Vietnam Thins Herd, Locks Prize Bulls Through 2030

Picture a rancher who announces he's thinning the herd, then clamps a hand on the best bulls and the water tank and says nobody's touching those till 2030. That's Vietnam's government. Bloomberg reports, citing a statement on a government website, that the state plans to cut its stakes in some state-owned companies. Which ones? Not named. The big energy groups, though? Full ownership, kept through 2030. Existing stakes in anything deemed strategically important stay put too, and nobody's defined "strategically important," which in government-speak means "whatever we still want." It's privatization with a leash, folks. Don't pee on my boots and tell me it's a rain forecast.