Vietnam News Today (Dec. 23): FDI Inflows Gain Momentum in Vietnam’s Southern Key Economic Region

Vietnam News Today (Dec. 23): Official affirms Vietnam's readiness to help Cambodia, Thailand stabilize relations; UOB raises Vietnam’s 2025 GDP growth forecast to 7.7%; FDI inflows gain momentum in Vietnam’s southern key economic region; 33rd SEA Games closes with resonant celebration of champions.

Rosie Nguyen

[email protected] December 23, 2025 | 07:00

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Vietnam News Today (Dec. 23) notable headlines

Official affirms Vietnam's readiness to help Cambodia, Thailand stabilize relations

UOB raises Vietnam’s 2025 GDP growth forecast to 7.7%

FDI inflows gain momentum in Vietnam’s southern key economic region

33rd SEA Games closes with resonant celebration of champions

New Year’s Eve fireworks to light up Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2026

Laos praises Vietnam’s achievements after 40 years of Doi Moi

National conference to shape policy framework for OVs in new period

Machinery exports rise to Vietnam’s second-largest export group

US travel site ranks Hoi An among Asia’s top four destinations for 2026

Participants pose for a group photo at the ASEAN foreign ministers’ special meeting on the current situation between Cambodia and Thailand, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 22. (Photo: Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Official affirms Vietnam's readiness to help Cambodia, Thailand stabilize relations

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang has affirmed Vietnam's readiness to work closely with other ASEAN members to help Cambodia and Thailand soon restore peace and stabilize their relations.

Giang, on behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, made the remarks while attending the ASEAN foreign ministers’ special meeting on the current situation between Cambodia and Thailand, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 22.

Addressing the meeting, he welcomed Malaysia’s timely convening of the session, describing it as a meaningful contribution to ongoing efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to support Cambodia and Thailand in seeking a long-term solution for regional peace, stability, and security.

Vietnam supports Malaysia’s proactive, consistent, and effective leadership as ASEAN Chair, the official stated.

In the light of recent complex developments, Giang expressed Vietnam’s deep concern over the situation and its negative impact not only on bilateral relations and the people of Cambodia and Thailand, but also on ASEAN’s solidarity, centrality and prestige.

He underscored the importance of promoting ASEAN's solidarity and collective and responsible action in addressing issues related to regional peace and security.

He said that Vietnam welcomes the goodwill demonstrated by Cambodia and Thailand through the commitments already reached, including the July 28 agreement, the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration on October 26, the establishment of the ASEAN Observer Team, as well as the new ceasefire proposals raised at the meeting.

Vietnam calls on both sides to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from the use of force, fully implement the agreed commitments, and resolve disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, the UN Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). It hopes that the two sides will soon reach a ceasefire agreement, the Deputy Minister emphasized.

Giang affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to continue actively supporting and working closely with other ASEAN member states to promote appropriate initiatives and approaches within the bloc, including the utilization of the existing ASEAN mediation and conciliation mechanisms, to help Cambodia and Thailand restore peace and stabilize their relations at an early date.

During the discussion, ASEAN foreign ministers stressed the need for both countries to exercise utmost restraint, take immediate steps to halt hostilities, implement a ceasefire, and create conditions for people to return to normal life as soon as possible.

The ministers also reaffirmed their support for the bloc’s centrality, especially the ASEAN Chair's leadership and coordinating role, in assisting the parties to narrow differences, build confidence, and create favorable conditions for the resumption of dialogue.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Malaysia issued the ASEAN Chair’s statement on the event's outcomes. The statement noted that Cambodia and Thailand had resumed ceasefire discussions and would convene a meeting of the joint border commission on December 24 to discuss specific issues, cited VNA.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Giang held discussions with several participating foreign ministers and the ASEAN Secretary-General to look into bilateral, regional, and international issues of shared concern. The partners commended Vietnam’s role, diplomatic efforts, and constructive views and contributions in facilitating dialogue and helping Cambodia and Thailand iron out their differences.

He highly valued the ASEAN Secretary-General's active role and timely proposal to promote dialogue, restraint, and search for a resolution appropriate to the bloc's common interests.

Giang further reiterated Vietnam’s willingness to serve as a bridge to support dialogue and conflict resolution among the relevant parties in a constructive spirit.

On this occasion, Giang also held working sessions with Adina Kamarudin, Director-General for Maritime Affairs at Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, Director-General of Malaysia’s National Security Council.

