Vietnam’s Most Powerful Leader, Party Chief Trong, Dies

Nguyen Phu Trong, the Communist Party chief of Vietnam and its most powerful official, passed away at the age of 80 at a military hospital in Hanoi after a prolonged illness. His death was formally announced by the government, which also noted that he had been receiving dedicated treatment from top medical experts [para. 1][para. 3]. Trong had served as the general secretary of the party since 2011 and also held the position of the nation’s president from 2018 to 2021 [para. 2]. In his honor, the government canceled a series of music performances, and the official website was changed to a shade of gray [para. 4].

Trong was considered Vietnam’s most influential leader since Ho Chi Minh. He oversaw significant economic expansion and forged deeper ties with both China and the United States. He was known for launching a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that implicated hundreds of officials and business leaders [para. 5]. Due to his health emergency, the politburo had asked President To Lam to step in as the interim leader [para. 6].

Trong's career in leadership included being elected as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2011 and reelected in 2016 and 2021. He also took on the presidency in 2018 following President Tran Dai Quang's death, breaking party tradition. His third term in 2021 made him the longest-serving party leader since Le Duan, who held the post from 1960 until 1986 [para. 7]. Trong led Vietnam’s central steering committee on anti-corruption from 2013 and described his campaign as a “blazing furnace” that ensnared scores of government officials and business executives [para. 8]. This crackdown aimed to make Vietnam more appealing for foreign investment while bolstering the party’s legitimacy, though it also reportedly slowed down bureaucratic decision-making due to spooked officials [para. 9].

According to Linh Nguyen, a lead analyst for Control Risks, Trong was the most influential Vietnamese politician of the 21st century. He restored the party’s power and led an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign that took down hundreds of senior politicians [para. 10]. Trong strongly advocated for opening Vietnam to foreign investment, turning the country into one of the most trade-dependent economies with the U.S. as its largest export market by 2023 [para. 11]. Notably, in 2015, Trong became the first party chief to visit the U.S., where he met President Barack Obama. Both leaders hailed the transformation of their bilateral relationship from antagonism to mutual economic and security interests [para. 12].

As for Trong's potential successors, the selection process is secretive and is expected to trigger competition within the politburo. Though To Lam, the former security minister and a long-time ally of Trong, appears to be a strong candidate, his succession is not guaranteed [para. 15].

Born in Hanoi on April 14, 1944, Trong came from a poor peasant family. He earned a bachelor's degree in philology from Vietnam National University in 1967 and a PhD from the Party Building Department of the Academy of Social Sciences of the former Soviet Union in 1983. He also took postgraduate courses in economics and politics [para. 16]. Trong’s rise to power came as a compromise candidate in 2011, following a career as Hanoi’s party secretary and chairman of the National Assembly [para. 17]. His decisive political maneuvering during a 2016 power struggle solidified his second term as party chief [para. 18]. In 2021, the party chose him for a third term mainly because they couldn’t agree on a successor. Trong’s deteriorating health had been a subject of speculation for years, and his desire to retire was evident after his reelection in 2021 [para. 20][para. 21][para. 22].