To Lam was named the new leader of Vietnam earlier this year, first in the chiefly ceremonial role of president, then in the key position of general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). So who is the man who has been travelling to meet world leaders to balance ties, and what are his plans for his country?

The new leader, aged 67 – who became the most powerful man in Vietnamese politics after the death of 80-year-old general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong – has held talks with both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US president Joe Biden.

One of south-east Asia’s fastest-growing economies and home to the world’s second-largest rare earth reserves, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (a one-party state) is emerging as a crucial economic player.

Vietnam’s remarkable geopolitical dexterity means it is able to collaborate with most major powers despite rivalry, becoming a strategic linchpin. In the geoeconomic sphere, it is poised to accept investment from major US tech companies along with substantial – and already present – infrastructure investment from China.

Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy”, an attitude reliant on flexibility and a perceived neutrality, is unlikely to change with Lam.

Lam was appointed president – a primarily ceremonial role that mainly involves meeting foreign dignitaries – by the Vietnamese National Assembly in May. He faced little competition thanks to the elimination of challengers due to corruption investigations headed by Lam himself. According to Carl Thayer, professor emeritus at the University of New South Wales in Australia, “The only person left was To Lam.”

The central committee of the CPV appointed Lam general secretary in August. In October, he was replaced as president by Luong Cuong.

As the new general secretary, Lam promises to lead a growing economy finding its footing in the international sphere, restore political stability after a stringent anti-corruption campaign led to disruptions in CPV leadership, with pragmatism and technological development being prioritised over ideological commitment. He also pledged to uphold what his predecessors had attained.

But his appointment as both head of the CPV and president (albeit temporarily), as well as his network of allies in the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) heralds a shift in Vietnamese government from the Hanoi tradition of collective leadership to a more autocratic regime. Four jobs – chairman of the National Assembly, general secretary of the CPV, prime minister and president – make up the upper echelon of Vietnam’s political sphere.

Lam’s first overseas visit was to China to continue the work of his predecessors in building strong Sino-Vietnamese relations – China maintains that Vietnam will remain a priority in “neighbourhood diplomacy” – and enhancing strategic connectivity and business cooperation between the two nations.

He also embarked on official state visits to Cambodia and Laos (Vietnam’s traditional allies in the region) as well as the US, Mongolia and even Ireland, in the first state visit since diplomatic relations were established in 1996.

He has also informed state media that large institutions such as the government must change in order for Vietnam to meet its goal of becoming wealthy, just, democratic and civilised. Due in part to the “blazing furnace” anti-corruption campaign, the CPV has experienced significant internal upheaval.

According to The Diplomat, the position of minister of public security (head of counterintelligence, security and crime prevention) allowed Lam to evade criticism – especially when a video of a celebrity chef in a luxury London restaurant feeding him gold-encrusted steak that cost more than six times the average monthly salary of Vietnam ($300) surfaced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noodle vendor Bui Tuan Lam was sentenced to six years in prison for posting a parody of the video online, with his trial attracting worldwide attention and outcry – indicating a dangerous turn for civil liberties in the country.

Vietnam’s human rights record is described as “dire in virtually all areas” by Human Rights Watch (HRW). According to the HRW World Report 2024, the Vietnamese government “prohibits independent press and media”, with critics of the government often being forcefully silenced. Currently, 160 people are held in Vietnam for peacefully exercising civil and political rights.

Since the 2000s, peaceful protests in Vietnam yielded change and were met with understanding from the CPV, but this is no longer the case. During his tenure as security minister, Lam oversaw a “massive crackdown on dissent”, detaining many of those who criticised him or the CPV.

Organisations founded for citizens to have the ability to hold their government accountable have been the main targets of the government campaign. Many independent think tanks, publishing houses, nonprofit organisations and journalist associations have been either shut down by the CPV or have closed themselves for fear of arrest or government scrutiny.

Despite this poor record, human rights was not brought up during Lam’s discussions with President Biden at the end of September, with the US promising millions in security assistance and many US companies increasing investment in Vietnamese tech and manufacturing.