Nguyen Minh Trang

Housing affordability is an increasingly consequential dimension of urban development in Viet Nam, yet city-average apartment prices may conceal different barriers to entry. This study combines CBRE condominium price benchmarks for the third quarter of 2025 with official 2024 income-quintile data for Hanoi and pre-merger Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Standardized 45 and 60 m² dwelling scenarios assess three sequential constraints: purchase-price-to-income multiples, time required to save a down payment, and mortgage repayment relative to income. The analysis separates primary and secondary condominium markets and varies interest rates and household-income assumptions. In the reference 60 m² secondary-market scenario, the purchase-price-to-income ratio is approximately 11.0 in Hanoi and 12.1 in old HCMC; estimated monthly repayments consume approximately 86% and 94% of standardized mean household income, respectively. Primary-market burdens are higher. These are scenario results, not estimates of the share of households excluded from ownership. The findings underscore the importance of distinguishing aggregate condominium supply from income-compatible housing and of considering down-payment liquidity alongside loan repayment capacity.

This study examines the relationship between income inequality and economic growth across 63 Vietnamese provinces and centrally administered cities from 2018 to 2024. Using provincial panel data, the study applies pooled OLS, fixed effects, random effects, and feasible generalized least squares estimations. A non-linear specification is included to capture potential threshold effects, while control variables such as provincial competitiveness, labor quality, and average income are used to account for regional differences. The results reveal a non-linear relationship between income inequality and economic growth. Moderate inequality is associated with higher growth, whereas excessive inequality negatively affects provincial economic performance. Institutional quality and human capital also significantly contribute to regional growth. The findings suggest that inequality can support growth only up to a certain level, beyond which it becomes harmful to sustainable development. Policymakers should focus on preventing excessive inequality while improving institutional quality, competitiveness, and labor quality to promote inclusive and sustainable regional growth.

This research conducted a comprehensive analysis of Washington’s strategic application of coercive diplomacy toward Beijing, focusing on three principal dimensions: political, economic, and military. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of coercive diplomacy, the Truman Doctrine, and “Trump’s Transactional Diplomacy,” the study employed a hybrid methodology combining content and event data analysis to examine diplomatic behaviors, political statements, tariff policies, technological measures, and military maneuvers enacted by the Trump 2.0 administration. First, Washington utilized coercive measures to reaffirm its global superiority over China. Domestic self-reliance initiatives, such as the AI Action Plan, aimed to demonstrate that U.S. endogenous capabilities remained competitive with China’s manufacturing infrastructure. Second, the strategic deployment of its alliance system underscored America’s intent to assert leadership over a globally integrated network of political, economic, and defense partnerships, contrasting with China’s comparatively modest coalition. Third, coercive diplomacy extended beyond Sino-American dynamics; the Trump administration applied similar pressure tactics toward strategic partners worldwide, often leveraging economic dominance through tariff threats. Strategically, coercive diplomacy toward China appeared poised to become a long-term doctrine, as countering Beijing represented one of the few bipartisan convergences in U.S. politics. In response, China was expected to reinforce domestic resilience and alliance-building to prepare for sustained confrontation. This rivalry was likely to trigger the most extensive multidimensional competition in modern history. Developing nations must adopt proactive, neutral diplomacy to strengthen internal capacities, while they should avoid positioning themselves as adversaries to either superpower.

In Vietnamese society, women play a fundamental role not only within families but also in preserving and developing cultural heritage, particularly through food. Food holds deep cultural and social significance in Vietnam, serving as a medium for expressing identity, fostering community ties, and transmitting tradition across generations. This study highlights how women are central figures in the preparation, innovation, and ritual use of food, making them key agents in sustaining the nation’s food culture. By examining everyday practices as well as ceremonial contexts, the research emphasizes the vital connection between gender and cultural continuity. It also explores how women’s contributions adapt in response to social and economic changes, demonstrating their enduring importance in both maintaining and reshaping Vietnam’s culinary traditions.

This study evaluates the impact of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on bilateral trade between Vietnam and Germany, addressing a gap in empirical research despite Germany’s role as Vietnam’s largest EU trading partner. The research adopts a trade indicator approach, applying the Bilateral Revealed Comparative Advantage (BRCA), Trade Intensity Index (TII), and Trade Complementarity Index (TCI) to analyze structural changes in trade between 2015 and 2023. The findings show that Vietnamese export sectors with established competitiveness, including footwear, leather, and wood products, have achieved notable gains under the EVFTA framework. However, sectors such as processed foods and high-tech machinery demonstrate limited improvement due to production constraints, compliance challenges, and value chain integration issues. Moreover, the results highlight a declining trend in both trade complementarity and intensity, indicating that the positive effects of the EVFTA have not been sustained in the long term. These findings underscore the need for Vietnam to enhance domestic production capacity, improve regulatory alignment with EU standards, and adopt a more proactive export strategy to fully capitalize on the agreement. Strengthening these dimensions will not only sustain existing advantages but also foster diversification and resilience in Vietnam-Germany trade relations under the evolving EVFTA landscape.

This paper examines the expansion of China's influence beyond economics into culture and ideology, focusing on its state-led cultural diplomacy in Southeast Asia, a region of critical strategic importance. Adopting a qualitative approach that utilizes case studies and empirical data, the research analyzes the mechanisms and motivations behind China's soft power strategy. The findings reveal that these initiatives are distinctly state-centric and frequently aligned with immediate economic or political goals. While this strategy has successfully established a notable cultural presence for China in the region, it is simultaneously hampered by significant challenges in building genuine trust and persuasive appeal. The paper concludes that the effectiveness of China's soft power is ultimately constrained by these issues, casting doubt on the long-term sustainability of its approach. These findings offer crucial insights for policymakers, suggesting that a more organic, trust-based approach is necessary for long-term success and informing how regional nations can formulate effective engagement strategies.

Objective: This article examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and Vietnam's economic growth in the period 1991-2023. Theoretical Framework: Based on the theory of foreign investment and economic growth of economists such as Mankiw, Romer, and Weil (1992), Jones (1995), Binh & Lang (2008), and Tung & Duong (2019), the research team built the regression model that shows the relationship between FDI and GDPr. Method: The author collected data on FDI, and GDPr (variable representing economic growth) in the period 1991-2023 from GSO, International Financial Statistics, WB. The collected data was analyzed by software Eviews12. Results and Discussion: the results showed GDPR of one previous year and GDPR of the year under consideration has a positive relationship when last year's GDP fluctuated by 1%, GDPR of the year under consideration will fluctuate by 0.381721%. Between FDI and GDPR, there is a positive relationship, when FDI fluctuates by 1%, GDPR will fluctuate by 0.020825%. Research Implications: Research results support the view that foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in promoting economic growth (g) in Vietnam. Originality/Value: From the research results, the author makes a number of recommendations to promote the attraction and effective use of foreign direct investment capital, supporting economic growth.

Digital Transformation is becoming a common term in all economic and social sector, which is often understood as the process of changing from a traditional business model to a digital one by applying new technology such as Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud computing (Cloud),... aiming to change the operating method, leadership, working process and company culture. Besides, market trends and consumer behavior are changing rapidly, all industrial sectors have to face enormous challenges and fierce competition, in which the manufacturing sector is not an exception. In the complicated context of the COVID-19 epidemic, the role of digital technology in production and business activities, become more significant than ever before due to limitation in transportation and logistics. In the brutal context of the epidemic, digital transformation is regarded as a "vaccine" for the economy. It is necessary to have a deep understand about the impacts of digital transformation on manufacture to suggest some solutions to promote socio-economic development, contributing to the fight against the epidemic and economic recovery.