After being issued a yellow card, Hanoi must look to its neighbours and international laws for the way forward.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted weaknesses in Thailand’s policymaking and prompted cartel behaviour … again.

The goal of a healthy river won’t be helped by misreading the shared mission of the Mekong River Commission.

The war in Ukraine has forced Hanoi into a delicate dance between Russia and the United States.

Looking from Vietnam, multi-layer joint efforts to ensure maritime security are welcome in the South China Sea.

Nothing is worth celebrating in how a once mighty wild river has been cruelly tamed.

How Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea have crept imperceptibly into global popular culture.

Any “minilateral” grouping among Southeast Asian nations must be mindful of its internal contradictions.

Russia’s invasion has unified the West with new clarity, yet exposed ambiguity and uncertainty in Southeast Asia.

A minister’s extravagant meal abroad left a sour taste at home.

Getting US-Russia arms control talks on track can weaken the Russia-China partnership and strengthen US-Vietnam ties.

The Southeast Asian nation is slowly emerging from months of lockdown but has plenty of challenges yet.

Moscow’s interests in Hanoi’s arms and oil make for a tricky strategic juggling act with Beijing.

Climate change, yes, but other factors, too.

The two countries see the region from different vantage points. But the prospects for cooperation are growing.

Hanoi and Pyongyang have had their share of differences, but they also have a long historical connection.

A mistake? Maybe. But a US map of Vietnam including the Paracel and Spratly islands raises big questions.

The environmental impact of China’s dam building upstream is undeniable. The silence from some quarters is surprising.

There is no secret.

An illiberal turn across the region has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Australia should take note.

Communities might be locked in isolation for Covid-19, but Hanoi has faith in the way the world can work together.

Quick action by the government has helped prevent widespread infection – and turned the tide of public distrust.

While the US is busy containing the coronavirus, Beijing stakes its claims in the South China Sea.

The two Communist nations boast low or even zero cases of the virus. What message does this send?

The drive to dam the river continues to outpace real understanding of the dams’ impact.

By backing each other’s claims, a united Southeast Asian front would be difficult for Beijing to divide and conquer.

In the face of environmental destruction and threats to livelihoods, a new dam project is being pushed through in Laos.

Updating a colonial legacy railway might offer more than a smoother connection between sometimes tense neighbours.

Men comprise 90% of the country’s police, and a common complaint is male officers pay scant attention to women’s issues.

As chair of ASEAN and with a seat on the UN Security Council, Hanoi has a chance to turn regional attention its way.

Badly behaving Australians in Bali don’t always make good ambassadors – but perhaps their numbers help send a message.

North Korea’s charm offensive stepped up a gear when the popular and long-running TV franchise made a stopover.

<p>Coercion rather than conciliation is Beijing’s preferred tactic in South China Sea disputes.</p>

Vietnam’s economy is booming as the country plays off old enemies as new friends in technology and manufacturing.

A more prosperous North Korea is a best case, as it is always harder to negotiate with someone who has nothing to lose.

<p>Trump and Kim Jong-un will meet in Vietnam, a backdrop with history for the US&nbsp;and promise for North Korea.</p>

Hanoi has released a prominent blogger, who'd been jailed on propaganda charges, on the condition she leave for the US.

Vietnam is caught between Chinese rocks and a climate change hard place – and looks to partners like Australia for help.

Tran Dai Quang’s tenure highlighted the weakness of the presidency among Hanoi's top political leaders.

The social media platform is an American commercial legacy, adapted by locals for politics, and now mistrusted.

<p>Recent public outrage demonstrate the optics of policy making matter, even in Vietnam.</p>

Healing the rift between the current regime and many Vietnamese abroad is a cause long overdue.

Detaining enemies of the state could erode international support for Vietnam.

Vietnam has long sought to calibrate its defence posture in the shadows of great power competition.

Moscow has little to sell besides gas, oil, and military hardware – and that drives Russian policy in the region.

A crackdown on “wrong spendings” signals an important transformation for the communist regime – but Vietnamese are wary.

The kidnapping will be seized upon by Vietnam's human rights critics in Europe who will have their say when debating the important FTA.

Vietnam regards naval activity by larger nations like India and the US in the area as a useful deterrent against China.

The US President made all the right noises about new business from Vietnam.

'This is an incredibly interesting but also challenging time for Australia's Vietnamese diaspora.'