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Vietnam
Intelligence for Better Decision Making
Vietnam Mobilizes Emergency Measures Amid Severe Floods and Typhoon Kalmaegi Threat
Nov. 6, 2025 | EnvironmentAuthorities across Vietnam are intensifying water management and flood mitigation efforts in response to recent extreme weather and the impending arrival of Typhoon Kalmaegi.
**Vietnamese Deputy Minister Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has directed operators of major hydropower reservoirs in the Vu Gia–Thu Bồn river basin to release water immediately in anticipation of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which is forecast to bring heavy rainfall beginning November 7, 2025.**
This action aims to increase flood-storage capacity and safeguard reservoir infrastructure. The Ministry is working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local authorities to inspect operations across interlinked reservoirs and prevent structural failures during the storm.
**Alongside this directive, Hiệp emphasized that flood regulation for hydropower reservoirs must rely on flexible, forecast-driven protocols rather than rigid inter-reservoir operating rules, which have hindered effective flood control in past events.**
The Ministry, in coordination with Da Nang city, will submit to the Government a package of proposed revisions and strategies. These include updating operating procedures to account for shifting weather patterns and climate impacts; studying coastal erosion remedies in Cửa Đại and Hoi An; investing in water regulation structures along the Quảng Huế River; constructing a new An Trạch weir; and upgrading a key irrigation reservoir to bolster downstream flood control.
**At the same time, the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention, led by Director General Phạm Đức Luận, urged vessel operators to steer clear of high-risk zones and limit movements during severe weather.**
The Department has called for unified efforts to distribute relief supplies in disaster-hit areas and for the installation of an X-band weather radar in Quảng Nam province to sharpen real-time forecasting and early warnings for Da Nang.
**On the municipal level, Da Nang Vice Chairman Trần Nam Hưng recognized that although reservoir releases helped curb October floods, inadequate regulation still caused extensive downstream inundation and landslides.**
He is seeking support to implement sustainable disaster risk reduction in landslide-prone mountainous zones, construct secure resettlement sites, and launch livelihood initiatives that promote resilient housing, protective equipment, and alternative agricultural approaches.
**To ease financial burdens, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued Directive 9651/NHNN-TD on November 4, 2025, requiring credit institutions and SBV branches in storm- and flood-affected regions to roll out relief measures for customers.**
Under the directive, banks must assess borrowers’ repayment capabilities and may restructure loans, waive or reduce interest and fees, offer new low-rate credit packages, and cut existing loan interest rates by 0.5–2% annually for three to six months, all in line with current regulations. Local SBV branches must oversee implementation, collaborate with provincial and municipal authorities to aid residents, and report promptly on any challenges. The directive covers provinces in the northern, north-central, and central regions, including Sơn La, Phú Thọ, Lai Châu, Thái Nguyên, Quảng Ninh, Hà Nội, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên Huế, Quảng Ngãi, and Đà Nẵng.
**Meanwhile, from October 15 to November 3, 2025, Thừa Thiên Huế province endured five successive heavy rain events that triggered three major riverine floods.**
The Bo River peaked at 5.31 meters on November 3—the highest level since 2020—while Bach Ma station logged 1,739 mm of rain in 24 hours, nearly equaling Vietnam’s average annual precipitation and ranking second worldwide. These floods submerged more than 28,000 homes under 0.5–1 meter of water, inflicting severe damage on urban areas.
**Floodwaters also swept over historical landmarks in Huế, including the Imperial City and several royal mausoleums.**
Experts attribute this extreme rainfall to the convergence of strong southwest monsoons, tropical storms, cold air masses, and intertropical convergence zones. They note that Huế’s flood vulnerability dates back to the early 19th century, long before modern development and urbanization.
**Looking ahead, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that tropical storm Kalmaegi will enter the East Sea on November 5, then deliver strong winds and heavy rain along coastal zones from Quảng Ngãi to Đắk Lắk by November 7, with impacts potentially stretching from Da Nang to Khánh Hòa.**
It also warns that as cold air intensifies over northern and north-central regions, additional storms may form through November, sustaining flood threats to central provinces. Authorities continue to monitor these forecasts and brace for further hazardous weather.
