Hanoi

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is at the center of several significant developments in 2026. Vietnam is experiencing a surge in tourism, breaking records with a substantial increase in international visitors. Economically, the country has achieved the world's largest trade surplus with the US, surpassing Mexico and China, though trade negotiations with Washington continue. A massive stadium project in Hanoi's suburbs underscores ambitions for further growth. Politically, Vietnam held general elections with a high percentage of candidates from the ruling Communist Party. The US is set to remove Vietnam from its tech export control list. Vietnam is also pioneering AI regulation in Southeast Asia with a new risk-tiered law. However, not all sectors are thriving, as cryptocurrency traders in Hanoi have faced significant losses. The city is also indirectly linked to international issues, such as the South China Sea dispute involving China's activities in the Paracel Islands and the appointment of a prominent Vietnamese mathematician to a Hong Kong university.