hours agovideocam

Britain

Turning over a new leaf: why UK’s green mandate is a win for Asia

15 May 2026 - 2:45PMvideocam

Asean

Canada pushes to finalise Asean trade deal to cut US reliance

15 May 2026 - 4:28PM

China-Latin America relations

China restores US beef trade amid Trump-Xi summit, alarming Brazilian exporters

Beijing’s renewal of import licences for US beef plants comes as Brazil nears its annual quota cap and scrambles for alternative markets.

15 May 2026 - 4:46AMvideocam

People shop for beef at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian province. China has renewed import licences for hundreds of US beef plants. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Wary mood to mark Xi-Trump summit with irritants aplenty on both sides: analysts

Observers noted the number of recent strategic and trade blows, including the war on Iran, have not derailed the meeting from going ahead.

14 May 2026 - 1:50AMvideocam

United States

Vietnam asks US to let crucial oil tanker slip past Hormuz blockade

The ship’s destination, Nghi Son, can process 200,000 barrels a day – meaning the 1.99 million barrel load can keep it going for 10 days.

13 May 2026 - 11:42AMvideocam

Indonesia

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

12 May 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

Foreign nationals suspected of running an online gambling operation at an office building in Jakarta await transport after being arrested in the Indonesian capital on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Indonesia

321 foreigners arrested in Indonesia online gambling crackdown

The foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, were arrested near Jakarta’s Chinatown section that investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites.

11 May 2026 - 11:13AMvideocam

India

Vietnam joins rush for India’s battle-tested ‘strong, non-Western’ BrahMos

As a joint Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos offers a supersonic, non-Western alternative to US hardware with no Nato-linked conditions.

10 May 2026 - 1:35PMvideocam

South China Sea

Vietnam adds over 2 square km of land in South China Sea, US report says

The expansion brings its total reclaimed area to roughly 11 square km, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

9 May 2026 - 2:07PM

Sunset over the South China Sea. Vietnam cites claims dating back to the 17th century to assert ownership over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Photo: Xinhua

China trade

How a China-backed highway may turn landlocked Laos into a trade gateway

The project is part of wider efforts to build overland trade corridors linking southern China with the Mekong region.

9 May 2026 - 7:11AM

An aerial drone photo taken on April 13 shows a train of the China-Laos Railway, departing from Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province, arriving in Vientiane, Laos. Photo: Xinhua

Science

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

China’s coastal aquaculture ponds span the largest area in the world but they are shrinking – and that is a good thing.

8 May 2026 - 5:00PM

To Lam

Vietnam burns red tape but growth may be harder to rekindle

Vietnam’s drive to energise its economy may take time to materialise in the face of rising fuel costs and trade barriers, analysts say.

8 May 2026 - 10:43AM

Asean

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

8 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Trump-Xi summit hides simmering trade tensions under the surface, experts say

Despite declarations of cooperation, friendship and respect from both sides, major trade conflict is brewing between the two superpowers.

8 May 2026 - 3:12AMvideocam

Despite politeness in public, there are fears that the future looks rocky for US-China trade. Illustration: Shutterstock

India

Vietnam, India seek closer ties to hedge against dependence on superpowers

President To Lam’s agenda during his visit to New Delhi is expected to include a deal for Vietnam to buy India’s BrahMos missiles.

7 May 2026 - 4:35PM

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

European cinema

Who was Marguerite Duras? Decoding the French cinema radical’s dual identity

Born in French Indochina in 1914, Duras was a visionary who treated the silver screen as a canvas for her haunting psychological experiments.

5 May 2026 - 3:15PM

Delphine Seyrig in a still from India Song (1975), a film by radical French auteur Marguerite Duras that is considered her magnum opus, standing as the ultimate triumph of her avant-garde phase.

North Korea

Pitch perfect diplomacy? North Korean footballers head to South Korea

The visit by Naegohyang Women’s FC to South Korea’s Suwon for a competitive match does not signal a thaw in inter-Korea ties, analysts say.

4 May 2026 - 7:05PM

Yuan

How China is quietly reshaping Southeast Asia’s payments beyond the US dollar

New initiative lets consumers use home-grown apps like Alipay for cross-border payments – supporting Beijing’s push to expand regional financial links.

4 May 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Middle East

Letters | UAE’s Opec exit reflects a complex world

Readers discuss the UAE’s decision to leave the oil cartel, and a Vietnamese leader’s choice to travel twice on China’s high-speed trains.

4 May 2026 - 11:30AM

A commercial vessel is seen off the coast of Dubai on April 20. Photo: AFP

South Korea

‘Stay to end’: South Korean agency pledges funeral support for foreign workers

Foreign workers, who comprise roughly 3.5 per cent of the workforce, account for over 10 per cent of annual workplace fatalities.

4 May 2026 - 9:53AM

Park Jong-kil pays his respects at a memorial altar for Nguyen Van Tuan at Incheon International Airport on March 20. Photo: K-Comwel

Japan

Takaichi bound for Australia to strengthen economic, security ties

The Prime Minister’s three-day visit will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security as Japan takes a more assertive military stance.