Emergence of Financial Conglomerates and Intensifying Deposit Competition in Vietnam’s Banking Sector
Nov. 6, 2025 | Financial SystemVietnam’s banking sector is undergoing rapid expansion, driven by digital transformation and green finance initiatives.
**Banks are evolving beyond traditional deposit and lending services, branching into fund management, securities, insurance, and digital assets.**
This shift toward financial conglomerate models reflects growing demand for comprehensive wealth management solutions among individuals and enterprises.
**Despite this broadening of services, experts from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City and the Asian Development Bank point out that Vietnam’s financial system remains shallow in product variety compared to international peers.**
The real economy—dominated by small enterprises and informal workers—engages only minimally with capital markets. This gap creates an imbalance between the banking sector’s brisk growth and the limited economic base it is designed to support.
**As financial conglomerates emerge, regulators and industry observers question whether these larger entities can drive economic transformation and extend services to underserved clients amid slow-moving reforms.**
Policymakers face a choice between super-conglomerate models—often state-backed and prevalent in the US, China, and parts of Asia—and a Nordic-style framework favoring specialized institutions under strict yet adaptable oversight. The selected approach will shape sector stability and systemic risk.
**A critical regulatory deficiency lies in the absence of a clear legal framework distinguishing commercial banking from investment banking.**
Experts at VinUni University warn that without precise definitions and oversight, investment banking–type activities within broader conglomerates could expose the financial system and the wider economy to vulnerabilities.
**Competition for deposits has intensified as banks race to bolster year-end capital.**
Several institutions now offer over 7% on 12–13-month term deposits: PVcomBank reaches up to 9% for large sums, HDBank up to 8.1%, and other private banks between 7.5% and 8% for high-value clients. State-owned banks keep rates lower—typically 1.6% to 4.8%—while joint-stock banks pay 4.7% to 5.3% on standard retail deposits and exceed 6% for longer tenors or larger amounts. Interbank liquidity pressures have pushed overnight rates to 5.6% per annum, driving banks to lift both deposit and expected lending rates. The Big Four banks now set personal loan rates at 5.5%–6.5% for the first year before moving to floating rates, underscoring fierce competition for capital and growing demand for medium- and long-term financing in real estate and public investment projects.
**Analysts attribute the surge in deposit rates to banks’ need to attract funds amid alternative investment channels such as securities and gold.**
Household savings deposits hit a record VND 7.75 quadrillion by mid-2025, and continued inflows may cause temporary market disturbances. Observers also note that prospective rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve could ease pressure on Vietnam’s monetary authorities, helping to moderate domestic interest rate increases.
Monitored Intelligence for Vietnam - Nov. 6, 2025
News
Media
103
Government
Releases
27
City/State
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0
Embassy
Releases
3
Foreign
Service
Advisories
0
Service
Advisories
0
Academic/
Think
Tank
0
Think
Tank
0
Podcasts
0
Videos
0
Social
Media
0
Business
Releases
11
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Hoàn thiện cấu trúc hệ thống pháp luật bảo đảm thống nhất, đồng bộ
Improving the legal system structure to ensure unity and consistency
Bao Dien Tu | Local Language | News | Nov. 6, 2025 | UndeterminedLegal Exposure
Minister of Justice Nguyễn Hải Ninh chaired a Steering Committee meeting focused on improving the structure of Vietnam’s legal system to ensure unity and consistency. The meeting reviewed research and drafting efforts on a Proposal aimed at completing the legal system through inheritance, absorption, and development, while aligning theory with practice. Experts highlighted the need for clear identification of missing sectoral laws and structural gaps, particularly emphasizing the importance of establishing cornerstone laws in complex areas such as administrative law.
Deputy Minister of Justice Đặng Hoàng Oanh stressed reinforcing core public laws that regulate State-citizen relations and social order, such as the Constitution, Administrative Law, Penal Code, and Criminal Procedure Code. The goal is to ensure the legal system is compact but comprehensive, with clear pillar laws in both public and private law sectors. Oanh also identified inconsistencies between administrative and criminal sanctions, recommending a shift towards flexible legal models where sectoral laws regulate specific offenses and administrative laws focus on penalties, citing environmental and cybersecurity laws as positive examples.
