Vietnam

June 24, 2024 11:21 PM

US upgrades Vietnam in human trafficking report despite concerns

The U.S. State Department on Monday boosted Vietnam's ranking on a human trafficking report, even as it cited concerns that the Southeast Asian country had failed to launch investigations into government officials complicit in trafficking crimes. A rights group last week accused Hanoi of giving misleading information and attempting to cover up trafficking cases involving officials in its communication with U.S. officials over the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. Washington removed V...

June 18, 2024 9:08 PM

Treated as a pariah by the West, Putin set for warm welcome in Vietnam

Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely portrayed as a pariah in the West, but he looks set to receive a warm welcome when he visits Communist-ruled Vietnam this week. Vietnam is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, and ties between Hanoi and Moscow have been strong for decades. Like Moscow, Hanoi also keeps a close eye on what is reported by national media, and Western advocacy groups say me...

May 15, 2024 3:20 PM

Biden’s new China tariff wall faces leakage via Mexico, Vietnam

The Biden administration's new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other strategic sectors aim to protect the future of U.S. manufacturing, but they will likely accelerate a shift of Chinese production to Mexico, Vietnam and elsewhere to avoid them. U.S. officials and trade experts say that without strong efforts to cut off transshipped or lightly processed Chinese goods from Mexico and other countries, China's underpriced excess production will still find its way into U.S. markets. "The ...

May 9, 2024 3:11 PM

Vietnam irks EU by delaying meeting ahead of possible Putin visit

Vietnam's foreign affairs ministry has annoyed the European Union by postponing a meeting next week with the EU's top official on Russian sanctions, ahead of a possible visit to Hanoi by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Vietnam has been striving to pursue a neutral foreign policy in its relations with major world powers. It has abstained from condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine, a position that Western countries see as too close to the Kremlin. Special envoy for the implementation of EU sa...

May 7, 2024 10:19 AM

Vietnam marks 70th anniversary of the ‘historic’ Dien Bien Phu victory

War veterans, party leaders and diplomats gathered in Vietnam's Dien Bien Phu province on Tuesday for an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the country's victory over French colonial forces. The bloody, 56-day battle in the northwestern, remote valley ended on May 7, 1954, precipitating the collapse of French colonial rule. The historic Dien Bien Phu battle is considered one of the great battles of the 20th century. The French defeat led to the signing of the Geneva Accords on July 21, 19...