At the meetings, both sides welcomed the positive development of the Vietnam – Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, effectively implement the existing commitments and agreements, enhance trade cooperation with a view to reaching the bilateral trade target of 20 billion USD, and further expand cooperation in people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and education.

They stressed that maritime cooperation remains an important pillar of bilateral relations and should be further strengthened in a comprehensive manner, particularly in maritime security, fisheries cooperation, marine resource exploitation, maritime infrastructure, energy, and oil and gas.

The two sides also agreed to continue cooperation in addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Giang affirmed Vietnam’s strong commitment to combating IUU fishing and promoting sustainable fisheries development.

Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination in tackling the matter, including information-sharing on fishing vessels and fishermen involved in violations.

UOB raises Vietnam’s 2025 GDP growth forecast to 7.7%

Singapore’s United Overseas Bank (UOB) has recently upgraded its 2025 GDP growth forecast for Vietnam to 7.7%, citing the country’s robust export performance, resilient manufacturing activity and sustained foreign investment inflows.

According to UOB, Vietnam recorded its strongest quarterly expansion since the post-COVID rebound in the third quarter of 2022, with real GDP growing 8.23% year on year in Q3 in 2025, slightly higher than the 8.19% growth in the previous quarter.

UOB economists noted that the strong performance was underpinned by resilient exports and industrial production, even as the country continued to face headwinds from evolving US trade and tariff policies.

During the January–October 2025 period, Vietnam’s exports surged 16.8% year on year, accelerating from an already high base of 14.2% growth in the same period last year, UOB said.

One key driver was shipments to the US which jumped by 28.1% supported by accelerated orders after reciprocal tariff rates were scaled back to a base rate of 10% globally.

Vietnam’s cumulative trade surplus reached US$18.7 billion as of October, narrowing from US$22.4 billion in 2024, reflecting higher import demand for production inputs amid strong export orders, according to UOB.

Manufacturing activity also strengthened, with output rising 10.8% in January–September 2025, compared with 9.4% growth in the same period in 2024. UOB highlighted that four consecutive months of Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) readings above 50 point to a continued expansionary outlook for the manufacturing sector.

Despite volatility in US trade and tariff policies since early 2025, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Vietnam have continued to gain momentum, supported by investor confidence in Vietnam’s medium-term prospects and the broader ASEAN region.

UOB reported that realised FDI inflows reached US$21.3 billion in the first ten months of 2025, exceeding the bank’s full-year expectation of US$20 billion, and well above the US$19.6 billion recorded in the same period in 2024. The FDI pipeline also remains robust, with registered FDI rising 15% to US$31.5 billion, from US$27.3 billion a year earlier, the bank added.

Domestic demand also showed resilience. UOB noted that retail sales expanded at an average of 9.8% in January–October 2025, outperforming the 8.6% growth recorded in 2024, backed in part by a rebound in inbound tourism, according to VOV.

Vietnam’s robust export performance is attributed to resilient exports and industrial production despite headwinds from evolving US trade and tariff policies.

Looking ahead to 2026, UOB expected the Vietnamese dong (VND) to continue underperforming regional peers, even amid a broadly softer US dollar environment. The bank maintains a cautious stance on the currency, forecasting the US$/VND exchange rate at 26,300 in Q1-2026, 26,100 in Q2-2026, 26,000 in Q3-2026 and 25,900 in Q4-2026.

With real GDP expanding by a robust 7.85% Q1-Q3 2025, Vietnam’s outlook remains positive for 2026. However, one downside risk to watch is the implementation of the final reciprocal tariff rates since 7 August – which saw the rate for Vietnam staying at 20% - which could potentially dampen global trade activity going into 2026 as US consumers and producers are burdened with higher import costs.

UOB economists cautioned that growth momentum may ease in the final quarter of 2025 due to a high base effect in Q4 of 2024, ongoing tariff uncertainties and trade frictions. As a result, the bank expected Q4 of 2025 GDP growth to slow to around 7.2%, bringing full-year 2025 growth to 7.7%.

Achieving the government’s official growth target of 8.3–8.5% would require an exceptionally strong Q4-2025 expansion of 9.7–10.5%, which UOB viewed as challenging under current conditions.

For 2026, UOB forecasts Vietnam’s GDP growth to moderate slightly to around 7%, reflecting base effects and the fading impact of export front-loading.

FDI inflows gain momentum in Vietnam’s southern key economic region

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Vietnam’s southern key economic region are expected to continue gaining momentum as a host of strategic infrastructure projects near completion, opening up a new growth cycle for the region.

