Nguyen Khac Giang

Dr. Nguyen Khac Giang is Visiting Fellow at the Vietnam Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He was formerly Head of the Political Research Unit of the Hanoi-based Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR). Giang earned his PhD in Political Science at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. His academic work appears in, among others, the Asian Journal of Political Science, Contemporary Southeast Asia, the Constitutional Political Economy, New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies and the Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies. Giang is a frequent commentator on Vietnamese affairs and writes extensively for major Vietnamese and English news outlets.

Follow Giang's commentary for sharp, well-sourced analysis on Vietnamese politics and governance — one of the few scholars who can read the party-state's internal dynamics and translate them for an international audience.

	Nguyen Khac Giang
	@khacgiang
	https://www.khacgiang.com/

Research & Commentary

Giang writes across academic journals and major policy platforms, covering Vietnam's internal politics, anti-corruption campaigns, governance reforms, and the party-state's evolving relationship with the economy and public sphere. Below is a selection of his most notable work.

• Beyond Brotherhood: Vietnam’s New Playbook for Laos

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 11 March 2026

  • https://fulcrum.sg/beyond-brotherhood-vietnams-new-playbook-for-laos/

• Vietnam’s Post-War Generation Takes the Helm

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 23 January 2026

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnams-post-war-generation-takes-the-helm/

• Discipline by Design: Vietnam’s Blacklisting Regime and Its Implications for Digital Governance

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 22 January 2026

  • https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2026-4-discipline-by-design-vietnams-blacklisting-regime-and-its-implications-for-digital-governance-by-nguyen-khac-giang-and-dien-nguyen-an-luong/

• Vietnam’s 14th National Congress: Power, Reform, and the Next Political Generation

  The Diplomat • 15 January 2026

  • https://thediplomat.com/2026/01/vietnams-14th-national-congress-power-reform-and-the-next-political-generation/

• The Risk of Vietnam’s Local Leadership Carousel

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 8 January 2026

  • https://fulcrum.sg/the-risk-of-vietnams-local-leadership-carousel/

• Vietnam’s New Industrial Policy Under To Lam

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 2025

  • https://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/publication/7991

More...

• Political power shifts, floods and tariffs push the Mekong to the brink

  East Asia Forum • 30 December 2025

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/12/30/political-power-shifts-floods-and-tariffs-push-the-mekong-to-the-brink/

• The hidden domestic agenda behind Vietnam’s baffling foreign policy

  South China Morning Post • 29 November 2025

  • https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3334564/hidden-domestic-agenda-behind-vietnams-baffling-foreign-policy

• Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with China

  Carnegie China • 27 November 2025

  • https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/11/neither-comrade-nor-ally-decoding-vietnams-first-army-drill-with-china?lang=en

• The Domestic Calculations of To Lam’s Foreign Policy

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 25 November 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/the-domestic-calculations-of-to-lams-foreign-policy/

    
    

• To Lam is Institutionalising Politics Again

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 9 October 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/to-lam-is-institutionalising-politics-again/

    
    

• Elite Competition and Narrative Inconsistency in Vietnam’s Propaganda Apparatus

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 5 September 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/elite-competition-and-narrative-inconsistency-in-vietnams-propaganda-apparatus/

    
    

• Grooming New Champions: To Lam Prepares for Private Sector-Led Growth in Vietnam

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 19 August 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/grooming-new-champions-to-lam-prepares-for-private-sector-led-growth-in-vietnam/

• Elite Competition and Narrative Inconsistency in Vietnam’s Propaganda Apparatus

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 14 August 2025

  • https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2025-58-elite-competition-and-narrative-inconsistency-in-vietnams-propaganda-apparatus-by-dien-nguyen-an-luong-and-nguyen-khac-giang/

• How Is Vietnam Navigating the New Trade War Era?

  The Diplomat • 1 August 2025

  • https://thediplomat.com/2025/07/how-is-vietnam-navigating-the-new-trade-war-era/

• Vietnam Should Keep its Credit Caps and Carry on Structural Reforms

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 29 July 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnam-should-keep-its-credit-caps-and-carry-on-structural-reforms/

• Vietnam and Cambodia revamp economic partnership

  East Asia Forum • 9 July 2025

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/07/09/vietnam-and-cambodia-revamp-economic-partnership/

• Vietnam’s nuclear power revival: ambition or overreach?

