Key Events
- Human Rights Advocates Condemn Việt Nam’s Detention of BBC Journalist During Tô Lam’s UK Visit;
- Court in Lâm Đồng Jails Protestant Pastor Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng for Six Years;
- National Assembly Finalizes Key Appointments as Government Term Nears Its End;
- Việt Nam’s Secret $8 Billion Arms Deal with Russia Exposed;
- Thousands Displaced as Torrential Rains Swallow Huế and Đà Nẵng.
Việt Nam Holds BBC Journalist’s Passport Since August Amid Interrogations During To Lam’s UK Visit
The New York Times reports that the Vietnamese authorities are preventing a BBC Vietnamese journalist from leaving the country after confiscating her passport and subjecting her to prolonged interrogations—an incident drawing strong criticism from human rights advocates as General Secretary Tô Lâm visits the United Kingdom.
The journalist, a Vietnamese citizen based in Thailand, returned home in August to renew her passport. Upon receiving the new document, she was questioned for dozens of hours over a week in Hồ Chí Minh City, including one session that reportedly lasted overnight, according to friends familiar with her situation. Since then, she has been placed under intense surveillance, and her passport remains withheld.
Advocates have requested anonymity for her safety but are demanding her release. “The U.K. Foreign Office has prided itself on defending media freedom, but in this case, it is failing,” said Phil Robertson of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates (AHRLA) in Bangkok, urging British officials to press Tô Lâm to return the journalist’s passport.
The BBC confirmed its concern, issuing a statement that read: “We are deeply concerned about our journalist’s well-being and urge the authorities to allow them to leave immediately, providing them with their renewed passport so they can return to work.” The British Foreign Office reaffirmed its commitment to press freedom but declined to address the case directly.
The episode underscores Vietnam’s contradictory stance on free expression. While the government seeks to project openness abroad—welcoming foreign media and international investment—it continues to crack down on independent reporting at home. Ministries of public security and defense frequently suppress what they deem “anti-state” narratives, particularly those seen as tarnishing Vietnam’s image.
The BBC Vietnamese Service, which operates from Bangkok, has long been targeted by the Vietnamese government; its website has been blocked since 2002, and local freelancers face constant risk. Recent years have seen the rise of state-backed online campaigns to silence critics and promote nationalism, often leading to travel bans or criminal charges.
A 2022 Human Rights Watch report documented over 170 activists, bloggers, and dissidents who were barred from travel. In just the first 10 months of 2025, at least 40 individuals in Việt Nam have been arrested for expressing dissent or supporting independent religious and political groups. Earlier in October, police in Nghệ An Province detained blogger Nguyễn Duy Niệm on charges of spreading “anti-state propaganda.”
Rights advocates fear the BBC journalist could face similar treatment if her passport is not returned soon. “The Vietnamese government should recognize that critical reporting isn’t a crime,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s a mark of a mature government when it can learn from criticism.”
Civil society and activist sources report that Pastor Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, a 71-year-old Protestant minister, was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2025 by the Lâm Đồng Provincial People’s Court to six years in prison and five years of probation for “making and disseminating anti-state materials” under Article 117 of the Penal Code.
Hùng was arrested in January 2025 in Hồ Chí Minh City, after police raided his home, confiscated personal devices, and briefly detained his son. He is known for advocating religious freedom and had previously faced harassment for his pastoral work.
According to defense lawyer Hà Huy Sơn, Hùng plans to appeal the verdict. As of now, there has been no official statement or confirmation about his trial from Việt Nam’s state-controlled media or judicial authorities.
Rights groups, including RFA, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and CIVICUS Monitor, have condemned his prosecution as part of a broader pattern of criminalizing peaceful expression and religious activity under national-security laws.
National Assembly Appoints Two New Deputy Prime Ministers, Including First Woman to Hold the Post
Việt Nam’s National Assembly has approved a sweeping round of top-level appointments as the current government term nears its end, including the confirmation of Phạm Thị Thanh Trà and Hồ Quốc Dũng as deputy prime ministers.
The session, held on Oct. 24–25, filled several key cabinet and parliamentary positions, signaling both continuity and political recalibration within the ruling Communist Party.
Both Trà and Dũng are members of the party’s Central Committee, but their promotions drew different reactions. Hồ Quốc Dũng’s appointment had been anticipated since early October, when state media reported that the Politburo had assigned him to the post. Trà’s elevation, however, came as a surprise and a historic one: she became Vietnam’s first female deputy prime minister.
