Vietnam

A lifeguard sits on a beach in the Vietnamese city of Nha Trang in 2020. The nation's tourism industry lost workers during the pandemic.
Travel & Leisure

Vietnam's reopening tourism sector hobbled by labor shortage

Industry lost workers during strict coronavirus lockdowns

30 March 2022
A worker seals off a residential area in Shanghai. The Chinese economy has suffered from strict restrictions designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Coronavirus

Asia's COVID success stories become the world's worst hot spots

China insists on lockdowns while South Korea and Vietnam weigh reopening

30 March 2022
Vietnam's growth was lead by exports mainly to the U.S. in the first quarter.
Economy

Vietnam GDP grows 5.03% in first three months of 2022

Exports rise 14% but spike in material costs remains a concern

29 March 2022
A containership off Singapore: Europe accounts for 9% of ASEAN exports, according to Maybank.
Ukraine war

ASEAN faces 'collateral damage' from Ukraine war's Europe impact

From Singapore to Thailand, spillover threatens COVID-hit economies anew

27 March 2022
FujiMart Store No. 3 in Vietnam carries thousands of items, including fresh foods and daily necessities. (Photo courtesy of Sumitomo Corp.)
Retail

Vietnam developer and Sumitomo step up supermarket openings

Joint venture to launch about 50 stores by 2028 as shopping habits change

26 March 2022
Soldiers of PLA Navy patrol at Woody Island, which is claimed by Vietnam, in the Paracel Archipelago in January 2016: Beijing has continued to exercise military options against Vietnam.
Opinion

Ukraine conflict echoes loudest in Vietnam, not Taiwan

A South China Sea incident could easily escalate

21 March 2022
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. has walked away from its alliance with Vietnam Eximbank.
Finance

Vietnam Eximbank and Japan's SMBC part ways after 14-year alliance

Tie-up terminated over 'material changes' in business environment

19 March 2022
With more than 20 liquefied natural gas power plants in the pipeline, Vietnam's transition from coal will help lower emissions. (Photo by Konosuke Urata)
Energy

Samsung C&T wins $940m deal for Vietnam's first LNG power plant

Project with local partner slated to come online as early as 2024

17 March 2022
A Gojek motorbike driver jets off to make a delivery in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo by Lien Hoang) 
Technology

Gojek taps Vietnamese e-wallet MoMo in transport battle with Grab

Fintech unicorn has more users than country's entire ride-hailing market

14 March 2022
Shoppers browse Apple products in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has increased production for the iPhone maker, with suppliers moving from China and Taiwan and hiring local Chinese speakers. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
China tech

Help wanted: Tech firms in Vietnam seek Chinese speakers

Apple suppliers, garment makers fleeing China-U.S. tension hire bilingual talent

14 March 2022
Passengers wearing protective face masks check-in at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2021. The Vietnamese government will reopen its borders from Tuesday despite a surge in infections driven by the omicron variant. 
Your Week in Asia

U.S. court decision on ZTE, Vietnam reopens, Philippine presidential debate

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

13 March 2022
Commuters in Mumbai: India is likely to see pay increases average 9.2% this year, according to one survey.
Economy

From India to Indonesia, wages to rise faster alongside inflation

Studies find Asian employers ready to pay more after COVID pain

13 March 2022
A Singapore Airlines plane at the Singapore Airshow in February: The city-state this week announced a package worth 500 million Singapore dollars to support its aviation sector.
Coronavirus

Singapore weighs air hub reopening as Malaysia charges ahead

City-state plows millions into restoring aviation but remains cautious about border

11 March 2022
Building of the Long Phu 1 thermal power plant has been delayed in Vietnam's Mekong Delta because of U.S. sanctions against a Russian contractor. (Photo courtesy of PetroVietnam's PTSC)
Ukraine war

SWIFT sanctions add twist to Vietnam-Russia coal plant dispute

Hanoi refrains from condemning Ukraine invasion by its old Soviet partner

10 March 2022
Oil prices are higher than they have been since 2008, causing governments to balance budgetary concerns against the need to keep people -- and economies -- moving. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

In Asia, oil price surge stokes government fear of angry voters

Unaffordable or unavoidable? Helping drivers buy fuel is becoming both

7 March 2022
Diminished production at Vietnam's Nghi Son oil refinery has caused a gasoline shortage throughout the country. (Photo courtesy of Idemitsu Kosan)
Energy

Vietnam refinery fails to tap oil boom over boardroom discord

Nghi Son facility hopes to recover from output cut at worst time

5 March 2022
From period poverty to menopause, women's health issues have historically been sidelined by the medical industry. Ahead of International Women's Day, we take a look at some of Asia's femtech startups that are addressing women's unmet health care needs. 
The Big Story

Asia's femtech revolution: the quest for better women's health

Underserved by mainstream health care, women from India to Japan turn to technology

2 March 2022
Speaking in Vietnam, former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry says Russian President Vladimir Putin made a "disgusting" choice to bully Ukraine. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Ukraine war

Ex-top U.S. diplomat Kerry calls Ukraine invasion 'grotesque'

Vietnam War veteran and climate envoy blasts Russia's Putin and coal power

25 February 2022
Vietnam's OpenCommerce says it can help Chinese online vendors reach international customers. (Photo based on screenshots from OpenCommerce's website) 
Technology

Vietnam startup raises $7m in quest to challenge Alibaba in China

Shopify-like drop shipper service eyes e-commerce expansion in Asia and beyond

24 February 2022
Southeast Asia's biggest banks, all based in Singapore, are hoping the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic are behind them.
Finance

From ASEAN to Taiwan, Singapore banks tap Asia growth post-COVID

Southeast Asia's largest lenders snapping up Citi's assets as profits surge

23 February 2022
Leading Vietnam's coffee renaissance has been Future Coffee Farm founder Toi Nguyen, whose plantation around 180 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City has become an inspiration to new coffee farmers with grand ambitions of affecting coffee perceptions around the world. (Photo by Mervin Lee)
Life

Tasting the future of coffee in Vietnam

Now a key producer, the country's global stature is growing rapidly

19 February 2022
Samsung is Vietnam's biggest foreign investor and exporter.
Technology

Samsung injects $920m into Vietnam factory

Funds will be used to build mobile components, local government says

17 February 2022
CEO Brand Cheng says Foxconn Industrial Internet "will first prioritize Asian markets, targeting China and Vietnam, where there are more manufacturing activities."
Supply Chain

Foxconn smart factory arm sees COVID-era growth in China, Vietnam

FII CEO Cheng says disruption is fueling demand for data-driven automation

17 February 2022
Suntory will begin exporting Japanese gin to other counties in Asia in April. (Photo courtesy of Suntory) 
Food & Beverage

Suntory takes shot at spirits market in India, Southeast Asia

Japanese distiller looks to region's growing middle class for growth

15 February 2022
A clay path runs through a forest in Dong Nai Province. Vietnam's wood pellet exports have tripled in five years as Japan and South Korea look for an alternative to coal. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Climate Change

Asia swaps coal for wood fuel, but emissions still a threat

Critics say biomass burning in South Korea and Japan poses logging, carbon risks

13 February 2022