Nguyen Phu Trong, the Marxist-Leninist who led Vietnam for more than a decade overseeing rapid economic growth and more recently trod a fine line in elevating ties with both China and the U.S. with his "bamboo diplomacy," has died. He was 80.
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. He died "due to old age and serious illness," the ruling Communist Party said on Friday.
Trong became the Communist Party's general secretary in 2011, a position that in one-party authoritarian Vietnam gave him the key levers of power. He also served as Vietnam's president from 2018 to 2021.