Vietnam

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, speaks during an online meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers hosted by Vietnam on Sept. 10.
Coronavirus

US to open regional CDC office in Vietnam to tackle COVID-19

Washington steps up commitment to ASEAN public health amid Beijing tensions

10 September 2020
Images taken from video provided by VTV show Association of Southeast Asian Nations' foreign ministers remotely watching Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh, center, deliver a speech in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the opening of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on  Sept. 9.
South China Sea

Vietnam stresses South China Sea security issues at ASEAN meeting

Draft communique calls for joint work on COVID vaccine development and delivery

9 September 2020
A Chinese guided-missile frigate: The ASEAN meetings take place against the backdrop of mounting tensions in the South China Sea.
International relations

Sino-US tug of war looms large in ASEAN meetings

China to use promise of coronavirus vaccine to sway members to its side

8 September 2020
VinFast plans to produce just 500 of the luxury President SUVs. (Photos courtesy of VinFast)
Automobiles

Vietnam automaker VinFast unveils $164k SUV to burnish brand

Luxury model goes on sale same month government slashes economic growth target

7 September 2020
Hit by a resurgence of coronavirus from July, Vietnam has halved its GDP growth target this year and will not increase minimum wage next year.
Economy

Vietnam to halve 2020 GDP growth target due to pandemic

Hanoi will not raise minimum wage in 2021 for the first time in decades

7 September 2020
A casino dealer collects chips at a roulette table in Manila. Chinese account for a fifth of foreign visitors to the Philippines.
Travel & Leisure

China's foreign casino ban risks snake eyes for Vietnam and rivals

Macao stands to lure high rollers from destinations like Philippines and Singapore

7 September 2020
Marubeni employs about 30 certified coffee tasters in Japan and abroad.
Food & Beverage

Marubeni on mission to win hearts and taste buds across the world

From coffee to beef, trading house doubles down on pandemic-proof foods

6 September 2020
Singapore based PropertyGuru had clocked 24% year-on-year revenue growth and had a market share of 57% in Southeast Asia.
DealStreetAsia

Singapore online realtor raises $200m from US equity giants

PropertyGuru to accelerate growth strategy in key markets Malaysia and Vietnam

3 September 2020
Ho Chi Minh City Hall with a statue of Ho Chi Minh. The city's first phase goal as a financial center will be to provide financial services to neighboring countries Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Economy

Ho Chi Minh pitches itself as regional financial hub after COVID

Proposal to Hanoi comes as Vietnam seeks to emerge from economic slump

31 August 2020
In Vietnam, there has been strong competition between e-payments brands such as Momo, ZaloPay, VNPAY, Payoo, ViettelPay and NexPay.
DealStreetAsia

Vietnam's NextPay aims to raise $60-$100m in pre-IPO placement

E-payments provider looks to expand overseas such as in Indonesia and Myanmar

31 August 2020
China Merchants Port Holdings has been unable to complete its purchase of a stake in a new terminal at Vietnam's Cai Mep port. 
Transportation

Chinese state port operator's India and Vietnam acquisitions stall

Government approvals for China Merchants Port purchases 'delayed'

28 August 2020
Economic Ministers from the 15 countries taking part in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership talks met online on Aug. 27. (Photo courtesy of the ASEAN Secretariat/Kusuma Pandu Wijaya)
Trade

India's absence looms over 'progress' on RCEP Asian trade deal

Members aim to sign pact at November summit, but New Delhi stays aloof

27 August 2020
India pulled out of the RCEP negotiations over concerns that the pact would hurt the South Asian country's domestic producers. (Nikkei montage/source photos by Reuters and Rie Ishii)
Trade

Talks on Asian trade megadeal RCEP resume in COVID shadow

India likely to remain absent as Vietnam leads push for year-end agreement

26 August 2020
Vietnam's commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City is in line to receive increased financial support from the national budget as authorities seek to boost its economy. (Photo by Toyoaki Fujiwara)
Economy

Vietnam to boost Ho Chi Minh budget for first time in 18 years

Engine of the economy to get a lift to help country deal with COVID impact

25 August 2020
Over 200 hotels, including FLC Grand Hotel Halong, have turned a total of 18,000 rooms into self-isolation spaces across Vietnam. (Photo from hotel operator's Facebook account)
Business trends

VIP quarantine: Vietnam luxury hotels double as isolation quarters

Services maintained for incoming foreigners who must stay in room 14 days

25 August 2020
Ricult uses deep tech, AI and machine learning to improve efficiency in Thailand's agricultural value chain.
36Kr/KrASIA

Thai agritech startup raises $2m in pre-Series A round

Ricult targets product development and expansion into neighboring countries

20 August 2020
A medical personnel uses a bag-mask valve at an isolation facility in Metro Manila on May 1: few problems are insurmountable when collaborative science rise to the occasion.
Opinion

Reimagining Asia's response to COVID-19

Purpose-driven leadership, digital transformation and collective effort are critical

19 August 2020
The Subi Reef, a part of the Spratly Islands, pictured in May 2018: China has intensified its attempts to strengthen its claims to the South China Sea.
Opinion

Southeast Asia stands to gain as US hardens South China Sea stance

Region welcomes US support for UN tribunal ruling rejecting China's maritime claims

17 August 2020
Vaccine development in a Russian lab: While Moscow sees limited sales prospects in Western markets, it views Asia as "promising."
Coronavirus

Russia aims COVID vaccine at Asian buyers beyond Philippines

Vietnam and others eye Sputnik V doses as scientists spar over safety

15 August 2020
An employee displays a ventilator at a VinSmart factory near Hanoi. Medtronic will buy components made by VinSmart for ventilators to be sold in the U.S. and Ireland.
Economy

Vietnam courts EU investment in medical and drug supply chains

Vingroup's ventilator parts deal with Medtronic seeks third pillar of manufacturing

14 August 2020
My Khe beach promenade in the Vietnamese resort city of Danang is deserted. (Photo by Hugh Bohane)
Coronavirus

On the ground in Vietnam's new COVID epicenter of Danang

Nation's early success slips away as coastal city becomes new hot spot

13 August 2020
A steel plant in Vietnam. The country has been seeking to boost its steel output in order to be less dependent on China, but a global glut has stymied those plans.
Materials

Vietnam steelmaker scraps blast furnace plant due to China glut

Hoa Sen's $10bn project had potential to double country's output

12 August 2020
Vietnam Airlines projects a $646 million loss this year due to the grounding of international flights.
Transportation

Vietnam Airlines to slash wages in half to fill financial hole

Flag carrier cuts costs as it requests $517m government bailout

8 August 2020
Health care workers talk to a Hanoi resident near the house of a coronavirus patient as they investigate infection links on July 30. 
Coronavirus

Vietnam tries new local lockdowns to stop COVID but not economy

PM Phuc balances case counts with business activity in new coronavirus wave

7 August 2020
People wait for COVID-19 tests in Hanoi on July 30. 
Coronavirus

Vietnam deploys elite team to Danang to curb new wave of COVID-19

Hanoi tightens border control as illegal Chinese migrants reportedly surge

5 August 2020