Vietnam’s “blazing furnace” war on corruption

THE blight of corruption and poverty in Asia are closely connected. A prominent Cambodian architect recently said to me: “If a poor person in Phnom Penh or Hanoi requests US$10 for a service that he provides, is it corruption? It is not. He does it just to feed his family. Remember, it is just a very small amount.”

The Cambodian architect’s explanation may tug at our heartstrings, but how should we react when the payments get bigger and bigger?

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been keeping a close eye on such matters. In January, the party announced the resignation of the reformist, pro-business president of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc. His exit was widely expected to hurt business sentiment and even slow the pace of reforms.