9th November 2015 Hanoi, Vietnam
The UK and Vietnam don’t have much in the way of shared history. Sometimes that makes my job harder; sometimes easier. But last week, an all-star cast gathered in Hanoi – the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, Lord Puttnam; the Vietnamese Minister and Vice Minister of Justice; a former British High Court judge; and most of […]
17th September 2015 Hanoi, Vietnam
Tuesday was International Day of Democracy, and the global theme chosen by the UN was “Making Space for Civil Society”. We took this literally, and made some space at my house in Hanoi for civil society representatives and activists to come and talk about the changing landscape for civil society in Vietnam, the opportunities and […]
7th March 2015 Hanoi, Vietnam
To mark International Women’s Day, it’s my pleasure to turn over this space to my first ever guest bloggers: two dynamic Vietnamese women from the world of business, writing on the theme of female economic empowerment through the prism of their own life experiences. Le Len is head of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants […]
22nd January 2015 Hanoi, Vietnam
My 2015 began after a relaxing Christmas here in Vietnam with my family. Getting back to work after the holidays started with a trip to Manila. On my way to Manila, I experienced some new beginnings. I took the new Nhat Tan bridge and expressway and saw the newly completed international terminal. (When I first arrived in […]
12th November 2014 Hanoi, Vietnam
In his essay “On Listening”, the ancient Greek writer Plutarch said about the process of education: “The mind does not require filling like a bottle. Rather, like wood, it only requires kindling, to create in it an impulse to think independently and an ardent desire for the truth.” I came across this quote when I […]
8th October 2014 Hanoi, Vietnam
Hello, and welcome to what I plan to be a regular blog about my work as the British Ambassador to Vietnam. Although I only arrived here at the end of July, I’m not a stranger to Vietnam. I worked here in the 1990s as a young diplomat. When people hear this, their first question is […]