How viable is Vietnam as a 'friend-shoring' destination?

Leadership shake-up sparks concern about possible shift toward China, Russia

Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at a February 2021 news conference in Hanoi after being reelected as Communist Party general secretary for a third term. © Reuters

TORU TAKAHASHI, Nikkei senior staff writer

March 5, 2023 13:16 JST

TOKYO -- Shortly after the Tet Lunar New Year holidays ended earlier this year, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh embarked on a diplomatic blitz. After surviving a leadership shake-up late last year, Chinh looked eager to reassure the world that the country is still open for business.