Vietnam's abundance of Rare Earth Metals
Vietnam's abundance of Rare Earth Metals
Most of us are already aware of Vietnam's rich agricultural resources, but its natural resources are equally impressive! In our book, "Vietnam: Asia's Rising Star", we refer to Vietnam’s considerable reserves of rare earth metals, and their potential to fuel Vietnam's economic growth and contribute to the global tech scene. But, as this excellent article from Asia Times explores, unlocking these benefits comes with significant challenges.
I have some good news
Hey Friends,
I have some good news and some 'still waiting for good news' for all of you regarding the book on the future of Vietnam (Vietnam - Asia's Rising Star) that I co-wrote with Brook Taylor.
The good news is that it's now available in e-book format. It is currently on three platforms. The price is just $9.99. Check them out here.
Amazon Kindle: https://lnkd.in/gWtYzCme
Kobo: https://lnkd.in/gRj5xUhP
Google Play: https://lnkd.in/g2EXYr3d
The 'still waiting' for good news is that the Vietnamese version of the book is in its final stages. We have an ISBN and a cool cover (see here). The book has been fully translated and will be out soon.
Of course, we have the English print version now. It's available on Amazon as well as on our publishers site Silkworm Books. It's slowly gaining distribution to bookstores around the world. If you would like to purchase a copy from us, PM me here or visit our website where you can place an order - www.AsiasRisingStar.com
When I have both versions of the printed book in hand, I will be announcing a Lecture Series for the book in Vietnam. This is where we talk about our three years+ research and writing journey to produce this book on the future of Vietnam. I learned a lot that I am ready to share.
Have a good week everyone.
Sam
Now out! 'Vietnam: Asia's Rising Star'
Now out! 'Vietnam: Asia's Rising Star' is now available on Kindle, Google Books, and Kobo.
Very pleased to receive your positive review
Thanks Nigel! Very pleased to receive your positive review. The purpose of Vietnam: Asia’s Rising Star is very much to address the many misconceptions the suround Vietnam and define contemporary Vietnam and its exciting future today.
Vietnam Poised For Wealth Explosion
Vietnam Poised For Wealth Explosion: Witnessing Asia's Rising Star
In the last 25 years, Vietnam has slashed its poverty rate from 50% to less than 4%. This remarkable progress sets the stage for widespread prosperity and wealth accumulation for its people.
The New World Wealth Report echoes the insights we shared in our book, Vietnam: Asia's Rising Star, highlighting the country's undeniable potential.
Vietnam: A Global Electronics Exporter
Vietnam is already a major global electronics exporter
While the buzz around Vietnam's high-tech manufacturing potential is undeniable, the chart below paints a clear picture: it's already happening!
Vietnam's meteoric rise as a global electronics exporter is no longer just a future prospect. With industry giants from China, Taiwan, and South Korea actively setting up shop, the country is fast-tracking its way to the top tier.
Apple's iPad Engineering Moves to Vietnam
Apple's iPad Engineering Moves to Vietnam: A Step Towards Asia's Rising Star
Exciting news! Apple is shifting key iPad engineering resources to Vietnam, marking a significant step towards diversifying its manufacturing base. This move, reported by Nikkei Asia, reflects Vietnam's growing prominence as a leading alternative for companies pursuing "China+1" strategies.
As we explored in our book "Vietnam: Asia's Rising Star," China+1 strategies are a key driver of Vietnam's economic growth. Apple's decision to relocate iPad engineering further solidifies Vietnam's position as a preferred destination for global tech giants seeking reliable and efficient production solutions.
In Vietnam - Asia’s Rising Star
In Vietnam - Asia's Rising Star, we dedicate an entire case study to education. We research the investment in private and public schools, the immense growth of bilingual schools, the government policy that allows Vietnamese citizens to attend international schools (in some countries, the international schools are only for foreign passport holders), and the study ethic of Vietnamese families. These are all positive trends that have been in place for at least two generations. We believe these are the seeds that will make Vietnam a bilingual nation more along the lines of a Singapore and less along the lines of a monolingual nation like Thailand, China, and many other countries in Asia. It 'Starts With The Children' which is the title of our education case study.
