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To Lam

(蘇林 )

To Lam
蘇林
To Lam: A career police officer for over four decades, he holds the rank of four-star General and is a Doctor of Law. He previously served as Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security from 2016 to 2024, and briefly as President in 2024.
A man waves India’s national flag in front of a replica of the BrahMos missile system in Ahmedabad last year. Photo: AFP
India

Vietnam joins rush for India’s battle-tested ‘strong, non-Western’ BrahMos

As a joint Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos offers a supersonic, non-Western alternative to US hardware with no Nato-linked conditions.

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10
Vietnam

Vietnam burns red tape but growth may be harder to rekindle

India

Vietnam, India seek closer ties to hedge against dependence on superpowers

Middle East

Letters | UAE’s Opec exit reflects a complex world

Readers discuss the UAE’s decision to leave the oil cartel, and a Vietnamese leader’s choice to travel twice on China’s high-speed trains.

A commercial vessel is seen off the coast of Dubai on April 20. Photo: AFP
Japan

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

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South Korea

South Korea targets India, Vietnam in ‘co-prosperity’ push for trade and tech

President Lee embarks on a strategic trip to New Delhi and Hanoi, boosting economic ties and supply chains amid the Middle East chaos.

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China-Asean relations

As I see it | Vietnam and China are now perfectly aligned

The emerging partnership enables Vietnam to preserve diplomatic flexibility and advance economic diversification in the face of US pressure.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) holds a welcome ceremony for Vietnamese President To Lam at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People, prior to their talks in Beijing, on April 15. Photo: Xinhua
South China Sea

China, Vietnam vow to ‘better’ navigate South China Sea disputes

Joint communique indicates wish to keep maritime disputes from jeopardising ties and caps To Lam’s trip.

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Comac

VietJet Air to lease up to 10 C909 jets in boost for Chinese aircraft maker

Deal follows talks between Chinese and Vietnamese presidents in Beijing this week.

China-Asean relations

Xi tells Vietnamese counterpart they should ‘jointly oppose unilateralism’

On To Lam’s state visit, Chinese president also urges keeping ‘supply chains stable and unimpeded’ as Iran war deepens global energy crisis.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (second left) and his wife Peng Liyuan (left) welcome Vietnamese President To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Vietnam News Agency/AFP
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026

World leaders are flocking to Beijing this year as Trump’s trade war spurs US allies to look for new ties.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Xinhua
Vietnam

Asian Angle | Who is Vietnam’s new Prime Minister Le Minh Hung?

The ex-central banker has the credentials to succeed. Whether he has the political capital remains to be seen.

Vietnam

To Lam emerges as Vietnam’s ‘supreme leader’ after being elected president

The Communist Party chief is the first person to secure the top two jobs through the party’s normal leadership selection processes.

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Vietnam

Why Vietnam is leaning on Russia to weather energy turmoil

The energy shortage is ‘seriously threatening’ Vietnam’s growth objective and could dent the new leadership’s legitimacy, analysts say.

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Drivers wait to pump petrol into their vehicles in Hanoi on March 9. The cost of fuel in Vietnam has soared since the Iran war broke out late last month. Photo: AFP
China-Asean relations

China, Vietnam agree to live-fire drills in naval exercise boost

Agreement between naval commanders ahead of 40th joint exercise comes as Vietnamese leader To Lam hails ties with China as ‘top priority’.

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Chinese and Vietnamese navy vessels pictured during their 39th joint patrol, in the Gulf of Tonkin in November 2025. Photo: Xinhua
China’s military drills

In joint patrols with China, Vietnam steers course between 2 powers

The Gulf of Tonkin will be the backdrop this week for naval activities despite a five-decade maritime dispute.

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China-Asean relations

Will Paracels dispute overshadow China-Vietnam drive for closer strategic ties?

Foreign, defence and public security ministers are to meet after images suggested China had started land reclamation work at Antelope Reef.

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Vietnam

Build fast, grow rich: To Lam’s blueprint for a rising Vietnam

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief is staking his legacy on 10 per cent growth, domestic megaprojects and an overseas charm offensive.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Vietnam

US to remove Vietnam from tech export control list, Hanoi says

Donald Trump’s reported pledge follows a massive US$37 billion spending spree by Vietnamese airlines on US aerospace contracts.

Indonesia

Indonesia seals ‘great’ US trade deal, agrees to send 8,000 troops to Gaza

A US general said Jakarta will take a deputy commander role in the international stabilisation force in Gaza.

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Vietnam

‘Everyone became greedy’: how Vietnam’s crypto gold rush ended in ruins

Vietnam’s crypto boom faces a harsh winter as investors lose fortunes, bankruptcies and lay-offs roil the industry.

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A Vietnamese cryptocurrency investor looks at the latest bitcoin values on a laptop in Hanoi. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Opinion | Vietnam’s renewed nuclear power push faces formidable hurdles

Money, corruption, a lack of skilled staff and other factors may derail Hanoi’s goal of building its first nuclear power plant by 2031.

A nuclear power plant operating at night. Russia’s state-owned energy company Rosatom has been contracted to build Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant. Photo: Shutterstock
Vietnam

Friend or foe? Leaked Vietnamese military document labels US ‘belligerent’

While noting that ‘there is little risk of a war’, document urges vigilance to prevent the US from finding a pretext to invade Vietnam.

Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam gets another 5-year term as Communist Party chief

Lam, who is also seeking to become president, has pledged to speed up growth in the export-reliant country.

Vietnam

Efficiency or autocracy? What To Lam’s power grab will mean for Vietnam

The Communist Party’s general secretary is already behaving as if he ‘expects a mandate’ to add the presidency to his portfolio, experts say.

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Communist Party General Secretary To Lam delivers a speech at the party’s congress in Hanoi on Monday. Photo: Vietnam News Agency/EPA
US-Asean relations

Foot in the door or trap? Risks of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Southeast Asia

Nations are likely to try to avoid early commitment while steering clear of outright rejection to minimise US retaliation, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA
Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to tighten grip on power as party congress begins

The party’s general secretary is eyeing a dual role similar to Xi Jinping’s in neighbouring China.

Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam may secure dual role as party and state head in rare move

The proposal is likely to be endorsed at a party congress scheduled to take place in Hanoi next month.

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