According to our English team, there has been an unprecedented reshuffle in Vietnam's leadership in recent days. While Su Lin was nominated as the new president, Tran Thanh Man, the current deputy chairman of the National Assembly, was also nominated as the new chairman of the National Assembly. Taiwan's Central News Agency disclosed that the Vietnamese Congress voted to approve Chen Qingmin's appointment on Monday, and Su Lin's appointment is also expected to be voted by Congress this week.
Reports from our English team pointed out that this major personnel change in Vietnam was to replace the then President Vo Van Thuong and the then President of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue, who were dismissed due to the anti-corruption campaign. The authorities' anti-corruption campaign, known as the "Culture of Fire" campaign, was launched by Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee. Nguyen Phu Trong pointed out that corruption is the biggest threat to the legitimacy of the Communist Party of China, so after investigations, the authorities dismissed and punished dozens of senior Vietnamese officials. However, some critics believe that Nguyen Phu Trong is using the name of anti-corruption to eliminate competitors.
The new Vietnamese president is a core figure in the anti-corruption movement
Su Lin, 66, has served as Vietnam's Minister of Public Security since 2016. He had previously served as Deputy Minister of Public Security for six years. He joined the public security department in 1974 and gradually rose through the ranks. Since the Communist Party of Vietnam has not yet nominated a successor as Minister of Public Security, To Lam may temporarily retain the position of Minister of Public Security after becoming president.
According to reports, To Lin is a core figure in Vietnam's "Crucible of Fire" movement. Since 2021, he has served as deputy director of the Communist Party of Vietnam's Anti-Corruption Steering Committee. In 2017, To Lin was accused of being involved in the kidnapping of Trinh Xuan Thanh. At that time, Trinh Xuan Thanh sought political asylum in Germany. Later, the German government accused the Vietnamese government of kidnapping Trinh Xuan Thanh and bringing him back to Hanoi, blatantly violating German and international law. Although the Vietnamese government denied the allegations, the incident led to a deterioration of German-Vietnamese relations.
The successor of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam is unknown, and political infighting continues
At the same time, the 62-year-old new Congress Chairman Tran Thanh Min is a rising star in Vietnamese politics. He and Su Lin are strong contenders for the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Nguyen Phu Trong will end his third term as general secretary in 2026, and he may choose to step down due to old age.
On the other hand, senior leaders of the Vietnam Party voted last week to add four new members to the Politburo. Although the aforementioned personnel changes have the opportunity to enhance unity among Vietnam's top leaders, some analysts still warn that political infighting may continue before Vietnam's 14th National Congress is held in January 2026. Because Nguyen Phu Trong is now eighty years old, he has not yet chosen a clear successor. In addition to the aforementioned Su Lin and Chen Qingmin, current Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also has the opportunity to compete for the position of general secretary.