The New York Times Establishes Vietnam Bureau

Vietnam has long played an important role in world affairs, and The New York Times has covered this Southeast Asian nation at many critical moments, from the dawn of French colonial rule to the ruptures of the Vietnam War.

With the end of that war in 1975 also came the closing of The Times's bureau in Vietnam. But a new chapter will begin next month: We are thrilled to announce that we are re-establishing a bureau in Vietnam, and that Damien Cave will take on the exciting mission of leading it.

As our new Vietnam bureau chief based in Ho Chi Minh City (also still known as Saigon), Damien will explore the economy, culture and challenges of a vibrant, rapidly developing country. And as global affairs correspondent, he will also roam widely, as he has in recent years, in pursuit of stories about how the dynamics of world power are changing.

The Times's return to Vietnam is a sign of Asia's rise as an important economic and political power center. It is also a testament to the International desk's commitment to expanding global coverage and bolstering independent journalism worldwide. Some of the finest journalists in The Times's history, like David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan, Fox Butterfield, Gloria Emerson and Craig Whitney have been stationed in Vietnam, reporting revelatory and riveting dispatches.

Damien is just the correspondent to build on that tradition in new ways. In his 20 years at The Times, he's embraced more than a few firsts, from early examples of live coverage in Metro to multimedia packages in Baghdad, and visual-first stories and thoughtful first-person essays written from wherever he happened to be, including Cuba and Australia. He also served as a digital deputy on the National desk before opening a new bureau in Sydney in 2017, where he led a multidisciplinary team that accelerated subscriber growth while contributing exceptional journalism from all over the region.

Over the past year, Damien has reported from Taiwan, Singapore, India, Israel, and of course, Australia. In coverage driven by curiosity and a collaborative approach, he's written about the world's reaction to former President Donald Trump's criminal cases; shifts in America's approach to foreign policy; the underground tunnels of Taiwan; gin entrepreneurs in Goa; and the competition for influence in the global south.

He and his wife, Diana, will soon be leaving Australia with great appreciation for the country and two adventurous children with Aussie accents - all of which you can read more about in his book on becoming more Australian and a little less American.

We look forward to seeing him bring his entrepreneurial spirit and varied interests to this new role and beat. Please congratulate him on the move.