Hanoi, July 17 -- Vietnam's economy posted robust growth in the first half, with gross domestic product (GDP) expanding by 8.18%, prompting leading economists at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to stress that sustaining such momentum over the medium and long term will require a growth model driven by productivity and efficiency rather than traditional input-intensive factors. The latest data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance show that GDP grew by 8.18% in the period, including 8.39% growth in the second quarter. Shantanu Chakraborty, ADB Country Director for Vietnam, described the figures as highly encouraging, saying they reflect the economy's resilience in the face of global headwinds. He no...