Key Events
- Hồ Chí Minh Book Controversy Spreads from Courts to Campus and TV;
- Institutions Quietly Remove ‘Liberal Arts’ after Ideological Attacks;
- U.S. Pressure Pushes Việt Nam’s Counterfeit Crackdown;
- Hòn Khoai Port Raises Việt Nam’s Naval Stakes;
- Israeli Defense Firms Draw Việt Nam’s Interest Despite Eurosatory Limits.
Online Denunciations Widen Fallout as Police Expand Hồ Chí Minh Book Probe
The arrest of FPT co-founder Nguyễn Thành Nam has escalated a dispute over a book about Hồ Chí Minh, “Chuyện với Thanh” (“A Story with Thanh”), into a major political and reputational crisis. The fallout now draws in a large publisher, university leadership, media figures, and another FPT executive.
FPT is one of Việt Nam’s largest technology companies, with businesses spanning software, telecommunications, education, and digital services.
Hà Nội police detained Nam and Spiderum director Trần Việt Anh on July 7 under Article 117, accusing them of spreading materials aimed at opposing the state. The case centers on “Chuyện với Thanh,” a 2026 book that retells Hồ Chí Minh’s overseas years through a dialogue between a teacher and a Gen Z student.
Police said the investigation is expanding. Online denunciations have since targeted people accused of enabling, promoting, or failing to stop the book, including Writers’ Association Publishing House director Nguyễn Thúy Hằng, Vietnam Writers’ Association chairman Nguyễn Quang Thiều, and FPT creative director Đinh Tiến Dũng.
The case underscores how quickly a cultural controversy in Việt Nam can morph into a political loyalty test, as state investigations, televised confessions, institutional distancing, and social media campaigns reinforce one another.
Nam appeared in a televised confession acknowledging mistakes related to the book. In politically sensitive investigations, authorities have previously used such broadcasts as evidence against the accused, as in the case of William A. Nguyễn in 2018.
FPT University moved to distance itself from Nam within an hour of the arrest announcement, saying he had not recently managed or taught history or Hồ Chí Minh Thought there and that the school had no role in the book’s publication. FPT University also said it had removed Nam-linked seminar content on “Hồ-style leadership” but did not say when.
The statement backfired. Critics accused the university of abandoning a longtime figure only after his fall, especially because Nam’s name had reportedly remained on the school’s leadership page until late June.
Đinh Tiến Dũng, known publicly as “Professor” Cù Trọng Xoay, withdrew from the TV show “Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai” (“Brothers Overcoming Countless Obstacles”), which is a music reality show where established male artists compete, collaborate, and reinvent themselves through staged performances, on July 10 at what producers described as his personal request. The move followed online attacks over his role promoting Nam’s book. The show also delayed its third episode by a week.
The publisher of “Chuyện với Thanh” apologized and recalled the book on June 10 and then was suspended for two months and fined 100 million đồng ($3,937). On June 26, Vietnam’s Education Ministry ordered universities to report any academic activities involving Nguyễn Thành Nam.
Observers are watching whether the authorities will widen the case beyond Nguyễn Thành Nam and Trần Việt Anh and whether institutions tied to the book will face formal penalties or continue trying to contain the fallout through public distancing. Foreign governments and international rights groups have raised serious concerns that Article 117 of Việt Nam’s Penal Code criminalizes peaceful expression.
Schools and State Outlets Drop ‘Liberal Arts’ Wording Amid Backlash
State media outlets, government agencies, and two leading private universities have quietly removed or changed references to “liberal arts” and “liberal education” after a wave of online denunciations framed the concept as ideologically suspect.
The changes followed criticism that erupted after the Ministry of Education and Training released the answer key for the national high school literature exam on June 19, which said Việt Nam should “build a liberal, creative education.”
This phrase drew attacks from pro-government social media accounts and commentators, who linked “liberal arts education” to “peaceful evolution” and “color revolution” tactics.
On July 8, the Education Ministry published remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu from a July 7 meeting, saying a new decree on university autonomy and financial mechanisms should be “liberal” in spirit. The article on the ministry’s website is no longer accessible, and its Facebook post was edited to remove the passage.
State media outlets, including the Government News portal, Tiền Phong, and Tri thức và Cuộc sống, also revised stories on Châu’s remarks to delete the wording “liberal.” The Vietnam.vn, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, was one of the few outlets that still preserved the original phrasing.
Fulbright University Vietnam also changed an event title posted by its Center for Vietnam Studies. A July 8 invitation for a talk titled “From Enlightenment to Liberal Arts: Rereading Phan Châu Trinh Today” was changed on July 10 to “Phan Châu Trinh and Today,” with other mentions of “liberal arts” removed.
Separately, VinUniversity, or VinUni, quietly renamed its Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences to the Institute of Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. Some older VinUni posts from February and April were updated with the new name, while other posts mentioning the former title became inaccessible. VinUni has not publicly explained the change.