  Eco-Business • 1 July 2025

  • https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/vietnams-nuclear-power-revival-ambition-or-overreach/

• Vietnam’s Nuclear Power Revival: Ambition or Overreach?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 26 June 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnams-nuclear-power-revival-ambition-or-overreach/

    
    

• The Strategic Calculations Behind To Lam’s Eurasian Tour

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 27 May 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/the-strategic-calculations-behind-to-lams-eurasian-tour/

    
    

• How To Lam Can Unleash Vietnam’s Private Sector

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 29 April 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/how-to-lam-can-unleash-vietnams-private-sector/

• Xi’s Southeast Asia Tour: China Needs More Than a Charm Offensive

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 23 April 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/xis-southeast-asia-tour-china-needs-more-than-a-charm-offensive/

• Mending Fences: Vietnam and Cambodia’s Diplomatic Reset

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 13 March 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/mending-fences-vietnam-and-cambodias-diplomatic-reset/

• Vietnam’s Bureaucratic Reforms: Opportunities and Challenges in “The Era of National Rise

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 20 February 2025

  • https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2025-14-vietnams-bureaucratic-reforms-opportunities-and-challenges-in-the-era-of-national-rise-by-nguyen-khac-giang/

• ‘Airpocalypse’ Now: Vietnam at Crossroads of Progress and Pollution

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 19 February 2025

  • https://fulcrum.sg/airpocalypse-now-vietnam-at-crossroads-of-progress-and-pollution/

• Learn from Your Comrades: Understanding Authoritarian Diffusion between Vietnam and China

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 2024

  • https://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/publication/7932

• Nguyen Phu Trong’s Incomplete Legacy in Vietnam

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 27 December 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/2024-top-10-nguyen-phu-trongs-incomplete-legacy-in-vietnam/

    
    

• The Political Economy of Vietnam’s North-South High-Speed Rail Project

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 19 December 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/the-political-economy-of-vietnams-north-south-high-speed-rail-project/

• Understanding the Rise and Rise of Online Nationalism in Vietnam

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 17 December 2024

  • https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2024-103-understanding-the-rise-and-rise-of-online-nationalism-in-vietnam-by-dien-nguyen-an-luong-and-nguyen-khac-giang/

• Fewer Voices, More Control: Vietnam Reshapes Its Media

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 17 December 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/fewer-voices-more-control-vietnam-reshapes-its-media/

• Vietnam, China and rerouting: When perceptions matter as much as reality

  Asialink, University of Melbourne • 2 December 2024

  • https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/diplomacy/article/vietnam-china-and-rerouting-when-perceptions-matter-much-reality/

• Vietnam, China and Rerouting: When Perceptions Matter as Much as Reality

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 26 November 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnam-china-and-rerouting-when-perceptions-matter-as-much-as-reality/

  
  

• Triangle Trouble: What’s Next for Vietnam’s Indochina Strategy?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 30 October 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/triangle-trouble-whats-next-for-vietnams-indochina-strategy/

• The Political Economy of Vietnam’s North-South High-Speed Rail Project

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 18 October 2024

  • https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2024-87-the-political-economy-of-vietnams-north-south-high-speed-rail-project-by-nguyen-khac-giang/

• Regional Responses to China’s Community of Shared Future for Mankind

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 2 August 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/aseanfocus/regional-responses-to-chinas-community-of-shared-future-for-mankind/

  
  

• Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnam: The Loss of Ideological Cover

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 1 August 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/nguyen-phu-trong-and-vietnam-the-loss-of-ideological-cover/

• Can Vietnam Thrive under Trump 2.0?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 22 July 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/can-vietnam-thrive-under-trump-2-0/

• Anti-Corruption Politics and Shifts in Central-Local Relations in Vietnam

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 19 July 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/anti-corruption-politics-and-shifts-in-central-local-relations-in-vietnam/

    
    

• Nguyen Phu Trong’s Incomplete Legacy in Vietnam

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 19 July 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/nguyen-phu-trongs-incomplete-legacy-in-vietnam/

