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Vietnam Opens Party Congress to Choose Leaders, Set Aggressive Growth Course

Phone jamming at the closed venue signals a tightly managed vote focused on a security‑first platform with a 10% growth goal.

Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam meets with U.S. President Joe Biden (not pictured) on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United National General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, U.S., September 25, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Delegates arrive at the National Convention Center for the week-long Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
Honor guards salute the arrival of delegation at the National Convention Center for the week-long Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
A security officer guards the entrance ofthe National Convention Center during the week-long Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)

Overview

  • About 1,600 delegates are meeting in Hanoi from Jan. 19–25 to elect a 200‑member Central Committee that will then choose a 17–19 member Politburo.
  • Party chief To Lam is widely expected to remain general secretary and is seeking the state presidency, though reports differ on whether that bid has secured support.
  • The congress is set to endorse a resolution emphasizing security and defense and targeting at least 10% annual GDP growth for 2026–2030.
  • Proceedings began with a tribute at Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum under tight security, including jamming of mobile phones at the venue, with the formal opening ceremony scheduled for Tuesday.
  • Since taking the top party role in 2024, Lam has cut tens of thousands of bureaucratic jobs, scaled back the sweeping anti‑corruption drive, sped project approvals and infrastructure, and tightened controls on media and dissidents.