Vietnam
Vietnam public investment disbursement lags at 46.7% of 2026 target
Vietnam disbursed VND477.18 trillion ($18.1bn) of public investment capital as of August 20, or 46.7% of the annual target set by the Prime Minister.
Vietnam bank deposits surpass credit growth in August
VND deposits rose 8.77% from the start of the year to August 22, outpacing the 8.38% increase in outstanding VND credit, Deputy Finance Minister Tran Quoc Phuong told the government.
Vietnam allows foreign banks to use local accounts for international transfers
Non-resident foreign credit institutions may use foreign-currency and dong accounts at authorised Vietnamese banks to make international payments and transfer funds on behalf of customers, provided such activities are covered by written agreements.
Vietnam savings rates climb as six-month deposits hit 9.2%
Savings rates in Vietnam are rising, with some banks now offering up to 9.2% a year on six-month deposits.
Vietnam banks offer over $15bn in preferential credit
The State Bank of Vietnam said on August 26 that 12 commercial banks had registered or announced their participation in the credit programme.
Vietnam Techcombank weighs 15% stake sale to foreign bank
The possible transaction comes as international banks deepen their presence in Vietnam’s financial sector.
China’s clean-energy boom runs into the limits of its power grid
China rejected an estimated 360 terawatt-hours of clean power in the six months through June, enough to supply Mexico for a year.
South Korea VS China in the race for a commercial Arctic trade route
South Korea is set to wave off a commercial container ship bound for Europe via the Arctic Ocean some time in late August, in the process testing the commercial viability of a northern sea corridor.
Rosatom is building 28 reactors abroad and negotiating 50 more
Rosatom is building 28 nuclear power units in nine countries and has signed agreements for 17 more, its chief executive told President Vladimir Putin.
China’s $303bn ‘shadow trade’ exposed as apparent Asia-wide tariff dodge network
The report, carrying the somewhat dramatic title of ‘The Great Transshipment Scam’ and headed by an image of a Trojan horse style graphic, says Chinese exporters increasingly routed goods through third countries
South Korean bank to launch Vietnam unit in September
South Korea’s Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) will officially launch its wholly foreign-owned bank in Vietnam on September 25, expanding competition in the country’s banking sector.
South Korean banks grow Southeast Asian assets 7.1%
Major South Korean financial groups expanded total assets across their main Southeast Asian banking subsidiaries by 7.1% to KRW52.26 trillion in the first half of the year.
Singapore banks offset interest margin squeeze with record wealth management fee growth
Singapore’s domestic lenders are insulating overall earnings from global interest rate cuts by expanding their regional wealth management franchises.
Iran and the Philippines offer Russia two very different farm-export bets
Russia's meat and feed exporters face a choice between two very different markets: Iran, slow and bureaucratic but predictable, and the Philippines, fast-growing but brutal on price.
The Black Sea war sends world wheat prices up
The US Department of Agriculture has cut its forecasts for Russian and Ukrainian grain exports because of the Black Sea shipping war. The prices of every rival exporter have gone up.
Electrifying Asia – where EVs are reshaping power demand and fuel use
The winners are likely to be countries capable of building integrated ecosystems spanning renewable generation, batteries, charging networks and EV manufacturing.
Vietnam's bird's nest sector faces rising threats despite $600mn value
Experts warn illegal hunting, counterfeit products and weak regulation could threaten sector's future.
The super El Nino is here
The planet’s seas are on their way to being as warm as bath water as the predicted super El Niño arrives. It is already clear that this year’s oceanic heating event will be the most powerful on record.
Beijing raises stakes in economic clash with Tokyo
Beijing expanded its economic pressure campaign against Tokyo in late June, imposing immediate outbound trade limits on 40 Japanese enterprises and state-run scientific bodies.
Vietnam's HCM City posts 8.55% economic growth in first half
The services sector remained the main driver of growth, expanding 8.89% in the first six months. It accounted for 54% of GRDP and contributed 56% of overall economic growth.