Hanoi businesses are going all out for the Trump-Kim summit
President Trump has sold Trump wine and Trump steaks, and he'd likely be proud of Hanoi's business owners for taking the branding opportunity even further ahead of his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Vietnamese capital.
Al Jazeera reports that the meeting has turned into a marketing extravaganza — bars are serving Negroni-inspired cocktails called "Peace Negroniations," stores are stocked with T-shirts depicting the leaders' faces, and, because fortune favors the bold, some barbers are offering Trump and Kim-styled haircuts.
Officials are unsure of just how much the negotiations will benefit Hanoi and Vietnam as a whole in strict financial figures, but Phuong Hoa Nguyen, a deputy director at Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sport, and Tourism, said that the talks will be "invaluable" for the country's economic future no matter what.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"This is a great opportunity to promote Vietnam as an attractive and safe destination for tourism and investment," Nguyen told Al Jazeera.
The choice of Vietnam as the host country for the talks is steeped in historical symbolism — last July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo directed comments toward Kim about how North Korea could one day follow in Vietnam's footsteps as a post-communist economy.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 brain-busting cartoons about RFK Jr.
Cartoons Artists take on candidate suitability, the Kennedy family, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Right to roam: the battle to access England's green spaces
The Explainer A battle is being fought over access to England's green spaces
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: May 12, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published