Stink of crime hangs over Vietnam chemical plantAFP, LAO CAI, VietnamGray and white smoke around the clock, dust-covered trees and nonstop noise — residents living next to Vietnam’s biggest chemical production complex coexist with toxic fumes from the factories. Smoke and dust surrounds the Duc Giang Lao Cai chemical plant in the Tang Loong industrial Park, Vietnam, on March 19. Photo: AFPAmong the largest of several firms at the industrial park is Duc Giang Chemicals Group (DGC), whose giant facilities produce yellow phosphorus and phosphoric acid. “There normally is a political reason why certain big domestic companies or company executives are targeted in Vietnam’s political economy,” said Miguel Chanco, an economist focused on Asia at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Tang Loong illustrates the trade-off in many developing nations between growth and the environment.

Source: Taipei Times March 30, 2026 18:09 UTC