Tiger economy
Vietnam has set its sights on becoming a “tiger economy” by 2045, promising transformation from low-cost manufacturing to high-income innovation. The phrase sounds strong, sleek, powerful. Yet the reality of the tiger is the opposite. Tigers are endangered. Populations shrink, not expand. Heavy competition from humans blocks their survival, fragmenting habitats and depleting prey. They do not symbolize a thriving, growing system—they represent decline under relentless pressure.
Vietnam hopes its “tiger economy” will thrive through semiconductors, AI, green technology, mega-infrastructure, and financial modernization. Billions in foreign pledges and bold projects give the appearance of momentum. But calling this strategy “tiger” growth carries a cruel irony. Vietnam has already lost all of its wild tigers. There are none left to symbolize anything. To carry a title with tiger in it is not just misplaced—it’s hollow. The tiger faces extinction, not expansion, a contradiction that underlines the urgency of tiger habitat destruction.
The tiger economy article:
Based on Eurasia Review, Vietnam.
Photo via Eurasia Review.
