Vietnam's leader returns to power with bold promises. Can he deliver?

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 7 min read 100% complete January 23, 2026 at 07:59 AM

AI Summary

long article 7 min

To Lam has been re-appointed as Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary for another five years at the party congress this week. The congress, which was cut short, signals either strong consensus or stifled opposition to To Lam's growing power. This marks a significant concentration of power in one individual, the strongest since 1991. To Lam, who took over 18 months ago, aims to shift focus from anti-corruption to reform and economic growth. His plans include overhauling the administration, reducing bureaucracy, and streamlining provinces, with the goal of boosting Vietnam's economy.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Duke University 30% Bangkok ×230% Politburo ×250% Nguyen Phu Trong 50% Ministry of Public Security 60% Communist Party of Vietnam ×470% Vietnam ×480% To Lam ×790%

Keywords

to lam 100% vietnam 100% communist party 90% party congress 80% political power 70% economic reform 70% anti-corruption 60% public security 50% administration overhaul 50% nguyen phu trong 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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to lam vietnam communist party party congress political power economic reform anti-corruption public security administration overhaul nguyen phu trong

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