• Bamboo in the Wind: Vietnam’s Quest for Neutrality

  E-International Relations • 12 July 2024

  • https://www.e-ir.info/2024/07/12/bamboo-in-the-wind-vietnams-quest-for-neutrality/

• Vietnam’s political reshuffle brings respite as To Lam tightens grip on power

  South China Morning Post • 23 June 2024

  • https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3267596/vietnams-political-reshuffle-brings-respite-lam-tightens-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed

• New Faces of Vietnamese Politics: Better Red than Expert?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 18 June 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/new-faces-of-vietnamese-politics-better-red-than-expert/

    
    

• Politics of Memory in Vietnam: A War Fought Twice

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 15 May 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/politics-of-memory-in-vietnam-a-war-fought-twice/

    
    

• Cooling the “Blazing Furnace” of Vietnam’s Anti-Corruption Drive

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 16 April 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/cooling-the-blazing-furnace-of-vietnams-anti-corruption-drive/

• Assessing Vietnam’s Challenges in Fighting IUU Fishing

  ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 8 March 2024

  • https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2024-18-assessing-vietnams-challenges-in-fighting-iuu-fishing-by-nguyen-khac-giang/

• Vietnam’s Labour Export: Economic Boon or Developmental Bane?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 4 March 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnams-labour-export-economic-boon-or-developmental-bane/

  
  

• “Feigning Death to Catch Crows”? Vietnam’s Succession Conundrum

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 24 January 2024

  • https://fulcrum.sg/feigning-death-to-catch-crows-vietnams-succession-conundrum/

• The Mekong region struggles economically and politically but maintains geopolitical balance

  East Asia Forum • 9 January 2024

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/01/09/the-mekong-region-struggles-economically-and-politically-but-maintains-geopolitical-balance/

    
    

• Xi Jinping in Hanoi: Courting for a Common Destiny?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 18 December 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/xi-jinping-in-hanoi-courting-for-a-common-destiny/

  
  

• Turning the Tide: Vietnam’s War Against Plastic Waste

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 23 November 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/turning-the-tide-vietnams-war-against-plastic-waste/

• Hot “Furnace” at Home, Cool Relationships Abroad

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 18 October 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/hot-furnace-at-home-cool-relationships-abroad/

• Vietnam and Washington’s “De-risking” Strategy: It’s the Economy, Stupid

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 15 September 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnam-and-washingtons-de-risking-strategy-its-the-economy-stupid/

    
    

• Vietnam and Thailand’s Rice Cartel is a Hard Sell – but Rice Farmers Need More Help

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 21 August 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/vietnam-and-thailands-rice-cartel-is-a-hard-sell-but-rice-farmers-need-more-help/

    
    

• Middle-Power Diplomacy: Decoding Vietnam’s Recent Diplomatic Endeavours

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 14 July 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/middle-power-diplomacy-decoding-vietnams-recent-diplomatic-endeavours/

    
    

• Navigating Electricity Reform in Vietnam

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 14 June 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/navigating-electricity-reform-in-vietnam/

    
    

• Can Vietnam Benefit from the Global Chip Rush?

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 23 May 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/can-vietnam-benefit-from-the-global-chip-rush/

    
    

• U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Ready for a Strategic Partnership Upgrade?

• Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 20 April 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/u-s-vietnam-relations-ready-for-a-strategic-partnership-upgrade/

  
  

• An Ageing Vietnam Struggles for a Reliable Social Insurance System

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 17 March 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/an-ageing-vietnam-struggles-for-a-reliable-social-insurance-system/

• Nguyen Phu Trong’s Dominance in Vietnamese politics: Far-reaching Implications

  Fulcrum, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • 27 February 2023

  • https://fulcrum.sg/nguyen-phu-trongs-dominance-in-vietnamese-politics-far-reaching-implications/

  
  

• The careful balancing act of Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy

  East Asia Forum • 23 December 2022

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2022/12/23/the-careful-balancing-act-of-vietnams-bamboo-diplomacy/

• Embracing Vietnam’s vision of strategic trust

  Asia Link, University of Melbourne • 6 December 2022

  • https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/diplomacy/article/embracing-vietnam-vision-strategic-trust/

• From Periphery to Centre: The Self-evolution of the Vietnamese Communist Party's Central Committee

  Contemporary Southeast Asia Vol. 44/1, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute • April 2022

  • https://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/publication/7801

• Authoritarianism amplified in the Mekong region

  East Asia Forum • 14 January 2022

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2022/01/14/authoritarianism-amplified-in-the-mekong-region/

• Vietnam’s tug of war with China over Laos

  East Asia Forum • 12 May 2021

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2021/05/12/vietnams-tug-of-war-with-china-over-laos/

• Vietnam’s 13th Congress: Institutional Resilience or Institutional Decay?

