Removal of Vietnamese president Vo Van Thuong raises concerns over stability, but ties with China expected to remain stable
- Vo Van Thuong has been effectively dismissed after just 14 months in the top job, raising concerns about the country’s future direction
- His ‘removal is of great concern to everyone’, according to one observer, but the trend of improving relations with Beijing is expected to continue
Vo Van Thuong became the second Vietnamese president to step down in 14 months following a vote by the National Assembly in a closed session at an extraordinary meeting, state media reported.
While details about his effective dismissal remain unclear, Thuong was allowed to tender his resignation. The Communist Party’s official statement said “violations by Vo Van Thuong have left a bad mark on the reputation of the Communist Party” – a comment widely understood to refer to corruption.
Thuong became president just 14 months ago after the departure in similar circumstances of Nguyen Xuan Phuc in January last year due to what were described as “violations and wrongdoing” by officials under his control.
Thuong, 53, was the youngest member of the Politburo and widely seen as a protégé of Vietnam’s top leader Nguyen Phu Trong, who secured a third term as party general secretary in 2021 despite his widely rumoured health issues.
Some analysts have described the move as a political earthquake and scores of other officials have been removed in the country’s current anti-corruption campaign.
