Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC
 / people

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.
To Lam, Vietnam’s president and general secretary of its Communist Party, waves to members of a welcoming delegation in Moscow on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam visits Russia and France amid South China Sea tensions

Visiting Moscow and Paris in succession allows To Lam to rally support for Hanoi’s maritime stance without taking sides, analysts say.

Vietnam

How a tree in Hanoi points to flowering of dissent among Vietnam’s Gen Z

videocam
5
Vietnam

Japan’s Aeon exits Thai retail to chase Vietnam’s booming middle class

Vietnam

Asian Angle | How Vietnam’s ‘streamlining revolution’ may lead to uneven success

The most sweeping administrative overhaul in decades is expected to encounter hurdles ranging from staff shortages to resource mismatch.

A woman uses her phone next to Vietnamese national flags and Communist Party of Vietnam flags in Hanoi. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Vietnam’s To Lam eyes trade, defence boost during trip to Australia, New Zealand

China’s actions in the South China Sea will be discussed but unlikely to be explicitly condemned, observers say.

videocam
South China Sea

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

videocam
52
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Vietnam

Vietnam dissident arrests double under leader To Lam, report says

A rights group says Vietnamese authorities are relying increasingly on Article 331, which makes it a crime to ‘abuse democratic freedoms’.

Vietnam’s President To Lam listens to East Timor’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao during a meeting in Hanoi on June 10. Photo AFP
Thailand

Thailand and Vietnam team up in an Asean ‘plus or minus’ gamble

Southeast Asia’s second- and third-largest economies opt for bilateral insurance over reliance on the regional bloc.

Taiwan

How Japan, Philippines are building a maritime security front against China

Tokyo-Manila defence cooperation is linking Pacific flashpoints, with broad implications for Beijing, analysts say.

videocam
14
The Philippines

Philippines and Vietnam close ranks on South China Sea as To Lam visits

The Vietnamese president is wrapping up a Southeast Asia tour aimed at shoring up regional security alliances.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (right) and Vietnam’s President To Lam shake hands at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Vietnam’s To Lam warns of 3 crises converging in Asia-Pacific security

In the Singapore forum’s keynote address, the Vietnamese president urges a strategic framework for trust building to avert such threats.

Vietnamese President To Lam gives a keynote address during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Vietnam

Vietnam, Philippines to forge stronger ‘alignment’ on 50 years of ties

Analysts say To Lam’s first visit to Manila as state leader signals Vietnam’s balanced foreign policy and investment in Asean partnerships.

Thailand

Trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy: Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties

The president, who visited Ho Chi Minh’s former home in Udon Thani, will meet the Thai king and hold talks with PM Anutin.

Dong Jun

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

videocam
7
Dong Jun pictured at last year’s Asean-China defence ministers’ lunch in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Vietnam’s US$5 billion Apec island is running out of time

Phu Quoc is a test case for Vietnam’s build-fast model. But with 18 months to go, the island is short of workers, diesel and hotel rooms.

A staff member sweeps the grounds of a resort on Phu Quoc island, which is set to host world leaders for the November 2027 Apec summit. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

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.

videocam
22
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Vietnam

Vietnam burns red tape but growth may be harder to rekindle

Vietnam’s drive to energise its economy may take time to materialise in the face of rising fuel costs and trade barriers, analysts say.

A labourer works at a construction site in Hanoi in April. Vietnam’s President To Lam has set an annual growth target of 10 per cent until 2030. Photo: EPA
India

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

President To Lam’s agenda during his visit to New Delhi is expected to include a deal for Vietnam to buy India’s BrahMos missiles.

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.

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.

videocam
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Friday. Photo: AFP
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.

videocam
5
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a ceremony at the National Cemetery in Seoul on Sunday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
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.

videocam
12
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.

11
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.

A C909 in VietJet livery at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport in April last year. Photo: Reuters
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.

videocam
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 summits

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.

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement