Vietnam’s High GDP Growth Rate Masks Its Economic Difficulties
Le Hong Hiep
The Vietnamese economy enjoyed solid growth in 2022. But the headline GDP growth figure belies underlying weaknesses in the economy.

Le Hong Hiep
The Vietnamese economy enjoyed solid growth in 2022. But the headline GDP growth figure belies underlying weaknesses in the economy.
Joe Buckley
The launch of the Dong Nai provincial labour arbitration council has been positively greeted as a step forward for Vietnamese labour relations. But it may actually end up undermining pressure for pro-labour reforms.
Bich Tran
While Vietnam has not criticised Myanmar’s ruling regime about its violence against the Myanmar people and the Rohingya, Hanoi should recognise that its staunch support and use of non-interference as a fig leaf could undermine Vietnam’s own quest to become more significant regionally and internationally.
Lye Liang Fook|Ha Hoang Hop
It is not in Vietnam’s national interest to be overly dependent on China or the United States. Hanoi is expected to continue to press ahead with efforts to build on its ties with the two major powers as part of its multi-directional foreign policy. There are, however, limits to both approaches.
Dien Nguyen An Luong
Hanoi’s move to impose uniformity for print and online news media compels big technological companies to participate in taking down content that is objectionable to the authorities, but this is likely to backfire since the Vietnamese public's appetite for alternative news remains strong.
Le Hong Hiep|Phan Xuan Dung
Private firms in Vietnam have played a pivotal role in helping the country recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. There are, however, other reasons to explain their corporate social responsibility.
Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh
UNCLOS’s relevance to Vietnam is significant, but the Convention must be updated if Vietnam and other signatories are to succeed in dealing with contemporary challenges in maritime affairs.
Joe Buckley
The drive by food delivery platforms to achieve environmental sustainability through the reduction of plastic use belies the fact that these firms do little to create sustainable employment.
Dien Nguyen An Luong
Vietnam’s Decree 53 appears to be focused less on making Big Tech firms set up offices and data centres in Vietnam. Instead, it appears to be more focused on instilling fear in such companies and Internet users.
Le Hong Hiep|Phan Xuan Dung
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.