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<p>Top Vietnamese politician&nbsp;Nguyen Phu Trong died on Friday (July 19). In a statement,&nbsp;the ruling Communist Party said that the cause of Trong's death was a serious illness. He was 80 years old at the time of his death.&nbsp;For months Trong had appeared frail at public events or missed them outright and on Thursday his duties as party chief were taken over by President To Lam.</p>

<p>The Communist Party will now decide whether&nbsp;Lam will continue as acting party general secretary until the current term for the post expires after the next Congress in 2026, or whether it will elect a new candidate before then from within its ranks.</p>

<h2><strong>Vietnam's most powerful figure</strong></h2>

<p>Although&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;officially has no paramount ruler, Trong was the country's most powerful figure as party general secretary and has been in the post since 2011.&nbsp;Trong was educated in the Soviet Union and was regarded as a Marxist-Leninist ideologue.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meet-vietnams-new-president-to-lam-who-once-ate-gold-leaf-covered-steak-after-paying-respect-to-karl-marx-724160">Meet&nbsp;To Lam, who once ate gold leaf-covered steak after paying respect to Karl Marx</a></strong></p>

<p>He also served as&nbsp;the country's president from 2018 to 2020.</p>

<p>A report by the news agency Reuters said that Trong&nbsp;cultivated an image of moderation, but from 2017 unleashed what many saw as a China-style crackdown on corruption, known as a "blazing furnace" that in the past year has had a chilling effect on the economy.</p>

<p>His crackdown on corruption led to&nbsp;arrests or forced resignations of senior officials. Critics lambasted the clampdown as politically motivated.</p>

<h2><strong>Bamboo diplomacy</strong></h2>

<p>In foreign policy, Trong advocated having "more friends, fewer foes" while being as flexible as bamboo.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Vietnam marks 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory over France</strong></p>

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<p>That stance culminated in a visit by United States President Joe Biden to Hanoi last September that saw&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;lift the US to its highest diplomatic status alongside China, Russia, India, and South Korea.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Top Vietnamese politician Nguyen Phu Trong died on Friday (July 19). In a statement, the ruling Communist Party said that the cause of Trong's death was a serious illness.

Top Vietnamese politician Nguyen Phu Trong died on Friday (July 19). In a statement, the ruling Communist Party said that the cause of Trong's death was a serious illness. He was 80 years old at the time of his death. For months Trong had appeared frail at public events or missed them outright and on Thursday his duties as party chief were taken over by President To Lam. The Communist Party will now decide whether Lam will continue as acting party general secretary until the current term for the post expires after the next Congress in 2026, or whether it will elect a new candidate before then from within its ranks. Vietnam's most powerful figure Although Vietnam officially has no paramount ruler, Trong was the country's most powerful figure as party general secretary and has been in the post since 2011. Trong was educated in the Soviet Union and was regarded as a Marxist-Leninist ideologue. Also read | Meet To Lam, who once ate gold leaf-covered steak after paying respect to Karl Marx He also served as the country's president from 2018 to 2020. A report by the news agency Reuters said that Trong cultivated an image of moderation, but from 2017 unleashed what many saw as a China-style crackdown on corruption, known as a "blazing furnace" that in the past year has had a chilling effect on the economy. His crackdown on corruption led to arrests or forced resignations of senior officials. Critics lambasted the clampdown as politically motivated. Bamboo diplomacy In foreign policy, Trong advocated having "more friends, fewer foes" while being as flexible as bamboo. Also watch | Vietnam marks 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory over France × That stance culminated in a visit by United States President Joe Biden to Hanoi last September that saw Vietnam lift the US to its highest diplomatic status alongside China, Russia, India, and South Korea. (With inputs from agencies)

Top Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong dies at 80

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Top Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong dies at 80