Vietnam’s Party Congress beginning on Monday will elect the country’s next leaders and unveil its economic goals. Held amid a pandemic and uncertain geopolitical winds, the once in five years event is also widely seen as a coming-of-age moment for Vietnam, given its effective handling of the coronavirus and the strong growth of its economy in recent years.While the case for the Southeast Asian country to be considered a rising middle power is growing, experts warn it faces challenges ahead,…

This post was originally published on South China Morning Post.