ARTICLES

To Lam’s Foreign Policy Leadership in the “Era of National Rise”

Hoang Thi Ha|Pham Thi Phuong Thao

Since assuming power in August 2024, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam has pursued bold reforms with urgency. Economic diplomacy has been a central focus, aimed at mobilising international resources for economic restructuring and technological upgrading. He has also engaged Washington, traditional partners China and Russia, and other major powers with equal vigour, pursuing pragmatic multi-alignment to advance national interests.

Elite Competition and Narrative Inconsistency in Vietnam’s Propaganda Apparatus

Dien Nguyen An Luong|Nguyen Khac Giang

This Long Read argues that Vietnam’s propaganda apparatus is increasingly shaped by internal tensions between two informal but influential elite coalitions. On one side are conservative actors embedded in the military and ideology apparatus, who prioritise ideological orthodoxy and regime security. On the other are reformist pragmatists, often drawn from diplomatic and economic institutions, who place greater emphasis on performance legitimacy, international engagement, and administrative modernisation.