Vietnam News
Vietnam steps up South Reef expansion, careful not to provoke China
Vietnam has quietly accelerated land reclamation at South Reef, a once-remote coral feature in the contested Spratly Islands, signaling a new strategic turn as pressure from China intensifies across the South China Sea.
Russia’s Rosatom to provide advanced technology for Vietnam’s nuclear power project
Vietnam and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful nuclear energy cooperation, with Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation pledging to assist in developing the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant using advanced technology.
Vietnam set to make it harder for media to protect sources, to expand state secrets
Vietnam’s Parliament adopted reforms to the media and state secrets laws on Dec 10 which press freedom advocates say will make it harder for journalists to protect the identities of their sources and increase legal risks for reporting.
Vietnam amends law to ban exports of raw rare earth minerals
Vietnam’s Parliament moved to ban exports of raw rare earth resources as part of an overhaul of the nation’s geology and minerals law, which tightens controls over deposits and sets out new rules for the industry.
Ho Chi Minh City greenlights $3.9B Can Gio metro line backed by Vingroup
Ho Chi Minh City has approved VinSpeed, a subsidiary of conglomerate Vingroup, as the investor of the Ben Thanh–Can Gio railway project, with a total investment of approximately VND102.43 trillion (nearly US$3.9 billion).
Hanoi continues to choke in ‘very unhealthy’ air as smog blankets northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam woke up to a thick, unmoving blanket of smog on Dec. 9, with air quality in Hanoi and nearby Hung Yen Province plunging into « very unhealthy » territory for hours.
Vietnam’s Vingroup to develop $3 billion ecosystem in Telangana, strengthens India push
Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Telangana’s state government for a proposed $3 billion investment to establish a multi-sector ecosystem in the southern Indian state.
Vietnam integrating biometrics into daily life in digital transformation drive
Vietnam is rapidly integrating biometrics and digital identity into everyday life, rolling out identity‑based systems across public transport, air travel and banking as part of an ambitious national digital transformation drive.
Vietnam’s cautious acceptance of chinese 5G technology
Recent agreements with Huawei and ZTE reflect economic pragmatism rather than a shift in strategic trust.
Vietnam’s 11-month FDI disbursement highest in 5 years
Vietnam recorded $23.6 billion in implemented foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in the first 11 months of the year, up 8.9% year-on-year and marking a 5-year record high.
Laos–Vietnam railway construction to begin in 2026, operations targeted for 2030
Construction of the first railway linking Laos and Vietnam is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the line expected to become operational by 2030, officials announced at the Lao–Vietnam Investment Promotion Conference 2025 in Vientiane on 3 December.
Vietnam’s trade surplus with US hits record as exports surge despite tariffs
Vietnam’s trade surplus with the United States, its main market, rose to $121.6 billion in the first 11 months of the year, official data showed on Saturday, as exports surged despite U.S. import tariffs imposed in August on Vietnamese goods.
Questions hang over China-defying Tibetan lama’s death in Vietnam
Tibetans want to know if Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche’s mysterious demise in Vietnam was ordered or orchestrated by China
Hanoi apartment complex to ban electric motorbike parking on safety fears
The HH Linh Dam apartment complex in Hanoi’s Hoang Liet Ward is set to ban the parking of electric motorcycles and bicycles in its basement due to safety risks.
Vietnam’s forest carbon credits draw global interest
International businesses and organisations are showing strong interest in sourcing carbon credits from Vietnam, including forestry-based credits. A new survey by Swiss carbon finance consultancy South Pole indicates growing confidence in the country’s potential to supply the international carbon market.
Vietnam’s 8% growth making a mockery of Trump’s tariffs
Vietnamese exports and economy are booming despite 20% US levy, marking Hanoi’s second trade war win versus Trump
Vietnam assists Laos to build new public security command centre
Vietnamese Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang suggested the two ministries strengthen cooperation to firmly safeguard national security and maintain social order in each country.
Montagnard activist extradited to Vietnam
Y Quynh Bdap faces risk of arbitrary imprisonment, torture
EV makers in Vietnam likely to be exempted from battery collection, recycling requirements
Manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries in Vietnam are likely to be exempted from collection and recycling responsibilities, as producers currently do not have battery waste to recycle.
The oddities of Vietnam’s property market, explained
Have the country’s real estate prices become untethered from the basic economic forces of supply and demand ?
Hanoi wakes up to toxic air as real-time monitoring portal goes offline
Hanoi was blanketed in hazardous smog Sunday morning as air-quality levels spiked into the “very unhealthy” range across the capital and much of northern Vietnam, the first severe pollution episode of the 2025–2026 winter.
Vietnam’s largest tungsten mine has updated planning okayed
Vietnam’s Nui Phao mine, one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits outside China, has had its updated planning approved under a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.
Vietnam eyes entry into $3.88-trillion global biotechnology market
Vietnam is accelerating plans to develop its biotechnology sector as the global market grows over 13 percent annually and is projected to reach nearly US$3.88 trillion by 2030, with scientists and policymakers calling for stronger investment, commercialization, and international-standard ecosystems.
Vietnam’s Con Dao National Park added to IUCN Green List
Con Dao National Park in Ho Chi Minh City has been added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List, the third protected area in Vietnam to receive the designation.
Ho Chi Minh City needs $34bn for green transition over next decade
Ho Chi Minh City will need about VND900 trillion (US$34 billion) over the next 10 years to finance its green-transition program, economist Tran Du Lich told an economic forum in the city this week.
Vietnamese woman gets death sentence for poisoning 4 family members with cyanide
The People’s Court in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam on Thursday sentenced 39-year-old Nguyen Thi Hong Bich to death for murdering her husband, two relative members, and attempting to kill a fourth by poisoning them with cyanide, in a case…