During the past 11 months of 2025, FDI inflows recorded strong growth in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh provinces, supported by expanded development space following recent administrative mergers.

Ho Chi Minh City attracted US$7.67 billion in FDI during the reviewed period, up 24.2% year on year. The city hosted working sessions with 55 domestic and foreign investor delegations seeking cooperation opportunities. Several multinational groups have chosen the city for expansion, including Techtronic Industries, which is accelerating plans to scale up production at its Milwaukee plant in the Hi-Tech Park, and AEON, which plans to invest in three additional large shopping malls.

In the high-tech segment, Smart Tech Group has proposed a battery energy storage plant with investment ranging from US$340 million to US$850 million. Data centre projects have also drawn interest from major players such as Eaton, Evolution (a Warburg Pincus portfolio company) and Hyosung.

In Dong Nai, FDI inflows also saw a strong pickup. According to provincial data, total foreign investment hit US$2.95 billion during the 11-month period, reported VOV.

Ho Chi Minh City, a key driver of FDI growth in Vietnam’s southern key economic region.

Investment into industrial parks alone amounted to US$2.5 billion, exceeding the annual target by 32%. By mid-November 2025, disbursed FDI in industrial parks and economic zones surpassed US$1.6 billion, outpacing the planned level of US$1.5 billion and supporting the province’s goal of double-digit economic growth.

Outside industrial parks, Dong Nai attracted several large-scale projects, notably Aeon Mall Bien Hoa, developed by the AEON Group, with total investment exceeding VND6 trillion.

Tay Ninh also reported positive results. During the past 11 months, the province granted licences to 163 new projects and approved capital adjustments for 151 projects, bringing total newly registered and adjusted investment to US$589.4 million, up US$111.9 million from a year earlier. The province has intensified investment promotion efforts while maintaining a selective approach, prioritising high-tech, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly projects.

Infrastructure projects strengthen FDI outlook

FDI prospects in the southern region are expected to strengthen further as major infrastructure projects come on stream. On December 19, Long Thanh International Airport welcomed its first flight and is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the first half of 2026.

Once operational, the airport is poised to shorten global connectivity times, reduce logistics costs and enhance export-import capacity, making Dong Nai and surrounding areas more attractive to multinational manufacturers, logistics firms and regional headquarters.

Complementing the airport, Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3, spanning 76.3 kilometres, is scheduled to open its first phase in June 2026, linking industrial parks and seaports across Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh. The Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway is projected to be fully finalized by September 2026, shortening transport routes from the Mekong Delta to the Cai Mep–Thi Vai port complex and Long Thanh Airport, thereby cutting logistics costs for exporters.

Alongside transport infrastructure, free trade zone projects in Cai Mep Ha (Ho Chi Minh City) and Dong Nai are under preparation and are expected to emerge as new magnets for strategic FDI. Dong Nai is also drafting a free trade zone proposal, combined with streamlined investment procedures and a one-stop-shop model, to improve the business environment and enhance its appeal to domestic and foreign investors.

With a pipeline of strategic infrastructure projects nearing completion, inter-regional connectivity in the southern key economic region is steadily taking shape. Apart from providing a physical infrastructure boost, these developments are expanding development space, enhancing competitiveness and positioning the region to attract higher-quality FDI in the coming period.

33rd SEA Games closes with resonant celebration of champions

Themed “The Sound of Champions”, the event conveyed a powerful message of determination, success, and friendship among athletes from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), hosted by Thailand, officially concluded with an impressive and emotional closing ceremony held on the evening of December 20 at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok.

The ceremony was attended by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Phromphao, Minister of Tourism and Sports Attakorn Sirilatthayakon, senior Thai sports officials, leaders of the Southeast Asian Games Federation, as well as heads of delegations, athletes and officials from participating countries.

Themed “The Sound of Champions”, the event conveyed a powerful message of determination, success, and friendship among athletes from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It combined music, the sporting spirit, and the Thai national pride into a visually striking performance that left a lasting impression.

Proceedings began with a minute of silence in remembrance of Queen Mother Sirikit, followed by a spectacular light, sound and visual performance titled “Echoes of the Whistle”. Featuring well-known Thai artists such as Tah-U Pittaya and Kratae R-Siam, the performance celebrated victory and sporting excellence, creating a vibrant and memorable atmosphere. A parade of athletes from all 54 sports then entered the stadium before Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Phromphao, on behalf of the host nation, delivered a summary of the Games.