The National Assembly also confirmed several other senior appointments: Lê Hoài Trung as minister of foreign affairs, Đỗ Thanh Bình as minister of home affairs, and Trần Đức Thắng as minister of agriculture and environment. In the legislature, Lê Quang Mạnh was elected secretary-general of the National Assembly and head of its office, while Nguyễn Hữu Đông and Nguyễn Thanh Hải were appointed to lead the Committee for Deputies’ Affairs and the Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment, respectively.
Notably, all these new officeholders will serve for only about six months, as the 2021–2026 term ends in mid-2026. Despite the short tenure, the reshuffle expands the cabinet to nine deputy prime ministers, two more than after the February 18 restructuring and four more than in the 2016–2021 term — the highest number in three decades.
The appointments come against the backdrop of intensified intra-party personnel adjustments ahead of the 14th National Party Congress, expected in early 2026. As is customary in Vietnam’s one-party system, all major government personnel decisions follow the Communist Party’s Central Committee and Politburo’s prior to their endorsements. The National Assembly’s role is largely to formalize these choices — a process that analysts have long described as procedural rather than deliberative.
While official media highlighted the “unanimous approval” of the appointments, observers note that the unusually high number of deputy prime ministers reflects both bureaucratic compromise and the party’s effort to balance regional and institutional interests during a sensitive political transition.
Leaked Documents Show Việt Nam Agreed to Purchase 40 Russian Fighter Jets in Covert Deal
The New York Times reports that the government of Việt Nam has secretly agreed to purchase Russian military hardware worth approximately US$8 billion, despite Western sanctions on Moscow.
According to internal documents and sources briefed on the deal, Việt Nam is acquiring about 40 fighters of the Su-35 and Su-30 types, along with nine electronic-warfare systems in 2024 and 26 ground-based radar jamming units valued near US$190 million, to be delivered in 2025.
The financing of the deal is reportedly routed through a Vietnam-Russia joint oil and gas venture in Siberia, allowing Việt Nam to avoid the conventional banking system and circumvent U.S. and Western export-control sanctions.
Historically reliant on Soviet and Russian weapons systems, Việt Nam has stepped up defense procurement amid rising regional tensions. Analysts say the deal underscores Hanoi’s strategy of diversifying suppliers while navigating its strategic relations with Moscow, Beijing and Washington.
Neither the Vietnamese nor Russian governments have publicly confirmed the transaction. The story has drawn concern from international observers who say such covert deals may undermine global sanctions regimes and shift Southeast Asia’s defense dynamics.
At the end of October, Huế and Đà Nẵng suffered historic floods and torrential rains that triggered Việt Nam’s highest-level disaster warnings.
Beginning on Oct. 27, relentless rainfall caused rivers to overflow, inundating vast areas of both cities. Numerous residential zones and key roads were cut off by flooding and landslides. Between Oct. 22 and 29, rainfall totals reached 450–900 mm in Huế and 300–600 mm in Đà Nẵng, with Bạch Mã (Huế) recording a staggering 1,739 mm in a single day—just 86 mm below the global record.
Water levels on many rivers surpassed Alarm Level 3, the highest national warning threshold. At Khu Ốc Station in Huế, levels even exceeded the historic 2020 flood peak. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that flooding and landslides could persist through the end of October across provinces from Quảng Trị to Quảng Ngãi.
According to the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention, as of 6 a.m. on Oct. 30, the disaster had caused 14 deaths (including 7 in Đà Nẵng, 4 in Quảng Ngãi, 2 in Huế, and 1 in Lâm Đồng), with 8 missing and 22 injured. More than 128,000 homes across 90 communes and wards were submerged. Nearly 4,400 hectares of crops and 650 hectares of orchards were damaged, while over 16,300 livestock and poultry were swept away. Landslides and road collapses have further crippled transport networks.
Officials described the event as “unprecedented and unpredictable.” Experts attributed the extreme weather to a complex interaction of cold air, a tropical convergence zone, and moist easterly winds.
In the 10th session of the National Assembly, lawmakers emphasized the need for stronger disaster prevention and environmental protection measures. On Oct. 28, Deputy Nguyễn Lân Hiếu of Gia Lai urged the government to preserve natural forests and halt deforestation for logging and development projects. Earlier, on Oct. 21, several deputies called for upgrading the national forecasting and early warning systems to better prepare for future disasters.
The catastrophe underscores the increasing vulnerability of central Việt Nam to climate-induced extreme weather, as deforestation, rapid urbanization, and inadequate early-warning mechanisms amplify the human and economic toll of natural disasters.
