Who is To Lam, the ex-cop who wants to revamp Vietnam's success story?
50 minutes ago Share Save Gavin Butler Share Save
Getty Images To Lam has been chosen as Vietnam's leader for the next five years
Vietnam's Communist Party Congress has chosen To Lam as its leader for the next five years, appointing him as general secretary to lead the one-party state. Having assumed the role after the death of long-serving leader Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2024, To Lam sought the position again, following a short first term that saw him launch sweeping administrative and economic reforms. The 68-year-old wants Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, to break out of the "middle income" trap and become a developed economy. But critics say he has been too hard-fisted in his attempts to accelerate the country's growth. To Lam was barely eight months into the job in April when he laid out plans to chart a prosperous new course for Vietnam.
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