Vietnam and Thailand are the second and third-largest economies in Southeast Asia. They have a shared external shock: the fracturing of the rules-based trading order, reconfigured global supply chains and intensifying US-China competition. Bilateral trade between Thailand and Vietnam reached roughly US$8.6 billion in the first four months of this year. Thailand ranks second only to Singapore as the top source of foreign direct investment into Vietnam from within Asean, with total registered capital exceeding US$15.4 billion. Vietnam is aiming for double-digit economic growth this decade.
Herman J. Cohen served in the U.S. foreign service for nearly four decades. He was Chief of Mission in Kinshasa and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. He worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo and now in neighboring Uganda. The latest Ebola outbreak is a human tragedy for the people and communities struggling through it. They need the world's help, including the United States.
Meta has begun dismantling its $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus. It is the most concrete step toward complying with a divestiture order Beijing issued roughly two months ago on national security grounds. The co-founders of Manus have held preliminary discussions about raising approximately $1 billion from outside investors to reclaim the startup from Meta.