Vietnam’s New Leadership: Can Growth Be Aimed For Through Unprecedented Structural Change?

Editorial

13:59 JST, April 20, 2026

A new leadership structure has been established in Vietnam, which is under the one-party rule of the Communist Party. In light of this unprecedented step, which concentrates power in the hands of a supreme leader, it is necessary to closely monitor whether social repression and a move toward China will intensify.

The Vietnamese National Assembly has approved the appointment of Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, the nation’s supreme leader, to concurrently serve as the nation’s president. Traditionally, the leader ranked second in the party served as Vietnam’s president and handled foreign affairs.

There have been past cases in which the two posts were temporarily held by one leader due to the death of a predecessor, but the latest arrangement is different. This move should be viewed as an effort to make the dual role permanent.

Since the reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1976, the country has maintained a collective leadership system in which power is distributed among such leaders as the general secretary, the president and the prime minister.

However, the trend toward concentrating power in the general secretary began during the previous general secretary’s tenure. The former general secretary went into a third term, exceeding the two consecutive terms stipulated in the Party Charter, and died midway through his third term.

Lam, who took over from the previous general secretary, has long served in the field of public security. Under the former general secretary, Lam demonstrated a strong hand in cracking down on corruption as public security minister. He is said to have ousted numerous top party officials and solidified his own power base.

At the Party Congress in January, Lam set national goals of achieving an average annual economic growth rate of over 10% in the period from 2026 to 2030 and pushing his country to become a developed nation by 2045. To achieve this economic growth, he likely intends to centralize power in his own hands to realize speedy decision-making.

However, as has been seen in China’s past, when collective leadership recedes under one-party rule, it becomes difficult to correct errors made by the top leader.

Vietnam has historically pursued a policy of “omnidirectional diplomacy,” in which it has strengthened its ties with the United States while simultaneously maintaining friendly relations with China and Russia.

Lam chose China as the destination for his first overseas trip since assuming the role of president. During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lam said the development of relations with China is a “top priority” and expressed hope for economic cooperation.

Vietnam is engaged in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. However, as it faces issues such as high tariffs imposed by the United States and rising gasoline prices in the wake of the U.S. attacks on Iran, the new Vietnamese leadership is expected to place even greater emphasis on strengthening ties with China.

Japan has placed importance on Vietnam for a long time, as it is a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Vietnam also holds one of the world’s largest reserves of rare earth elements. In recent years, defense cooperation between the two countries has also expanded.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit Vietnam and another country soon. The visit should serve as an opportunity to deepen cooperation between Japan and Vietnam.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 20, 2026)