  The Diplomat • 7 January 2021

  • https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/vietnams-13th-congress-institutional-resilience-or-institutional-decay/

• Vietnam’s Virtual Charm Offensive

  The Diplomat • 1 November 2020

  • https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/vietnams-virtual-charm-offensive/

• Vietnam rejects Chinese aggression in the South China Sea

  East Asia Forum • 8 August 2020

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2020/08/08/vietnam-rejects-chinese-aggression-in-the-south-china-sea/

• Vietnam’s war on COVID-19

  East Asia Forum • 14 April 2020

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2020/04/14/vietnams-war-on-covid-19/

• Is Vietnam Creeping Into a Succession Crisis?

  The Diplomat • 20 April 2019

  • https://thediplomat.com/2019/04/is-vietnam-creeping-into-a-succession-crisis/

• The Mekong region is caught in a tug-of-war

  East Asia Forum • 7 February 2019

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2019/02/07/the-mekong-region-is-caught-in-a-tug-of-war/

• Vietnam’s response to China’s militarised fishing fleet

  East Asia Forum • 4 August 2018

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2018/08/04/vietnams-response-to-chinas-militarised-fishing-fleet/

• China is making Mekong friends

  East Asia Forum • 19 May 2018

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2018/05/19/china-is-making-mekong-friends/

• Is Vietnam Going the Way of China?

  The Diplomat • 22 February 2018

  • https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/is-vietnam-going-the-way-of-china/

• New rule-based order needed to save the Mekong

  East Asia Forum • 29 March 2016

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2016/03/29/new-rule-based-order-needed-to-save-the-mekong/

• Vietnam's China challenge

  East Asia Forum • 18 February 2016

  • https://eastasiaforum.org/2016/02/18/vietnams-china-challenge-2/

• Nguyen Khac Giang's Blog

  • https://khacgiang.com/

Watch & Listen

Follow Giang in conversation as he unpacks Vietnam's shifting political landscape.

• The end of Vietnam’s “four pillar”: To Lam’s ultimate power grab

  Zao Bao Singapore • 26 February 2026

  • https://youtu.be/oXo04rhCs9M?si=1o8x38CgKtNgFJEV

• EP121: Contextualizing Vietnam’s Party Congress with Nguyen Khac Giang

  Straight Talk Southeast Asia • 22 January 2026

  • https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ep121-contextualizing-vietnam-s-party-congress-with-nguyen-khac-giang--69546819

    
    

• Inside Vietnam’s 14th Communist Party Congress

  BFM 89.9 • 21 January 2026

  • https://www.bfm.my/content/podcast/inside-vietnams-14th-communist-party-congress

More...

• 2025 & Vietnam's 'Era of National Rise'

  Vietnam Weekly • 15 December 2025

  • https://thevietnamweekly.substack.com/p/2025-and-vietnams-era-of-national?source=queue

• Why Vietnam’s new leader is worried

  The Economist • 19 June 2025

  • https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2025/06/19/why-vietnams-new-leader-is-worried

• It’s Complicated? Cambodia-Vietnam Relations Examined

  Dialogues at Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 27 November 2024

  • https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/iseas-yusofishakinstitute/episodes/Its-Complicated--Cambodia-Vietnam-Relations-Examined-e2rgvi5/a-ablbiem

    
    

• Parsing the Future of Vietnam Under New Leadership

  Dialogues at Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute • 19 August 2024

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWpJnpaWwMI

    
    

• Putin Visit to Vietnam Is GENIUS For Moscow And Hanoi

  Neutrality Studies ASIA • 23 June 2024

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JDHSUPeqg0

Last Updated: 4 April 2026