Vietnam's Leadership Upheaval Signals Regime's Security Focus

Picture: Vietnam National Assembly via AP

In an article by the Nikkei Asia, Nhu Truong analyzes Vietnam’s political landscape and institutional changes.

Structural reforms have invigorated party functions and fused party institutions with the state security apparatus. In 2013, Trong formed the Politburo Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption to fire the starting gun on his campaign. Three years later, To Lam became chief of the Central Public Security Party Committee and the Ministry of Public Security, effectively merging the party and state agencies.

Further reforms in 2018 systematically restructured the Ministry of Public Security into "a focused and lean machine for effective work." Over 1,500 provincial subdivisions were cut, and departments with overlapping functions were consolidated to effectively centralize authority under the police.