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.
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.
-
'Without mandatory testing, bird flu will continue circulating at farms across the country'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Khan supporters converge on Islamabad
Speed Read Protesters clashing with Pakistani authorities are demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US 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