Quick Takes:
U.S. Secretary of War Visits Việt Nam to Deepen Defense Cooperation
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrived in Việt Nam this week for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral defense ties. Hegseth met with Defense Minister Phan Văn Giang to discuss expanded military cooperation, including coastguard support, T-6 trainer aircraft deliveries, and joint capacity-building initiatives. Both sides highlighted ongoing efforts to address war legacies such as Agent Orange cleanup and unexploded ordnance removal. The visit, marking 30 years of diplomatic relations, underscores Việt Nam’s strategic balancing in regional security while advancing U.S.–Việt Nam defense collaboration amid prolonged arms supply discussions.
Tô Lâm’s Visit to the United Kingdom: Việt Nam Gains Its 14th Comprehensive Strategic Partner
From Oct. 28–30, Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm made an official visit to the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, where Việt Nam and the U.K. agreed to elevate their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership—the highest tier in Việt Nam’s diplomatic hierarchy. The upgrade, confirmed on Oct. 29 after talks between Tô Lâm and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, makes the U.K. Việt Nam’s 14th such partner. Speaking at Oxford University, Tô Lâm emphasized private enterprise as the “most important driver” of economic growth while reaffirming the state sector’s leading role. The visit followed earlier trips to Finland and Bulgaria, where similar partnerships were established.
U.S. May Lift Tariffs on Select Vietnamese Goods Under New Trade Framework
On Oct. 26, Việt Nam and the United States issued a joint statement announcing the establishment of a Fair and Reciprocal Trade Framework. Under the agreement, the U.S. will maintain its current 20% tariff on Vietnamese-origin goods—imposed since July 2—but will consider reducing tariffs to 0% for certain products aligned with both sides’ cooperation priorities. In return, Việt Nam pledged to grant preferential market access to nearly all U.S. exports. The list of goods eligible for tariff reductions has not yet been disclosed, signaling ongoing negotiations to balance trade benefits and strategic cooperation between the two nations.
Communist Party to Hold 14th National Congress From Jan. 19–25
Việt Nam’s ruling Communist Party has announced that its 14th National Congress will take place from Jan. 19 to 25, 2026, just before the Lunar New Year. State media reported on Oct. 23 that the Congress will elect a new Central Committee of about 200 members, who will then choose the general secretary, members of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and heads of key party commissions. This Congress will also outline Vietnam’s socioeconomic development roadmap for the next five years. This will be the first Congress after Nguyễn Phú Trọng’s era (2011–2024), marking a pivotal moment in the country’s post-Trọng political transition.
Credit Growth Surges in HCMC as Outstanding Loans Exceed 4.9 Quadrillion Đồng
According to the State Bank of Việt Nam, by Oct. 31, total outstanding credit across financial institutions in Hồ Chí Minh City reached approximately 4.9 quadrillion đồng (about US $188 billion), marking a 9.79% increase from the end of 2024. During a June 19 National Assembly session, Governor Nguyễn Thị Hồng revealed that Việt Nam’s credit-to-GDP ratio had reached 134% by late 2024 — a level she warned reflected excessive dependence on bank lending. Việt Nam’s GDP in 2024 stood at 11.51 quadrillion dong , underscoring how the economy’s growth remains heavily driven by credit expansion and bank-funded capital flows.
Việt Nam Begins Drafting New Criminal Code Revision Focused on Restorative Justice
On Oct. 20, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính signed Decision No. 2321, launching the drafting process for a revised Criminal Code (Bộ luật Hình sự – BLHS)—just four months after the National Assembly last amended it. The Ministry of Public Security, rather than the Ministry of Justice, will once again lead the drafting, with the bill expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in 2027. Unlike previous revisions, the government has directed that amendments promote restorative and rehabilitative justice measures while also codifying new forms of emerging social offenses, signaling a shift toward modernization and adaptive criminal policy in Việt Nam’s legal framework.
Two Former Khánh Hòa Chairmen and Senior Military Officers Indicted in Phúc Sơn Group Land Scandal
On Oct. 27, Tuổi Trẻ reported that the Central Military Procuracy has indicted nine defendants for violations related to the Nha Trang Airport land case involving the Phúc Sơn Group. Among them are former Khánh Hòa Provincial Chairmen Nguyễn Chiến Thắng and Lê Đức Vinh, and Major General Nguyễn Duy Cường and Maj. Gen. Hoàng Viết Quang, all charged with illegally transferring nearly 63 hectares of military land to Phúc Sơn. Phúc Sơn Group chairman Nguyễn Văn Hậu faces fraud charges for illegally raising over 7 trillion đồng. Authorities have seized 1,422 land-use certificates and hundreds of gold bars to secure judgment enforcement. Hậu previously received a 30-year prison sentence in July 2025.