3 May 2026 - 6:11PMvideocam

Japan

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

2 May 2026 - 4:15PMvideocam

China trade

Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train

A new cold-storage rail service is whisking mountains of durians from Thailand to China, reducing prices for the prized fruit.

2 May 2026 - 10:02AM

A shopper browses a mound of durians at a market in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Lee

Asean

Why Singapore, Thailand are among the world’s ‘happiest’ economies

Southeast Asian countries outdid larger economies in the 178-nation Hanke’s Annual Misery Index for 2025.

1 May 2026 - 8:58PMvideocam

People walk on the boardwalk in front of Singapore’s financial centre. Photo: AFP

Food and Drinks

Le Le redefines Vietnamese fine dining in Hong Kong with Saigon soul food

Discover Hong Kong’s Le Le: progressive Vietnamese fine dining rooted in Elizabeth Chu’s Saigon childhood memories, Michelin-starred innovation and bold culinary storytelling.

30 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

Thailand

‘Destroying the world’s kitchen’: the poisoning of the Mekong River

Many millions depend on the river but toxic run-off from mining for modern technology - including for war - could be an existential threat.

1 May 2026 - 9:57AMvideocam

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Vietnam

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}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.

Turning over a new leaf: why UK’s green mandate is a win for Asia

Canada pushes to finalise Asean trade deal to cut US reliance

China restores US beef trade amid Trump-Xi summit, alarming Brazilian exporters

Beijing’s renewal of import licences for US beef plants comes as Brazil nears its annual quota cap and scrambles for alternative markets.

Wary mood to mark Xi-Trump summit with irritants aplenty on both sides: analysts

Observers noted the number of recent strategic and trade blows, including the war on Iran, have not derailed the meeting from going ahead.

Vietnam asks US to let crucial oil tanker slip past Hormuz blockade

The ship’s destination, Nghi Son, can process 200,000 barrels a day – meaning the 1.99 million barrel load can keep it going for 10 days.

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

321 foreigners arrested in Indonesia online gambling crackdown

The foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, were arrested near Jakarta’s Chinatown section that investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites.

Vietnam joins rush for India’s battle-tested ‘strong, non-Western’ BrahMos

As a joint Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos offers a supersonic, non-Western alternative to US hardware with no Nato-linked conditions.

Vietnam adds over 2 square km of land in South China Sea, US report says

The expansion brings its total reclaimed area to roughly 11 square km, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

How a China-backed highway may turn landlocked Laos into a trade gateway

The project is part of wider efforts to build overland trade corridors linking southern China with the Mekong region.

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

China’s coastal aquaculture ponds span the largest area in the world but they are shrinking – and that is a good thing.

Vietnam burns red tape but growth may be harder to rekindle

Vietnam’s drive to energise its economy may take time to materialise in the face of rising fuel costs and trade barriers, analysts say.

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

Trump-Xi summit hides simmering trade tensions under the surface, experts say

Despite declarations of cooperation, friendship and respect from both sides, major trade conflict is brewing between the two superpowers.

Vietnam, India seek closer ties to hedge against dependence on superpowers

President To Lam’s agenda during his visit to New Delhi is expected to include a deal for Vietnam to buy India’s BrahMos missiles.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

Who was Marguerite Duras? Decoding the French cinema radical’s dual identity

Born in French Indochina in 1914, Duras was a visionary who treated the silver screen as a canvas for her haunting psychological experiments.

Pitch perfect diplomacy? North Korean footballers head to South Korea

The visit by Naegohyang Women’s FC to South Korea’s Suwon for a competitive match does not signal a thaw in inter-Korea ties, analysts say.

How China is quietly reshaping Southeast Asia’s payments beyond the US dollar

New initiative lets consumers use home-grown apps like Alipay for cross-border payments – supporting Beijing’s push to expand regional financial links.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | UAE’s Opec exit reflects a complex world

Readers discuss the UAE’s decision to leave the oil cartel, and a Vietnamese leader’s choice to travel twice on China’s high-speed trains.

‘Stay to end’: South Korean agency pledges funeral support for foreign workers

Foreign workers, who comprise roughly 3.5 per cent of the workforce, account for over 10 per cent of annual workplace fatalities.

Takaichi bound for Australia to strengthen economic, security ties

The Prime Minister’s three-day visit will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security as Japan takes a more assertive military stance.

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train

A new cold-storage rail service is whisking mountains of durians from Thailand to China, reducing prices for the prized fruit.

Why Singapore, Thailand are among the world’s ‘happiest’ economies

Southeast Asian countries outdid larger economies in the 178-nation Hanke’s Annual Misery Index for 2025.

Le Le redefines Vietnamese fine dining in Hong Kong with Saigon soul food

Discover Hong Kong’s Le Le: progressive Vietnamese fine dining rooted in Elizabeth Chu’s Saigon childhood memories, Michelin-starred innovation and bold culinary storytelling.

‘Destroying the world’s kitchen’: the poisoning of the Mekong River

Many millions depend on the river but toxic run-off from mining for modern technology - including for war - could be an existential threat.

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

Letters | UAE’s Opec exit reflects a complex world