Vietnam's English Proficiency Continues to Rise
Vietnam has made significant strides in English proficiency, securing a commendable 58th place in the 2023 English Proficiency Index (EPI) by Education First (EF), a global English language training organization. This impressive ranking places Vietnam ahead of more developed regional nations such as Indonesia (79), China (82), Japan (87), and Thailand (101). Remarkably, Vietnam has climbed 30 places since its debut in the EPI rankings in 2006, when it stood at 88th.
As the EPI report highlights, there is a strong correlation between English proficiency and a nation's economic prosperity, productivity, efficiency, and innovation, hence the adoption and utilization of the English language, plays a pivotal role in sustaining economic growth and development.
In Vietnam: Asia's Rising Star, we identify the nation's commitment to education as a key driver of growth and how the acquisition of English language skills is so important to every family.
Vietnam has made great progress
Vietnam has made great progress in sustainable development over the past year. This progress has been driven by a commitment to balancing economic growth with social and environmental protection. Thanks Tam Luong 🇻🇳 for highlighting this.
Vietnam’s Growth Prospects
Vietnam’s growth prospects have made the news once again. This time MoneyWeek magazine has provided a comprehensive analysis of the country’s growth from the early days of Doi Moi (renovation) to the country’s pursuit of free trade in the 2000s and on up to the new strategic partnership with the United States which was signed when US President Joe Biden visited Hanoi in September. In our view, the business magazine asked the right questions. Some of these questions remain unanswered, but we researched those and other questions in Vietnam – Asia’s Rising Star. For those who are seeking a better understanding of Vietnam, this article and, of course, our book is well worth reading.
Regards,
Brook Taylor and Sam Korsmoe
Authors of Vietnam – Asia’s Rising Star
Vietnam’s Race Against Time and Money
Vietnam’s Race Against Time and Money
In the October 12, 2023 edition of The Economist, the magazine published an intriguing analysis of Asian countries that run the risk of becoming old before becoming rich (link below). The story led with an example from Thailand. It noted that the share of Thailand’s population who are 65 years and older increased to 14 percent in 2021 from 7 percent in 2002. Demographers consider nations with 14 percent of their population 65 years and older to be “aged” societies. If 7 percent of their population is 65 years and older, they are “aging” societies. Thailand’s demographic shift from “aging” to “aged” took 19 years. With a GDP per capita of around $7,000 in 2021, it became aged (i.e., old) well before it became rich which most analysts define as having escaped the Middle Income Trap by achieving a GDP per capita of $12,000 or more.
The Economist estimates it will take Vietnam 17 years to become an “aged” society. On a GPD per capita basis, Vietnamese are currently a bit more than half as rich as the Thais, but they are much younger. The median age of a Thai citizen is nearly 40 years old while it is around 32 for a Vietnamese person. Vietnam is also larger in terms of population with 100 million people compared to 72 million for Thailand. This demographic picture is positive for Vietnam. However, the concern is the speed of the transition from aging to aged compared to the speed or time it will take Vietnam to escape the Middle Income Trap, i.e., to become rich.
In our book, Vietnam – Asia’s Rising Star, we invested a lot of our research efforts on the demographic and Middle Income Trap issue. We argue that Vietnam’s population of 100 million with a median age of 32 and a workforce of 60 million is an asset. We also argue that Vietnamese women’s significant role in the economy (88 percent of women of working age have jobs) is another asset and one which can help address any future demographic crisis. These are just some of the comparative advantages and assets that we hope will help Vietnam become richer before it becomes older.
To learn more about this and other issues, order your copy of our book today.
Thank you for reading.
Brook Taylor and Sam Korsmoe
The Economist Link: https://lnkd.in/drkjQ9tU
Vietnam's Consumer Class: A Major Growth Driver
Vietnam's Consumer Class: A Major Growth Driver
Vietnam's consumer class is growing rapidly, and this is a major driver of the country's economic growth. In 2024, Vietnam is expected to see the fifth highest growth in absolute terms in the consumer class, and the fastest growth as a percentage of population. According to HSBC, Vietnam will be among the top 10 consumer markets in the world by 2030.
In the years to come
In the years to come we will look back at today as the date upon which a key milestones was achieved in respect to the continued of growth and prosperity of Vietnam.