Dr Le Hong Hiep is a Senior Fellow at the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme and Coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He is also an editor of the institute’s flagship journal Contemporary Southeast Asia.
Hiep holds a BA from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, a MA in International Relations and a Master of Diplomacy from the Australian National University. In 2015, Hiep earned his PhD in Political and International Studies from the University of New South Wales, funded by the Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Award.
Before joining ISEAS, Hiep worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and taught at the Faculty of International Relations, Vietnam National University-HCMC.
Private conglomerates in Vietnam have registered strong interest in Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s plan to build at least one million social housing units by the end of the decade. Attainment of the ambitious goal, however, remains doubtful.
Recent speculation that Vietnam’s richest man, Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, might get in trouble with the authorities is probably overwrought. Nevertheless, Hanoi’s anti-corruption campaign means Vietnam’s business owners must tread carefully in their search for profit.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a successful trip to Washington, which should go some way to advance Hanoi's foreign policy goals and domestic priorities.
While there are indications that the Vietnamese government is serious about tackling corruption even in the top ranks of its military, obstacles remain in the fight to eradicate graft. This poses questions about Vietnam’s ability to effectively handle future security threats.
Vietnam is finding it increasingly hard to continue its policy of buying military equipment from Russia. Hanoi is aware of the rationale for securing weapons from other countries, but doing so will not be easy.