Minister Nguyễn Hải Ninh called for a more logical and tighter refinement of the Proposal, with clearly defined concepts and consistent assessment methods aligned with the legal system’s formal, substantive, foundational, and operational structures. He advocated learning from international legal systems, highlighting the relevance of case law and pilot laws for evolving socio-economic contexts. The Minister urged comprehensive solutions reflecting global legal trends and domestic needs, including thorough legal system reviews, innovation in law-making and consolidation, AI application, and enhanced impact analysis, while addressing current appraisal limitations.
Xe máy chạy xăng sẽ được cải tạo sang điện thế nào?
How will gasoline motorcycles be converted to electric power?
VN Express | Local Language | News | Nov. 6, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has proposed that the Vietnam Register establish regulations and standards for converting gasoline motorcycles to electric power. This initiative follows collaboration with Motorcycles TV Trading & Services Co., Ltd., which developed a "two-in-one" hybrid conversion system allowing motorcycles to operate on both gasoline and electric power. The system includes an electric motor, battery, and power converter, enabling energy recovery and reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
Motorcycles TV targets older motorcycles, which constitute the majority of Vietnam's 77 million motorcycles, many of which do not meet emissions standards. The conversion system is designed to be simple, non-intrusive, and cost-effective, with a projected installation cost under 10 million dong, about half the price of buying a common electric motorcycle. The converted vehicles can travel approximately 150 km on 1 liter of gasoline and 1 kWh of electricity, with a 1 kWh battery enabling 40–50 km of electric-only driving suitable for low-emission zones.
Experts note technical and regulatory challenges, including the difficulty of standardizing safety and environmental criteria across diverse motorcycle models. Post-conversion inspections would require significant capacity and regulatory frameworks currently do not exist. Industry professionals suggest piloting the conversion on specific models before broader application. Risks related to altering vehicle structure without manufacturer endorsement and concerns over long-term viability of hybrid conversions are also highlighted, emphasizing the need for an integrated green transport policy.
The Vietnam Register acknowledges the technical feasibility of conversion but stresses stringent safety requirements, especially regarding fire and explosion prevention in hybrid systems containing fuel tanks and batteries. The conversion process will involve feasibility assessments, trials, and alignment with international standards before implementing national guidelines. Ho Chi Minh City plans to pilot low-emission zones starting in 2026, targeting the conversion of about 400,000 gasoline motorcycles to electric within ride-hailing services as part of its emissions reduction strategy.
Bắt tay Mỹ - Trung hé lộ thực tế: Thế giới không dễ "rời xa" Trung Quốc
US-China cooperation reveals reality: The world cannot easily "distance itself" from China
Dantri | Local Language | News | Nov. 6, 2025 | Shifting Geopolitical Alliances
The trade confrontation between the United States and China has paused with a new agreement between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, seen as a "big win" by the White House. This deal includes China tightening controls on fentanyl precursor exports to North America, a major social security gain for the U.S., and purchasing large quantities of American soybeans and other agricultural products, helping U.S. farmers and lowering tariffs by 10 percentage points from November 10. For China, the agreement suspends export controls on critical minerals like rare earths and halts U.S. investigations and sanctions on Chinese semiconductor and shipping industries, easing pressure on Chinese tech firms and stabilizing exports.
China’s long-term strategy of economic self-reliance, begun under Hu Jintao and intensified under Xi Jinping, has diminished Western economic leverage. Through a massive state-funded effort promoting "national champions," China now dominates production in over 220 core industrial products, including rare earths, pharmaceuticals, solar panels, and electric vehicles. This "economic security fortress" allows China to counter U.S. tariffs effectively. The deal reflects that tariffs have lost effectiveness in forcing structural change, with Beijing continuing to prioritize industrial manufacturing and strategic sectors despite trade tensions.
The agreement marks a temporary lull rather than a resolution of fundamental economic conflicts between the two superpowers. Both countries acknowledge the impossibility of fully decoupling, shifting U.S. strategy toward "de-risking" by diversifying supply chains with allies and fostering domestic production in critical areas like semiconductors. Meanwhile, China continues advancing into high technology while maintaining dominance in low-value manufacturing, putting competitive pressure on other nations.
The new trade deal signals the beginning of a prolonged economic rivalry where the U.S. can no longer dictate global rules unilaterally. Both countries are prepared for a decades-long game of economic competition, with the world adapting to an era of strategic interdependence and complex competition rather than clear-cut confrontation.
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