At the ceremony, Associate Professor Pimol Srivikrom, President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, handed over the SEA Games flag to Kong-Ek Chaipak Siriwat, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Southeast Asian Games Federation. The flag was subsequently presented to Dr. Mohammed Taufik bin Johari, Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, representing the host country of the 34th SEA Games, cited VNA.

The fireworks display at the closing ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games on the evening of December 20. (Photo: VNA)

At the 33rd SEA Games, host Thailand topped the medal table for the first time in a decade, since the 2015 Games in Singapore. The Thai delegation collected a total of 233 gold, 154 silver, and 112 bronze medals from 573 events, securing the first place overall for the 14th time. This also set a new record for the highest number of gold medals won at a SEA Games, surpassing Vietnam’s previous record of 205 golds at the 31st SEA Games in 2022.

Vietnam finished third overall with 87 gold, 81 silver, and 110 bronze medals, behind Thailand and Indonesia (91 golds, 111 silvers, and 131 bronzes).

Speaking to the Vietnamese media covering the Games, Nguyen Hong Minh, head of the Vietnamese sports delegation, said Vietnam had fulfilled its three key objectives: maintaining and enhancing its position among the region’s best, making breakthroughs in key disciplines, especially Olympic sports, and projecting the image of a civilised, professional and disciplined delegation in the eyes of international friends.

The 33rd SEA Games saw nine of the ten participating delegations win at least one gold medal, with Timor-Leste the only exception. A notable downside was Cambodia’s withdrawal shortly after the opening ceremony on December 9, citing security concerns amid the escalating border tensions with Thailand.

Thailand will prepare to host the 13th ASEAN Para Games from January 20 to 26, 2026, in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The Games will feature 19 sports and 534 medal events.

The 34th SEA Games will be hosted by Malaysia from September 18 to 29, 2027, across four cities – Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang, and Johor with 38 sports planned for competition.

New Year’s Eve fireworks to light up Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2026

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are preparing to welcome 2026 with dazzling fireworks displays at multiple iconic locations across both cities.

To welcome the New Year 2026, Hanoi is expected to organize 15-minute fireworks shows from 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 2025, to 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2026, at five key locations. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City will hold displays at four sites across the city.

Hanoi’s People’s Committee has submitted to the Standing Committee of the City Party for approval of its plan for fireworks on both New Year’s Eve 2026 and the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse.

According to the proposed plan, the New Year’s Eve celebration will include six fireworks sites across five locations in Hanoi. These will feature a combination of high-altitude and low-altitude fireworks alongside theatrical pyrotechnics, lasting for 15 minutes starting at 11:45 p.m.

This year’s plan reflects a new mindset - enhancing both the scale and quality of the performances. It includes the integration of modern light show technology with traditional fireworks to create a more impactful visual experience, VNN reported.

Hanoi will organize fireworks displays at five locations for New Year’s Eve 2026. Photo: The Dai

Hanoi will also host a Countdown 2026 program themed “Opening true connections,” which will run from 7:00 p.m. to midnight on December 31 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square and the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake.

For Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026, which will fall on February 17, 2026 (Tuesday), Hanoi plans to organize fireworks at 31 locations, with a total of 32 launch sites. These will include 11 high- and low-altitude combined fireworks shows and 21 low-altitude-only displays, all taking place at midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the fireworks plan for New Year’s Eve 2026 includes three high-altitude shows and one low-altitude show. High-altitude fireworks will be launched at the Saigon River Tunnel area in An Khanh Ward, the new Binh Duong City Center, and Tam Thang Square in Vung Tau Ward. A low-altitude show is planned at Dam Sen Cultural Park in Binh Thoi Ward. All shows will begin at midnight on January 1, 2026, and last for 15 minutes, with funding entirely sourced from private contributions.

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Rosie Nguyen

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Vietnam News Today Vietnam today headlines Vietnam news Vietnam today update Vietnam-Cambodia relations Vietnam GDP growth FDI in Vietnam SEA Games fireworks display

Vietnam News Today (Dec. 23): FDI Inflows Gain Momentum in Vietnam’s Southern Key Economic Region

Official affirms Vietnam's readiness to help Cambodia, Thailand stabilize relations

UOB raises Vietnam’s 2025 GDP growth forecast to 7.7%

FDI inflows gain momentum in Vietnam’s southern key economic region

33rd SEA Games closes with resonant celebration of champions

New Year’s Eve fireworks to light up Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2026

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