Hanoi (VNA), March 1 -- Vietnam has climbed up three spots to rank 47th out of 105 countries in Brand Finance's Global Soft Power Index Report 2021.

Vietnam was the only country among 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to see improvement this year.

Its overall score was 33.8 out of 100 points, 2.5 points higher than last year, putting it ahead of the Philippines (53rd), Cambodia (89th) and Myanmar (90th).

Among other ASEAN countries, Singapore was at 20th, Thailand 33rd, Malaysia 39th, and Indonesia 45th.

According Brand Finance, the improvement was largely owing to the fact that Vietnam has objectively managed the COVID-19 pandemic extremely well.

"Vietnam was spared a year of lockdowns and besieg...