Vietnam’s China challenge

After one of the most highly contested Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) elections to date, the incumbent General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected to the top post of the Vietnamese regime in late January. But victory in the elections is just the first challenge in Trong’s five-year term. The next major challenge for the new … Continue reading Vietnam’s China challenge →

Vietnam’s banking system: Drowning in the debt

While Vietnam’s non-performing loans take a heavy toll on the economy, authorities’ efforts to tackle the problem remain in their infancy By Khac Giang Nguyen Early this year, the Vietnamese central bank had quite a serious quarrel with Moody’s, one of the world’s big-three rating agencies. Moody’s estimated on February 18 that non-performing loans (NPLs) … Continue reading Vietnam’s banking system: Drowning in the debt →

The Chinese trade behemoth

To avoid losing out in trade pacts with China, Asean must move up the value chain and increase its competitiveness No country has more advantages to trade with Asean member states than China. Benefitting from its vicinity to the region and a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the bloc, signed more than a decade ago, China is … Continue reading The Chinese trade behemoth →

China-Vietnam dispute in a nutshell

The recent tensions between Vietnam and China have rocked the peaceful Asia-Pacific region. Here is the basic background. As a Vietnamese national, I try to keep this as objective as possible. What happened? In early May 2014, China moved a giant drilling rig, named HD-981, into the area claimed by both China and … Continue reading China-Vietnam dispute in a nutshell →

The oxen and communism

Progress has always been an exciting topic for human being. As a curious creature, we tend to see things in a line: both backward and forward. Throwing a ball into the room, the dogs will run after it while a man will look for where it is from and heading to. For kids, the curiosity … Continue reading The oxen and communism →