Vietnam climbed three places, to 47/100 in the Soft Power Index, apparently due to its anti-Covid-19 achievement.

The Soft Power Index ranking by British consulting firm Brand Finance is based on polls from 1,000 experts, including politicians and business leaders, and 55,000 community members.

Countries and territories are evaluated based on criteria such as identity, influence, global reputation, performance in key areas such as trade, governance, culture and heritage, and

Vietnam's overall score is 33.8 / 100, ranking above some other Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, and behind Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Vietnam is the only ASEAN member to get an upgrade in this year's Brand Finance report.

In terms of recognition, Vietnam scored 5.3 out of 10 points, while its global reputation and influence on the international arena were 5.5 and 3.3 points, respectively.

According to a report by Brand Finance, although it is not so prominent in the areas of trade, international relations, media, education and science, Vietnam has had a very impressive record in its efforts against Covid-19,

The country topping the chart this time is Germany, followed by Japan and the UK.