South China Morning Post • 23rd April 2022

Vietnam’s millennials and Gen Z defy mental health taboos with TikTok

A recent spate of youth suicides has prompted a wave of activism among Vietnam’s Gen Z, who battle anxiety, depression and loneliness. Pandemic pressures have added to underlying issues, as activists call for more resources and help for overworked social workers

Global Asia • 31st March 2022

A Tale of Many Turns: Lessons from Vietnam’s Pandemic Response

Vietnam’s battle against Covid-19 has been a classic case of rapid government response to the pandemic’s changing demands on the healthcare system. Rather than adhere to a rigid approach throughout the crisis, policy has changed with circumstances. It has been a difficult and arduous journey, but the country has made significant progress. At the same time, the pandemic has brought to light systemic problems with social inequalities, particularly involving migrant workers

South China Morning Post • 16th March 2022

Vietnamese migrants fill Romania’s worker crunch but face risk of exploitation

Romania’s labour shortage offers jobs for Vietnamese in welding, meatpacking and house painting but they are exposed to harsh conditions and even human smuggling. Advocates say Bucharest authorities have to fix its labour rights laws, especially if it now wants to take in Ukrainian refugees as workers

South China Morning Post • 21st January 2022

Why Phu Quoc is the billionaire’s choice for a big fat Indian wedding overseas

Vietnam is promoting the idyllic island of Phu Quoc as a place for tourists to tie the knot as it hopes to give its Covid-hit economy a boost.

South China Morning Post • 23rd November 2021

Vietnamese workers in Serbia cite pressure from Chinese tyre firm in dispute

Migrant workers say they face long hours in the cold and substandard living conditions for a job some were allegedly duped into after paying thousands of dollars Activists and members of the European Parliament have raised concerns about the workers, whose predicament highlights a darker side of the global supply chain

Al Jazeera • 26th October 2021

The young Vietnamese helping tackle the illegal wildlife trade

Trang Nguyen is a rarity in Vietnam where civil society is viewed with scepticism and most young people want more lucrative careers.

South China Morning Post • 25th October 2021

Vietnam’s coal addiction: a window on Asia’s climate pledge struggles?

Coal already accounts for about a third of the country’s operational energy mix and its capacity is set to increase by 2030 under a new draft development plan

South China Morning Post • 11th October 2021

Holiday shopping on the line amid exodus of workers from Vietnam’s factories

This is the latest disruption to global supply chains already roiled by labour shortages and high shipping costs due to the pandemic.

South China Morning Post • 24th September 2021

A tale of two cities: Covid-19 lockdowns in Vietnam are drastically different

As capital Hanoi leaves behind nearly two months of lockdown-like movement restrictions, Ho Chi Minh City residents are still largely confined to their homes. But the southern business hub, which accounts for almost one-third of Vietnam’s state budget and 80 per cent of its 18,017 virus deaths, is under pressure to reopen.

South China Morning Post • 14th September 2021

US Peace Corps in Vietnam: a sign Hanoi-Washington ties are on the upswing?

Seen as competing with China’s Confucius Institutes, the decades-old American aid programme is finally launching in Vietnam after 17 years of negotiations

South China Morning Post • 27th August 2021

‘We can’t deliver’: Vietnam supply chains break down amid Covid-19 lockdowns

Binh Duong province is the country’s second-largest recipient of accumulated foreign direct investment after nearby Ho Chi Minh City. The government expects 50,000 new cases there in the next fortnight

South China Morning Post • 13th August 2021

Covid-19 is eating into export-dependent Vietnam’s food and agriculture sector

Logistical difficulties amid extended lockdowns mean second-half shipments in the sector are predicted to fall 30 per cent year on year. The agriculture ministry is looking to prioritise the inoculation of all workers in the sector to ensure domestic food security and help ramp up some exports.

South China Morning Post • 11th August 2021

Vietnamese volunteers come to the rescue as lockdown hits needy

Vietnam’s strict lockdown to curb its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections has left many unable to work, go out to get food, or even get oxygen. Individuals and up to 90 community groups and organisations have stepped in where authorities fell short, but their efforts are not always coordinated.

South China Morning Post • 28th July 2021

Vietnam’s fourth wave takes toll on factory output, small businesses

Vietnam’s Covid-19 hotspot Ho Chi Minh City has twice extended its lockdown, hitting manufacturers trying to export items such as clothing. An economist said the fourth wave is more devastating for labour migrants, informal workers and those in service industries who cannot work from home.

South China Morning Post • 15th July 2021

Vietnam’s EuroCham seeks EU help in getting Covid-19 vaccines

The fourth wave has sunk EuroCham’s confidence in Vietnam’s business environment to the fourth-lowest point in the last 12 years.

South China Morning Post • 8th July 2021

New report reveals most vulnerable parties in Vietnam-China human trafficking

The study by the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation found that groups such as the H’mong and Thai were vulnerable to being caught up in the illicit trade.

South China Morning Post • 18th June 2021

Vietnamese being trafficked by Chinese nationals to work in Cambodian casinos

After being offered jobs online, Vietnamese have been forced to work 16-hour shifts and were physically assaulted when they tried to escape. Sihanoukville, which has received massive Chinese investment in recent years, has emerged as one of the primary destinations for labour trafficking

South China Morning Post • 5th June 2021

Vietnam approves Sinopharm’s vaccine, but will people take it?

Only 1 per cent of Vietnam’s population has received at least one vaccine dose, trailing the efforts of poorer neighbours like Cambodia and Laos.

South China Morning Post • 31st May 2021

Vietnam races to cut disruptions for Apple, Samsung factories

Cases in North Vietnam’s industrial production hubs have spiked in the past month, as the government eyes economic recovery plans.

South China Morning Post • 13th May 2021

Vaccination drives stutter as new Covid-19 waves hit Vietnam, Thailand

As Vietnam tells disease prevention staff to prepare for 30,000 infections, Thailand has seen cases rocket to 88,000 from just 7,000 at the start of the year.