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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

Many content creators are helping Chinese manufacturers expand their reach on overseas social media platforms. Photo: EPA-EFE

China exports

As China’s firms go global, foreign expertise is becoming a hot commodity

Chinese companies are rushing to hire a range of service contractors to help them expand overseas – from compliance experts to TikTok gurus.

27 Feb 2026 - 10:42AMvideocam

Japan

Cash-for-tips scheme in Japan sparks debate over migrant rights

26 Feb 2026 - 4:26PM

South China Sea

Chinese maritime militia in South China Sea hit ‘record high’ in 2025: US report

24 Feb 2026 - 6:22PMvideocam

Trade

Tariff whiplash throws Asia’s recent US trade deals into doubt

India has already paused trade talks with Washington as other Asian nations are left to question the validity of their recent agreements.

23 Feb 2026 - 5:48PM

US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Friday. Photo: AFP

China airliners

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

23 Feb 2026 - 11:00AM

Trade

US to remove Vietnam from tech export control list, Hanoi says

Donald Trump’s reported pledge follows a massive US$37 billion spending spree by Vietnamese airlines on US aerospace contracts.

21 Feb 2026 - 12:06PM

South Korea

#SEAbling: the hashtag uniting Southeast Asia against South Korea

A row over K-pop fan behaviour in Malaysia has spiralled into a bitter regional dispute online, with echoes of the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’.

21 Feb 2026 - 9:20AM

A meme circulating on social media under the hashtag #SEAbling. Photo: X/sna_zizah17

Bangladesh

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

20 Feb 2026 - 8:29PM

Asean

Opinion | Building Asean ties puts Hong Kong on path to long-term growth

Expanding relations with Southeast Asia can open new markets for the city’s firms, deepen the talent pool and promote greater understanding.

20 Feb 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Indonesia

Indonesia seals ‘great’ US trade deal, agrees to send 8,000 troops to Gaza

A US general said Jakarta will take a deputy commander role in the international stabilisation force in Gaza.

20 Feb 2026 - 10:35AMvideocam

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (centre) attends the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace” in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

US-China trade war

US trade deficit widens sharply in December, testing Trump tariff claims

Trade with China remains a major driver of the US deficit, even as imports shift towards Southeast Asia and other partners.

20 Feb 2026 - 1:03AMvideocam

In December, the US goods deficit with China stood at US$12.4 billion, underscoring Beijing’s continued role in America’s trade gap. Photo: Getty Images

China-Asean relations

Chinese missions in Vietnam, Singapore warn citizens to stay away from gambling

Consulate and embassy issue statements after two separate incidents in which Chinese men fell to their deaths, allegedly after gambling.

18 Feb 2026 - 3:21PMvideocam

Cambodia

Battered Cambodia seeks economic reset after Thailand border war

Shuttered borders have choked trade and sent migrant workers home, forcing Phnom Penh to seek new partners and markets.

17 Feb 2026 - 3:23PMvideocam

Malaysia

Can Malaysia’s ban stop global flow of toxic e-waste?

Malaysian customs recently intercepted nearly 200 tonnes of e-waste, but high shipping volumes make detection a ‘challenge’, officials say.

15 Feb 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Shipping containers are seen stacked in Port Klang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: AFP

Bitcoin

‘Everyone became greedy’: how Vietnam’s crypto gold rush ended in ruins

Vietnam’s crypto boom faces a harsh winter as investors lose fortunes, bankruptcies and lay-offs roil the industry.

15 Feb 2026 - 2:26PMvideocam

A Vietnamese cryptocurrency investor looks at the latest bitcoin values on a laptop in Hanoi. Photo: AFP

UAE

‘Surpassing Hong Kong’: UAE challenges Singapore for the global trade crown

With non-oil trade nearly doubling, analysts say the UAE has secured a first-mover advantage that leaves regional rivals trailing behind.

14 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

Asean

Asian Angle | How Asean can resolve its Myanmar dilemma post-election

Asean should not discard the Five-Point Consensus, but translate it into a politically astute strategy of conditional engagement.

14 Feb 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysia smashes high-end sex syndicate charging US$900 a session

The suspected ringleader and salesmen are Chinese nationals while a Singaporean and Malaysian have been asked to assist in investigations.

14 Feb 2026 - 11:37AMvideocam

A view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. The bungalow was in an upmarket residential area of the capital. Photo: Shutterstock

SCMP Highlights

Free Disneyland tickets for helpers; Chen Zhi’s extradition: 7 highlights

From free Disneyland tickets for Hong Kong’s helpers to China’s link to Southeast Asia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

13 Feb 2026 - 1:12PM

Hong Kong tourism

How Hongkongers are using a longer Lunar New Year break for travel

South Korea and Japan also popular as some residents make the most of break by taking two days of leave to enjoy nine consecutive days off.

13 Feb 2026 - 9:27PM

Scams and swindles

More Southeast Asian human trafficking gangs use crypto to move illegal funds

The transactions are linked to activities such as forced labour recruited by scammers and international escort services, a report says.

16 Feb 2026 - 4:48PMvideocam

Soldiers raid the KK Park online scam centre in Myawaddy township, Karen state, Myanmar, last year. Photo: AP

Thailand

Why tourists are choosing Vietnam, over Thailand and Cambodia in 2026

At a time when other popular parts of Asia are struggling with dwindling tourist numbers, how is Vietnam ⁠hitting record numbers of visitors?

12 Feb 2026 - 6:00PM

Tourists walk at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam last month. Photo: EPA

South Korea

South Koreans swap ancestral rites for Japan getaways this Lunar New Year

Short holidays and a weak yen drive the ‘aeroplane instead of the ancestral table’ trend.

11 Feb 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

Made in China 2025

Chinese healthcare firms expand overseas to support growing expat community

Privately owned Distinct Healthcare plans to open a clinic in Dubai, while TCM group Gushengtang eyes 50 centres in Southeast Asia.

11 Feb 2026 - 5:08PM

South China Sea

The Philippines wants to seal South China Sea code of conduct. Can it deliver?

As 2026 Asean chair, Manila has highlighted its push to finalise within its term a code of conduct covering the contested waters.

11 Feb 2026 - 6:14AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Opinion | New US-led minerals bloc renews pressure on Asia to pick sides

For Asia’s China-linked economies, the challenge is to remain open to all opportunities while safeguarding supply chains of the future.

11 Feb 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, lower centre, participates in a group photo during the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting at the Sate Department in Washington on February 4. Photo: AFP

South China Sea

Why High Seas Treaty could change ‘rules of the game’ in South China Sea row

Effective January 17, the framework protects unique marine biodiversity and ecosystems in areas beyond any individual country’s jurisdiction.

10 Feb 2026 - 9:43AMvideocam

Scientists

Vietnam’s legendary maths genius Ngo Bao Chau to join University of Hong Kong

The Fields Medal winner and his country’s most distinguished mathematician is leaving the US and returning to Asia.

9 Feb 2026 - 5:29PMvideocam

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Vietnam

As China’s firms go global, foreign expertise is becoming a hot commodity

Chinese companies are rushing to hire a range of service contractors to help them expand overseas – from compliance experts to TikTok gurus.

Cash-for-tips scheme in Japan sparks debate over migrant rights

Chinese maritime militia in South China Sea hit ‘record high’ in 2025: US report

Tariff whiplash throws Asia’s recent US trade deals into doubt

India has already paused trade talks with Washington as other Asian nations are left to question the validity of their recent agreements.

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

US to remove Vietnam from tech export control list, Hanoi says

Donald Trump’s reported pledge follows a massive US$37 billion spending spree by Vietnamese airlines on US aerospace contracts.

#SEAbling: the hashtag uniting Southeast Asia against South Korea

A row over K-pop fan behaviour in Malaysia has spiralled into a bitter regional dispute online, with echoes of the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’.

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Building Asean ties puts Hong Kong on path to long-term growth

Expanding relations with Southeast Asia can open new markets for the city’s firms, deepen the talent pool and promote greater understanding.

Indonesia seals ‘great’ US trade deal, agrees to send 8,000 troops to Gaza

A US general said Jakarta will take a deputy commander role in the international stabilisation force in Gaza.

US trade deficit widens sharply in December, testing Trump tariff claims

Trade with China remains a major driver of the US deficit, even as imports shift towards Southeast Asia and other partners.

Chinese missions in Vietnam, Singapore warn citizens to stay away from gambling

Consulate and embassy issue statements after two separate incidents in which Chinese men fell to their deaths, allegedly after gambling.

Battered Cambodia seeks economic reset after Thailand border war

Shuttered borders have choked trade and sent migrant workers home, forcing Phnom Penh to seek new partners and markets.

Can Malaysia’s ban stop global flow of toxic e-waste?

Malaysian customs recently intercepted nearly 200 tonnes of e-waste, but high shipping volumes make detection a ‘challenge’, officials say.

‘Everyone became greedy’: how Vietnam’s crypto gold rush ended in ruins

Vietnam’s crypto boom faces a harsh winter as investors lose fortunes, bankruptcies and lay-offs roil the industry.

‘Surpassing Hong Kong’: UAE challenges Singapore for the global trade crown

With non-oil trade nearly doubling, analysts say the UAE has secured a first-mover advantage that leaves regional rivals trailing behind.

Asian Angle | How Asean can resolve its Myanmar dilemma post-election

Asean should not discard the Five-Point Consensus, but translate it into a politically astute strategy of conditional engagement.

Malaysia smashes high-end sex syndicate charging US$900 a session

The suspected ringleader and salesmen are Chinese nationals while a Singaporean and Malaysian have been asked to assist in investigations.

Free Disneyland tickets for helpers; Chen Zhi’s extradition: 7 highlights

From free Disneyland tickets for Hong Kong’s helpers to China’s link to Southeast Asia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

How Hongkongers are using a longer Lunar New Year break for travel

South Korea and Japan also popular as some residents make the most of break by taking two days of leave to enjoy nine consecutive days off.

More Southeast Asian human trafficking gangs use crypto to move illegal funds

The transactions are linked to activities such as forced labour recruited by scammers and international escort services, a report says.

Why tourists are choosing Vietnam, over Thailand and Cambodia in 2026

At a time when other popular parts of Asia are struggling with dwindling tourist numbers, how is Vietnam ⁠hitting record numbers of visitors?

South Koreans swap ancestral rites for Japan getaways this Lunar New Year

Short holidays and a weak yen drive the ‘aeroplane instead of the ancestral table’ trend.

Chinese healthcare firms expand overseas to support growing expat community

Privately owned Distinct Healthcare plans to open a clinic in Dubai, while TCM group Gushengtang eyes 50 centres in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines wants to seal South China Sea code of conduct. Can it deliver?

As 2026 Asean chair, Manila has highlighted its push to finalise within its term a code of conduct covering the contested waters.

Opinion | New US-led minerals bloc renews pressure on Asia to pick sides

For Asia’s China-linked economies, the challenge is to remain open to all opportunities while safeguarding supply chains of the future.

Why High Seas Treaty could change ‘rules of the game’ in South China Sea row

Effective January 17, the framework protects unique marine biodiversity and ecosystems in areas beyond any individual country’s jurisdiction.

Vietnam’s legendary maths genius Ngo Bao Chau to join University of Hong Kong

The Fields Medal winner and his country’s most distinguished mathematician is leaving the US and returning to Asia.

Opinion | Building Asean ties puts Hong Kong on path to long-term growth