Vietnam Financial News

China Sea to Himalayan frontiers, Beijing’s methodical approach has left neighbouring countries scrambling to respond. China shares its border with more than a dozen countries and it has had border disputes with at least six of them over the past few years. On its border disputes with its neighbors, China has mostly gone unchallenged, gradually pushing its salami-slicing strategy forward. But 2024 was a turning point: India was the first country in past few decades to decisively stop China in its tracks and refuse to yield to its tried-and-tested game. India’s resistance proved to be a firm message that China’s expansionist ambitions can't always go unchecked.

Online platform Ixigo reported an 80-100% year-on-year (YoY) increase in bookings to destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, and London. Agoda supported this trend, noting a 53% surge in international accommodation searches. Cleartrip observed a 1.2x jump in international leisure travel, with Southeast Asia and the Middle East emerging as key regions. Emerging destinations are a highlight this year. MakeMyTrip recorded 248% growth in searches for Azerbaijan and 100% growth for Malaysia. Similarly, Cleartrip observed spikes in bookings for Manila (2.5x) and Tbilisi (1.7x), alongside strong growth for Bali (2.6x) and Phuket (2.3x).

NITI Aayog has invited expression of interest for undertaking research on 'Cost of Doing Business in India' (CoDB), as India faces strong competition from countries like Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, which offer lower operational costs in key sectors. In a notice, Niti Aayog said the cost of doing business is a pivotal factor influencing the competitiveness of an economy, encompassing the expenses businesses incur to establish, operate and expand. «For a rapidly growing economy like India understanding these costs is essential to fostering a conducive business environment and attracting investment. »Despite India's significant reforms to improve its business climate, it faces strong competition from countries like Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, which offer lower operational costs in key sectors," it said.

Goa emerging as the most searched domestic destination, according to Make My Trip’s latest report, named Travel Search & Booking Trends in India for Year-End 2024. The top 20 domestic cities account for 40% of all travel searches, with hill stations gaining significant traction. Notably, Manali, Varanasi, Mussoorie, and Udaipur reported double-digit growth in search interest, reflecting the growing preference for cooler, scenic retreats. Nearly 40% of the top destinations feature hill stations across North and South India, highlighting a widespread demand for nature escapes. This year, the travel rush peaks on December 21st—the Saturday before Christmas—similar to last year. However, a notable surge in searches for December 25th indicates that many travelers plan to extend their holidays through the New Year.

The eagerly awaited Bharat Mobility Global Expo, set to take place from January 17 at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, Delhi, is shaping up to be a major event for electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts, reported HT Auto. With 34 manufacturers confirmed to participate, the event promises to showcase some of the greatest electric cars, with many manufacturers unveiling new models. Among the key highlights will be Maruti Suzuki’s first-ever electric car and the debut of VinFast, a new entrant from Vietnam.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Vietnam found the sweet spot in the global economy during President-elect Donald Trump’s first trade war with Beijing: smack in the middle of the U.S. and China.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As Goa grapples with a public relations crisis, with users on social media ranting against high room rates and the lack of traveller-friendly transport facilities, it may only be a business-as-usual scenario for many hotels and travel companies this winter and no exponential growth, as was the case last year. Additionally, there is stiff competition from easy and quick-visa overseas destinations such as Thailand and Vietnam that are only a short flight away, prompting many domestic travellers to skip Goa this time.

holiday shopping scams that one should watch out for this December. The social media giant has launched a worldwide anti-scam awareness campaign aimed at protecting users from fraudulent schemes during the holiday shopping season. The company, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, revealed it has taken down over two million accounts linked to scam centers in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the UAE, and the Philippines this year. In another instance, Meta said its enforcement efforts have removed 15,000 phishing URLs in Vietnam and 9,000 in Singapore this year to save people from holiday shopping scams. Meta in a blog post said it has partnered with a top internet safety expert and ethical hacker, Rachel Tobac, to share how scammers might be targeting people online this holiday season and how to avoid scams. Meta disrupted scam campaigns targeting holiday shoppers outside of our platforms and took thousands of malicious URLs that impersonated Meta’s apps off the internet, it said in a statement.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Many retailers came through relatively unscathed by Donald Trump’s tariffs imposed starting in 2018. This time around, though, tariffs have the potential to bite more.

Jensen Huang, chairman and CEO of the Silicon Valley chip titan, met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a visit to Hanoi, where the two agreed to open an artificial intelligence research and development centre. «The data of Vietnam is a national and its natural resource. The AI of Vietnam should be processed here, built here, operated here, for the people and industry of Vietnam,» Huang said.

Chinese online retailer Temu has been told to suspend operations in Vietnam after it failed to meet an end-of-November deadline to register with the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade

Truong My Lan was already convicted in April by the same Ho Chi Minh City court of fraud amounting to UDS 12.5 billion — nearly 3 per cent of the country's gross domestic product — in a separate case and sentenced to death by lethal injection. Lan was convicted in April 2024 for embezzlement, bribery, and violating banking regulations. The scheme, which involved shell companies and fake loan applications, siphoned an estimated $12.5 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) between 2012 and 2022.

The death sentence for real estate tycoon Truong My Lan has been upheld in Vietnam’s largest fraud case, the scale of which had raised concerns about the country’s economy

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Apple products say on the box “assembled in China," leaving the mystery of who did the assembling. Owners of a new iPad might be surprised to learn one of the answers: China’s biggest electric-vehicle maker.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme—one of the ways in which this government was hoping to increase manufacturing in India—is going through a slowdown, with planned expansions to the programme being put on hold.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai-based Harsh Vardhan has never visited Goa, despite being a beach enthusiast. The 31-year-old is in no hurry to visit it anytime soon, as he has found his perfect escape in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north with the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh in the south

Mexican authorities have raided a massive complex of stores selling counterfeit Chinese goods in downtown Mexico City, and vowed the crackdown will be carried out nationwide

GradRight, an AI-powered SaaS platform, brings together prospective students, universities, and lenders on a single platform to simplify higher education abroad through better access, affordability, and tech-enabled guidance. The platform claims to have processed over $3 billion in loan requests, helping more than 200,000 Indian students in two years. In an interaction with ET Online, Aman Singh, Co-founder of GradRight, described it as the world’s first Ed-FinTech and highlights how the platform has empowered thousands of deserving students from middle- and low-income families by connecting them with the right universities and lenders. He also discussed the FY '25 growth trajectory, market expansion plans, and expectations around Series B funding. Edited excerpts: ET: How has GradRight's growth journey been so far? Could you share your year-on-year (YoY) growth numbers? Aman Singh: GradRight’s growth journey over the past few years has been nothing short of transformative. Since 2021, we’ve witnessed exponential growth in the number of students we have been able to empower, the loans we have processed, and the funds sanctioned with our interventions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. China’s industrial overcapacity became an issue of global concern even before the election of Donald Trump. Now his threat to place tariffs of 60% or more on Chinese exports will elevate the issue even further.

Kia India on Monday said it is eyeing markets in the Middle East and Africa as it aims to double the export of completely knocked down (CKD) units by 2030. To date, the automaker has exported one lakh units of CKD vehicles since it began shipments in June 2020 from its manufacturing facility at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. Kia India is one of the key export hubs for the South Korea-based Kia corporation, accounting for 50 per cent of the its CKD exports worldwide. In a statement, Kia India Chief Sales Officer Joonsu Cho said the automaker is grateful for the government's export-friendly policies, which have played a crucial role in strengthening country's position within the global automotive value chain.