12 Sep 2023
Amid great power visits, don’t underestimate middle power cooperation
With Vietnam supercharging its relationship with the United States, Australia may be next.
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15 Aug 2023
Pipe dreams: Turning an interconnected ASEAN gas market into a reality
An old idea for a regional network might hold the answer for energy demand into the future. -
17 Jul 2023
It might be plastic fantastic, but Barbie lends cartoonish credibility to China’s nine-dash line
Barbie does her dash with Vietnam, showing how maps have meaning. -
29 Jun 2023
Better late than never: Vietnam releases 2021–30 power plan
Just don’t expect coal to be out of the energy mix quite yet. -
27 Jun 2023
China’s double wedge against efforts to foster Vietnam-US relations
Just as Beijing seeks to coerce Hanoi in the South China Sea, it warns about Washington’s intentions closer to home. -
26 May 2023
India’s underperforming ties to Vietnam
India’s weak cultural imprint fragments into insignificance faced with China’s. -
28 Feb 2023
Vietnam’s challenge to wean off coal
Fossil fuels have driven rapid growth but the country has pledged – with global help – to be carbon neutral by 2050. -
27 Feb 2023
What recent changes at the top mean for Vietnam
Don’t expect major shifts in economic or foreign policy. The key challenge is a nest of structural obstacles at home. -
9 Feb 2023
With caution and tact: How Asian countries voted on Ukraine at the UN
A resolution forces nations to show their hand. After Russia’s invasion, consistency has not been to everyone’s liking. -
2 Feb 2023
Economic diplomacy: Diversification is hard to do
Treasurer Jim Chalmers should rise above outdated jibes at the IMF to justify his aims for a new values-based economy. -
27 Jul 2022
What Vietnam can learn from Thailand’s fight against illegal fishing
After being issued a yellow card, Hanoi must look to its neighbours and international laws for the way forward. -
9 Jun 2022
Thailand seeking to profit from a global food crisis
The war in Ukraine has highlighted weaknesses in Thailand’s policymaking and prompted cartel behaviour … again. -
16 May 2022
Diplomacy is indispensable to manage the Mekong
The goal of a healthy river won’t be helped by misreading the shared mission of the Mekong River Commission. -
26 Apr 2022
Vietnam’s “Four No’s” of defence policy are being tested
The war in Ukraine has forced Hanoi into a delicate dance between Russia and the United States. -
15 Apr 2022
Taming troubled waters
Looking from Vietnam, multi-layer joint efforts to ensure maritime security are welcome in the South China Sea. -
12 Apr 2022
How the Mekong River Commission ignores reality
Nothing is worth celebrating in how a once mighty wild river has been cruelly tamed. -
12 Apr 2022
China’s nine-dash line proves stranger than fiction
How Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea have crept imperceptibly into global popular culture. -
25 Mar 2022
Stiffening the ASEAN spine in the South China Sea
Any “minilateral” grouping among Southeast Asian nations must be mindful of its internal contradictions. -
7 Mar 2022
Reading Southeast Asia on Ukraine
Russia’s invasion has unified the West with new clarity, yet exposed ambiguity and uncertainty in Southeast Asia. -
22 Nov 2021
Vietnam: “Let them eat steak”
A minister’s extravagant meal abroad left a sour taste at home. -
2 Nov 2021
Arms control is not just about arms
Getting US-Russia arms control talks on track can weaken the Russia-China partnership and strengthen US-Vietnam ties. -
13 Oct 2021
Vietnam had seemingly conquered Covid. Then Delta spread
The Southeast Asian nation is slowly emerging from months of lockdown but has plenty of challenges yet. -
2 Aug 2021
Russia and Vietnam: An alliance of convenience
Moscow’s interests in Hanoi’s arms and oil make for a tricky strategic juggling act with Beijing. -
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9 Apr 2021
Obstacles and opportunities in Vietnam-Australia ties
The two countries see the region from different vantage points. But the prospects for cooperation are growing. -
24 Feb 2021
The ups and downs of the Vietnam–North Korea relationship
