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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

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.

2 hours agovideocam

Hong Kong transport

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

25 May 2026 - 1:41PM

Asean

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

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

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

A plenary session of the review conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty held on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York. Photo: Kyodo

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

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

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

The Pinglu Canal runs through Qinzhou in China’s southern Guangxi region. Photo: Xinhua

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

The swimming pool at Andaz One Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: courtesy Andaz One Bangkok

Energy

Video | Hanoi hits the brakes on petrol motorbike ban

The proposed ban has already been scaled back, as riders demand better infrastructure and government support before making the switch to electric.

19 May 2026 - 9:04PM

The Philippines

Philippine navy’s ‘aspirational’ middle power claim comes under scrutiny

The navy based its assessment partly on regional partners admiring its newer ships that were deployed in recent joint exercises.

20 May 2026 - 11:00AMvideocam

Hong Kong science and tech

Hong Kong’s CUHK aims to bring AI to life with humanoid-focused robotics lab

City’s first embodied AI lab, backed by 24 tech firms, is set to advance humanoid and quadruped robotics research and training over next five years.

18 May 2026 - 11:38PM

The Chinese University of Hong Kong has launched the city’s first embodied AI lab to drive humanoid and quadruped robotics research and talent training. Photo: Edmond So

South China Sea

Chinese scientists land on Sandy Cay as tensions with Philippines spike again

Manila says it sent a plane over the South China Sea reef in an effort to ‘drive away’ those carrying out ‘unauthorised’ research activity.

18 May 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

The Philippine coastguard says it spotted a Chinese research vessel accompanied by two coastguard ships. Photo: X/jaytaryela

Sri Lanka

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

18 May 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Thailand

Face forward: why Thailand is the next big thing in beauty trends

The T-beauty industry is growing by 5 per cent each year and is estimated to be worth over US$10 billion by 2030.

17 May 2026 - 1:37PMvideocam

China-Asean relations

Asian Angle | China offers Southeast Asia clear advantages in nuclear power

With its experience in exporting nuclear reactors, China can offer long-term energy security and technological upgrades.

17 May 2026 - 12:00PM

Researchers inspect an alloy material sample used to build a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor at a laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics in October last year. Photo: EPA

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Vietnam’s US$5 billion Apec island is running out of time

Phu Quoc is a test case for Vietnam’s build-fast model. But with 18 months to go, the island is short of workers, diesel and hotel rooms.

17 May 2026 - 8:00AM

To Lam

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

16 May 2026 - 8:00AM

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

The US delegation went to Beijing looking for deals, but a ‘super cycle’ of capital expenditures across Asia is already fuelling enormous growth.

16 May 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

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.

15 May 2026 - 8:43PMvideocam

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

Britain

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

The Green Party’s record-breaking gains in UK council elections are a sign voters are taking climate change seriously, analysts say.

15 May 2026 - 2:45PMvideocam

Asean

Canada pushes to finalise Asean trade deal to cut US reliance

Ottawa is keen to sign an FTA with Asean this year, as analysts predict two-way growth in sectors ranging from mining to manufacturing.

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

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pictured in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Photo: AP

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.

19 May 2026 - 9:20PMvideocam

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

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Vietnam

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

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

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.

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

Video | Hanoi hits the brakes on petrol motorbike ban

The proposed ban has already been scaled back, as riders demand better infrastructure and government support before making the switch to electric.

Philippine navy’s ‘aspirational’ middle power claim comes under scrutiny

The navy based its assessment partly on regional partners admiring its newer ships that were deployed in recent joint exercises.

Hong Kong’s CUHK aims to bring AI to life with humanoid-focused robotics lab

City’s first embodied AI lab, backed by 24 tech firms, is set to advance humanoid and quadruped robotics research and training over next five years.

Chinese scientists land on Sandy Cay as tensions with Philippines spike again

Manila says it sent a plane over the South China Sea reef in an effort to ‘drive away’ those carrying out ‘unauthorised’ research activity.

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

Face forward: why Thailand is the next big thing in beauty trends

The T-beauty industry is growing by 5 per cent each year and is estimated to be worth over US$10 billion by 2030.

Asian Angle | China offers Southeast Asia clear advantages in nuclear power

With its experience in exporting nuclear reactors, China can offer long-term energy security and technological upgrades.

Vietnam’s US$5 billion Apec island is running out of time

Phu Quoc is a test case for Vietnam’s build-fast model. But with 18 months to go, the island is short of workers, diesel and hotel rooms.

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

The US delegation went to Beijing looking for deals, but a ‘super cycle’ of capital expenditures across Asia is already fuelling enormous growth.

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

The Green Party’s record-breaking gains in UK council elections are a sign voters are taking climate change seriously, analysts say.

Canada pushes to finalise Asean trade deal to cut US reliance

Ottawa is keen to sign an FTA with Asean this year, as analysts predict two-way growth in sectors ranging from mining to manufacturing.

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.

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

Asian Angle | Asia’s silver dividend can offset ageing’s economic toll