Overview

• Vietnamese officials bypassed several legally required steps to expedite the Trump Organization's $1.5 billion golf complex project in Hung Yen Province, aiming for completion by 2027.
• Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pledged maximum government support for the project, stating it would strengthen U.S.-Vietnam relations, even as residents fear displacement and loss of livelihoods.
• The project has faced criticism for undermining Vietnam's efforts to establish a modern, transparent business environment by granting the Trump Organization preferential treatment.
• Local residents have protested insufficient compensation for their land, which is being cleared for the development, and worry about environmental and cultural impacts, including disruptions to ancestral burial sites.
• The Trump Organization's project coincides with high-stakes U.S.-Vietnam trade negotiations, fueling concerns about blurred lines between President Trump's political and business interests.