The backlash has been amplified by figures including Phan Trung Can, who reposted an article from a Ministry of Home Affairs publication condemning “Western-style liberal arts education.” Can is a former soldier/former serviceman who helped initiate the public denunciation campaign against Nguyễn Thành Nam over Chuyện với Thanh.
That article has since been removed. An account named Nguyễn Quang Thiều also called for Vietnamese people to boycott “liberal arts” in culture and education.
Neither the Education Ministry, Fulbright, nor VinUni has publicly stated a formal position on the phrase. VinUni has also stayed silent on the arrest of Nguyễn Thành Nam, a lecturer who taught Hồ Chí Minh Thought at the university and who faces Article 117 charges over a separate book controversy.
Việt Nam Intensifies Crackdown on Counterfeit Luxury Goods
Việt Nam is stepping up enforcement against the long-running counterfeit goods trade, as pressure from the Trump administration pushes the authorities to target markets, warehouses, and online sellers accused of violating intellectual property rights, BBC News reported.
Police raids this year have uncovered thousands of fake branded products, including more than 23,000 pairs of counterfeit slippers carrying Nike, Adidas, Crocs, and Gucci logos in Hồ Chí Minh City. The authorities said the seized goods were worth about $76,000.
The crackdown expanded nationwide after Việt Nam launched a campaign on May 7 against counterfeit goods, online piracy, and trademark infringements. Recently, inspectors have targeted major shopping hubs, including Sài Gòn Square and Bến Thành Market, both known for fake designer clothing, handbags, watches, and shoes.
U.S. pressure has sharpened the campaign. In April, the Office of the United States Trade Representative named Việt Nam a “priority foreign country” over intellectual property enforcement, BBC News reported.
The authorities reportedly handled more than 1,400 infringement cases in the final three weeks of May. In June, police in Thanh Hóa Province dismantled a counterfeit jewelry ring, which is accused of selling more than 10,000 imitation items under brand names including Cartier, Bvlgari, and Louis Vuitton.
Local reaction is divided. Some Vietnamese designers say fake goods hurt legitimate businesses and make it harder for customers to value original, locally made clothing. Others argue that counterfeits remain popular because authentic luxury goods are far beyond the reach of many consumers who have an average monthly income of around $225.
Vendors and buyers also appear unconvinced that enforcement can erase the trade. Sellers have adapted by hiding stock, changing designs or slightly altering brand names to avoid legal risk while preserving the look customers want.
Experts told BBC News that steady demand and cross-border supply chains, especially from China, are driving Việt Nam’s counterfeit market. For low-income shoppers and tourists, fake goods remain cheap, accessible, and socially acceptable.
Despite the raids, analysts say the black market is likely to survive in new forms. As long as consumers want affordable versions of luxury items, sellers will continue to find ways around enforcement.
Việt Nam Bets on $4 Billion Port to Counter China’s Reach
Việt Nam is accelerating work on a nearly $4 billion port and transport corridor at its southern tip, a project Bloomberg reported is meant to expand access to global trade routes while checking China’s growing naval and political influence near Cambodia.
The centerpiece is an 18-kilometer sea bridge linking Cà Mau Province to Hòn Khoai Island in the Gulf of Thailand. The deep-water port planned for the island is expected to handle 20 million tons of cargo a year and receive ships of up to 250,000 deadweight tons, large enough for major bulk carriers and tankers.
The project has been discussed for years but gained urgency after Cambodia broke ground in 2024 on the China-funded Funan Techo Canal, Bloomberg reported. Beijing also helped upgrade Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, fueling concern in Hà Nội that Cambodia could gain new trade routes while China deepens its regional military foothold.
Analysts told Bloomberg the port would give Việt Nam a stronger presence in southwestern waters, an area traditionally served by smaller patrol craft. Along with naval facilities on Phú Quốc and a planned airfield on Thổ Chu island, Hòn Khoai could become part of a wider commercial and military network across Việt Nam’s maritime frontier.
Hà Nội is also presenting the project as an economic catalyst for Cà Mau. Officials hope the port, expressway, and logistics facilities will lower transport expenses for the Mekong Delta and help the province achieve annual growth above 10% through 2030. Local businesses in Đất Mũi have expanded to serve construction crews and visitors.
Still, questions remain over whether the investment is justified. Vũ Minh Khương, a professor at the National University of Singapore and former adviser to Việt Nam’s prime minister, told Bloomberg some may question whether the port is the best use of resources.
China and Cambodia have rejected suggestions that their projects threaten Việt Nam. China’s foreign ministry said its cooperation with other countries does not target third parties, while Sun Chanthol, Cambodia’s deputy prime minister, said the Funan Techo Canal is meant to reduce logistics costs and not serve military purposes.
For Hà Nội, Hòn Khoai reflects a broader strategy: build enough infrastructure and deterrence to compete in waters where China’s navy remains far larger and better funded. Bloomberg reported that analysts see the port as one of Việt Nam’s most significant shifts in naval posture in decades.