Hanoi and Pyongyang have had their share of differences, but they also have a long historical connection. -
22 Sep 2020
The South China Sea map that wasn’t
A mistake? Maybe. But a US map of Vietnam including the Paracel and Spratly islands raises big questions. -
11 Aug 2020
Chinese dams and the Mekong drought
The environmental impact of China’s dam building upstream is undeniable. The silence from some quarters is surprising. -
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3 Jul 2020
Southeast Asian democracies in declining health amid Covid-19
An illiberal turn across the region has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Australia should take note. -
18 May 2020
Why Vietnam embraces multilateralism at this uncertain time
Communities might be locked in isolation for Covid-19, but Hanoi has faith in the way the world can work together. -
12 May 2020
Vietnam defies the odds on Covid-19
Quick action by the government has helped prevent widespread infection – and turned the tide of public distrust. -
27 Apr 2020
Troubled waters: China’s sovereign ambition in the shadows of Covid-19
While the US is busy containing the coronavirus, Beijing stakes its claims in the South China Sea. -
10 Apr 2020
Vietnam, North Korea, politics and Covid-19: The numbers tell a story
The two Communist nations boast low or even zero cases of the virus. What message does this send? -
10 Mar 2020
On the Mekong, Khon Pi rapids saved – for now
The drive to dam the river continues to outpace real understanding of the dams’ impact. -
28 Jan 2020
Forging consensus in the South China Sea
By backing each other’s claims, a united Southeast Asian front would be difficult for Beijing to divide and conquer. -
15 Jan 2020
Another dam on the Mekong
In the face of environmental destruction and threats to livelihoods, a new dam project is being pushed through in Laos. -
15 Jan 2020
Belt and rail: New Vietnam-China train aims to put relations on track
Updating a colonial legacy railway might offer more than a smoother connection between sometimes tense neighbours. -
8 Jan 2020
Policing Vietnam: How Australia could help
Men comprise 90% of the country’s police, and a common complaint is male officers pay scant attention to women’s issues. -
16 Dec 2019
Vietnam’s 2020 strategy: a year of diplomatic force-multipliers
As chair of ASEAN and with a seat on the UN Security Council, Hanoi has a chance to turn regional attention its way. -
26 Sep 2019
Economic diplomacy: Tourism power, defining China, and Vietnam jackpot
Badly behaving Australians in Bali don’t always make good ambassadors – but perhaps their numbers help send a message. -
10 Sep 2019
The Amazing Race flies into North Korea
North Korea’s charm offensive stepped up a gear when the popular and long-running TV franchise made a stopover. -
16 Aug 2019
The Vanguard Bank standoff shows China remains undeterred
<p>Coercion rather than conciliation is Beijing’s preferred tactic in South China Sea disputes.</p> -
3 Jul 2019
Vietnam shapes as a key winner from the US-China trade war
Vietnam’s economy is booming as the country plays off old enemies as new friends in technology and manufacturing. -
27 Feb 2019
Why North Korea – and Vietnam – can benefit from the Hanoi Summit
A more prosperous North Korea is a best case, as it is always harder to negotiate with someone who has nothing to lose. -
7 Feb 2019
The Vietnamese venue will shape the second Trump-Kim summit
<p>Trump and Kim Jong-un will meet in Vietnam, a backdrop with history for the US and promise for North Korea.</p> -
24 Oct 2018
Vietnam: why blogger Mother Mushroom went free
Hanoi has released a prominent blogger, who'd been jailed on propaganda charges, on the condition she leave for the US. -
22 Oct 2018
Vietnam’s quandary: red or green?
Vietnam is caught between Chinese rocks and a climate change hard place – and looks to partners like Australia for help. -
27 Sep 2018
Death of a president: no power vacuum in Vietnam
Tran Dai Quang’s tenure highlighted the weakness of the presidency among Hanoi's top political leaders. -
25 Jul 2018
Facebook and Vietnam’s new cybersecurity law
The social media platform is an American commercial legacy, adapted by locals for politics, and now mistrusted.