Vietnam’s growing economy is one of a very few recent global success stories. With a population of 95 million people and with GDP approaching US$8000 per capita (in PPP terms), Vietnam is home to millions of private businesses and has become an attractive destination for foreign direct investment. The lives of millions of Vietnamese have improved, poverty has fallen and by 2035 more than half of Vietnam’s population are projected to join the ranks of the global middle class. Deeply integrated into the global economy, Vietnam is party to many new generation free trade agreements , including with the EU, Japan and the regional CPTPP. Unusually for a country with such a large population, Vietnam ranks fifth among the most open economies in the world, with total trade more than double the size of GDP. But political reform in the country is uncertain and less visible. Vietnam remains an authoritarian regime with a single ruling party. The party controls the elective body, th