Việt Nam Courts Israeli Defense Firms Despite Eurosatory Limits
Despite French restrictions on Israeli exhibitors at the June Eurosatory defense show in Paris, senior Vietnamese officials held extensive meetings with Israeli defense companies, Globes reported, citing Intelligence Online.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Minister Senior Lt. Gen. Nguyễn Trường Thắng and focused on Israeli companies that were permitted to exhibit, as well as firms barred or restricted under the French measures.
President Emmanuel Macron’s government had blocked an Israeli national pavilion and limited the products Israeli defense companies could display at the major defense and security exhibition.
Globes reported that the interest from Việt Nam reflects a broader deepening of defense ties between the two countries. Israeli defense exports reached a record $19.2 billion in 2025, with Asia-Pacific becoming the fastest-growing destination, rising from 23% to 32% of total exports, according to data from SIBAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry’s international defense cooperation division.
The relationship has expanded during Israel’s recent war, with Việt Nam serving as a supplier of explosives and other industrial products for Israeli defense industries. That cooperation has become more important as Israeli companies face growing embargoes and restrictions from Western countries.
One recent example is an exclusivity agreement between Israeli company 4Model and Việt Nam’s Đông Nam for Hanoi to provide precision chip processing, advanced castings, forging, electronic packaging, and the production of complex components. Israeli firms had previously relied on supply chains and production in countries such as India, Bulgaria, and Czechia.
Globes reported that Israel’s Defense Export Control Agency has not opposed contacts with Việt Nam, in part because major Israeli defense companies require compliance with Western quality standards and Vietnamese manufacturers are already accustomed to those standards through work with Americans.
Việt Nam is also a defense customer. Previous deals include tank upgrades by Elbit Systems and Spike missile sales by Rafael. In February, Intelligence Online reported that Việt Nam’s Ministry of Defense had closed a roughly $250 million contract with Rafael for the supply of Firefly loitering munitions, which the Israel Defense Forces have used in the war. The agreement includes production of the munitions at a Vietnamese factory.
The meetings at Eurosatory suggest Hà Nội is pursuing both procurement and industrial cooperation with Israel, even as France sought to limit Israel’s visibility at the event. For Israeli companies, Việt Nam offers both a growing market and a potential production partner as supply chains shift under wartime political pressure.
Quick Takes:
Rights Groups Press EU Over Việt Nam’s Transnational Repression
A coalition of 18 rights groups urged the EU to press Việt Nam and Thailand for human rights safeguards in proposed extradition and legal-assistance treaties, JURIST reported. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders and others warned the deals could enable politically motivated arrests and forced returns of Vietnamese dissidents and refugees in Thailand, violating non-refoulement protections. The groups cited cases including that of refugee Y Quỳnh Bdap’s 2025 return to Vietnam, the disappearance and imprisonment of journalist Trương Duy Nhất, and Dương Văn Thái’s alleged abduction. They urged the EU to use its strategic partnership with Việt Nam to demand political-offense exemptions and transparency.
Faith Groups Fight Plastic Choking Việt Nam’s Seas
Plastic pollution is threatening fishing and aquaculture livelihoods along Việt Nam’s central coast, NCR reported. The country generates about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste annually, with up to 730,000 tons leaking into the ocean. Fisherman Huỳnh Bá Oa said nets in Lăng Cô Bay increasingly catch plastic and abandoned gear as fish hauls fall. Clam farmer Phạm Thị Hải quit the business after floods and polluted water damaged her Cầu Hai Lagoon farm. Faith groups are responding: Caritas Huế supports cleanup teams in 46 parishes and subparishes, while Buddhist and Cao Đài volunteers also organize waste-reduction campaigns.
Police Seek Pause on Economic Prosecutions
The Ministry of Public Security has proposed a new Penal Code mechanism allowing some economic-crime prosecutions to be temporarily deferred. Under the proposed draft, suspects in economic-management cases could get up to two years, extendable once for one year, to remedy damage if the offense was tied to socioeconomic development or national defense, produced public benefits, did not involve corruption, and could be fully fixed. Those who complete remediation could be exempt from criminal liability. The proposal follows Politburo resolutions urging authorities to avoid criminalizing economic, civil, and administrative relations and prioritize restitution.
Government Offers Baby Bonuses As Aging Pressures Mount
Việt Nam’s first Population Law took effect July 1, offering childbirth subsidies, longer parental leave, and possible social-housing priority to encourage larger families, DW reported. But experts say the measures are unlikely to reverse a deeper demographic shift. The country’s fertility rate fell to 1.91 children per woman in 2024, which is below the replacement level. By 2050, the share of people 65 and older is projected to rise to 21.2%, while the working-age population shrinks. Analysts say Việt Nam must pair family support with stronger pensions, health care, workforce training, and policies that help older people stay active.
