This Vietnamese town boomed as factories left China. Now it’s asking what’s next ?
Once known for its rice fields and folk songs, Bac Ninh has become one of Vietnam’s busiest factory zones
Vietnam poised to overtake Thailand’s GDP this year as growth accelerates
Vietnam may overtake Thailand in nominal GDP this year, powered by public investment, as Thailand grapples with slow growth, debt and border tensions.
Vietnam’s annual growth reaches 8% as trade surplus with US hits record despite tariffs
Vietnam’s economy grew by 8% in 2025, accelerating from the previous year’s pace due to robust exports despite U.S. tariffs, preliminary government data showed on Monday, as the country posted its highest annual trade surplus with Washington.
Vietnam voices deep concern over Venezuelan situation, urges restraint
Vietnam is serious concerned about escalating tensions in Venezuela and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from using force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated.
Nearly 10,500 drivers penalized in Vietnam on New Year’s Day
Vietnamese traffic police handled nearly 10,500 violations nationwide on Thursday, the first day of the four-day New Year holiday, according to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security.
Vietnam faces external challenges to growing 10% next year, central bank says
Tariffs and monetary policy in other countries will make it harder for Vietnam’s central bank to get its policy settings right and hit an economic growth target of more than 10% next year, a senior State Bank of Vietnam official…
Vietnam convicts two activists in absentia for sedition
A court in Vietnam convicted two exiled pro-democracy activists living in Germany of anti-state activities on Wednesday, state media reported, sentencing them in absentia to 17 years each in prison.
Remittances to HCMC to hit record high this year
Remittance inflows to Ho Chi Minh City have seen stable growth despite fluctuations in the global economy and are expected to reach an all-time high of US$10.5 billion in 2025.
E-cigarette users face up to $190 fines in Vietnam
People who use e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products in Vietnam will face fines ranging from VND3 million to VND5 million (US$114–190) and will be required to destroy the products, a government decree stipulates.
Chinese digital blueprint for Vietnam’s social engineering
Vietnam apparently importing Chinese governance tech almost verbatim, raising questions about who really controls the machine
Ho Chi Minh City to restrict student phone use in over 500 schools from 2026
More than 500 secondary, high schools and vocational schools in Ho Chi Minh City will restrict student phone use during recess starting 2026, aiming to curb passive screen time without imposing a full ban.
Vietnam’s competition watchdog asks Zalo to revise user terms, allow opt-out
Vietnam’s competition watchdog has asked tech unicorn VNG to revise how it implements the terms of service on its messaging app Zalo, saying users must not be forced to accept data collection and usage conditions in order to continue using…
No bonus, no jobs : Thousands of Vietnam garment workers struggle as Korean factory shuts down before Tet
More than 2,700 workers at Panko Vina in Ho Chi Minh City are bracing for uncertainty as the garment factory prepares to shut down in mid-January, leaving many without a year-end bonus and unsure how they will find work with…
Vietnam faces shortage of 1.3 million marriage-age women within 20 years
Vietnam’s General Statistics Office expects the country to face a shortage of 1.3 million women of marriageable age by 2049 due to the long-term consequences of sex imbalance at birth.
Vietnam’s censorship lawfare enters the AI age
Vietnamese regime using foreign lawsuits, anti-state provisions and now AI-related criminal charges to stifle dissent
Higher fines for failing to declare foreigners’ temporary residence in Vietnam
On October 30, the Vietnamese government issued Decree No. 282/2025/ND-CP introducing a series of tougher deterrent measures, notably higher fines for accommodation establishments that fail to declare foreigners’ temporary residence as required by law.
Vietnam military mobilizes forces to contain oil spill at Dung Quat
Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense has deployed equipment and more than 200 personnel to contain and clean up an oil spill at the Dung Quat Economic Zone in central Quang Ngai Province, officials said at a press briefing on Saturday.
Vietnam proposes 4-day New Year break to boost travel and spending
Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed a plan to extend the New Year 2026 holiday to four consecutive days, up from the single day currently mandated.
Hundreds of dead pigs exhumed from graves and sold as pork in Vietnam
Police in Khanh Hoa Province in central Vietnam on Dec. 25 accused a man and six others with exhuming hundreds of dead pigs infected with African swine fever and selling the meat illegally.
Over 100,000 Vietnamese die each year from tobacco use
The Ministry of Health estimates that tobacco use claims more than 100,000 lives in Vietnam each year, with annual healthcare costs and economic losses reaching approximately VND108 trillion (US$4.2 billion).
Vingroup withdraws bid as Vietnam weighs high-speed rail plan
Vietnam’s biggest conglomerate, Vingroup withdraws bid for the country’s $67-billion railway project Vietnam is planning: the North–South high-speed railway project linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, according to Reuters. The company said the move will let it concentrate on other…
L’homme fort du Viêtnam, Tô Lâm, reconduit pour cinq ans au pouvoir
Le secrétaire général du Parti communiste viêtnamien, Tô Lâm, a été confirmé à son poste pour les cinq prochaines années.
The brutal cost of academic pressure
Two major education-related crises are weighing heavily on parents at the same time.
Why Ho Chi Minh City’s air quality is deteriorating
With 12 million cars and motorbikes, a slew of transportation and urban development projects and outdated waste-treatment technologies, Ho Chi Minh City’s air is becoming increasingly polluted, experts warn.
Vietnam looks to center VNeID ‘super-platform’ for digital economy push
Vietnam wants a digital future and it wants it soon. The Southeast Asian country is pushing hard for digital transformation, seeing digital identity and governance as central to its plans. Now, it’s training its sights on a unified digital economy…
First bicycle lanes take shape in Ho Chi Minh City
After more than two months of construction, Ho Chi Minh City’s first dedicated bicycle lanes along Mai Chi Tho Boulevard in An Khanh Ward are gradually taking shape, marking a milestone in the city’s push toward greener and safer urban…