HANOI. Nguyen Phu Trong, who led Vietnam for over a decade and championed a nuanced foreign policy known as “bamboo diplomacy,” has died at the age of 80. The ruling Communist Party of Vietnam announced that Trong’s death was due to “old age and serious illness.”
Trong, who became the general secretary of the Communist Party in 2011, wielded significant power in one of the world’s few remaining one-party states. He also served as Vietnam’s president from 2018 to 2020. His tenure was marked by a controversial anti-corruption campaign and a strategic balancing act between major global powers.
In 2017, Trong initiated a sweeping anti-corruption drive known as the “blazing furnace,” aimed at curbing graft and political corruption. The campaign led to the arrest and resignation of numerous senior officials but also faced criticism for being politically motivated and contributing to a stifling of dissent. Trong famously remarked, “The furnace is heating up, even fresh firewood can be burnt,” reflecting his aggressive stance on corruption.
Despite his efforts, Trong’s anti-corruption measures did not fully eradicate graft, as demonstrated by the financial scandal in late 2022 involving real estate tycoon Truong My Lan. The scandal, which led to a significant bank run, required a costly intervention by Vietnam’s central bank, amounting to over $24 billion.
Trong’s foreign policy approach, characterized by “more friends, fewer foes,” led to a significant diplomatic reconfiguration. Under his leadership, Vietnam elevated its relations with several countries, including a notable visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to Hanoi in September 2023, which marked Vietnam’s elevation of the United States to its highest diplomatic status alongside China, Russia, India, and South Korea. This was followed by a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping and a diplomatic boost for Japan.
Trong’s health had been deteriorating in recent months, and he had increasingly missed public events. On Thursday, his responsibilities as party chief were taken over by President To Lam.
Born in the suburbs of Hanoi, Trong was educated in philology and political science. His modest lifestyle and rejection of expensive gifts were well-documented, though his leadership was also marked by efforts to consolidate power and promote his image through extensive party publications.
Trong’s legacy includes his role in Vietnam’s remarkable economic growth. Since the implementation of the “Doi Moi” reforms in 1986, Vietnam transformed from a war-ravaged agrarian society into one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. Under Trong’s leadership, the country maintained an average GDP growth rate of 5.8% over the past decade, even amid the global pandemic.
His tenure saw the longest-serving party chief role in modern Vietnam, second only to Le Duan, who led the country for 26 years. Trong is survived by his wife and two children, who, unlike many high-ranking officials, have pursued ordinary public service roles.
As Vietnam reflects on Trong’s contributions and controversies, his influence on both domestic policy and international relations remains a significant chapter in the nation’s modern history.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
