Lương Cường | |
|---|---|
 Cường in 2024 | |
| 14th President of Vietnam | |
| Assumed office 21 October 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Phạm Minh Chính |
| Vice President | Võ Thị Ánh Xuân |
| Preceded by | Tô Lâm |
| Permanent Member of the Secretariat | |
| In office 16 May 2024 – 25 October 2024 | |
| General Secretary | Nguyễn Phú Trọng Tô Lâm |
| Preceded by | Trương Thị Mai |
| Succeeded by | Trần Cẩm Tú |
| Director of the General Department of Politics of thePeople's Army of Vietnam | |
| In office 15 April 2016 – 3 June 2024 | |
| President | See list
|
| Preceded by | Ngô Xuân Lịch |
| Succeeded by | Trịnh Văn Quyết |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lương Văn Cường (1957-08-15)15 August 1957 (age 68) |
| Political party | Communist Party of Vietnam |
| Spouse | Nguyễn Thị Minh Nguyệt |
| Children | 2 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Communist Party of Vietnam |
| Branch/service |  Vietnam People's Army |
| Years of service | 1975–2024 |
| Rank |  Army general |
| Commands | Vietnam People's Army |
| Battles/wars | Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War |
Lương Cường (Vietnamese pronunciation:[lɯɤŋ˧˧kɯɤŋ˨˩]; born 15 August 1957) is a Vietnamese politician and former armygeneral who is currently serving as the 14thpresident of Vietnam since October 2024.[1][2] He also served as thepermanent Member of the Secretariat since May 2024 to October 2024[3] and as director of the general department of politics of thePeople's Army of Vietnam from April 2016 to June 2024.[4] As the country'shead of state, Lương Cường is the second highest official in Vietnam afterGeneral SecretaryTô Lâm.
He was born inPhú Thọ Province on 15 August 1957. He has a bachelor's degree in Party Building and State Administration, and a high level of political theory. During his work, he attended training courses for cadres at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and in China.[citation needed]
Cường joined the Vietnamese army at the age of 18 in 1975. He fought in theVietnam War.[5] He became a member of theCommunist Party of Vietnam in August 1978.[6][7]
He has been a member of thePolitburo since 2021, and a member of theCentral Committee since 2011.[8]
Cường was previously vice director of thePeople's Army of Vietnam General Political Department from 2011 to 2016 where he became the director, and was promoted to the rank offour-star General in 2019.[9][10][11]
On 16 May 2024, Cường was assigned by thePolitburo to assume the position ofPermanent Member of the Secretariat, the fifth-highest ranking position in Vietnam's political system, following the resignation ofTrương Thị Mai.
On 26 August 2024,General SecretaryTô Lâm resigned from the presidency shortly after his election as the new general secretary earlier that month followingNguyễn Phú Trọng's death in July.[12] On 21 October, at the eighth session of the 15th National Assembly, Cường was elected to the presidency with 440/440 attending National Assembly delegates in favor (reaching 91.67% of the total number of National Assembly delegates).[13][14][15] He was subsequently inaugurated as president, succeeding Tô Lâm.[16][17][18]
In his inaugural speech, Cường declared his commitment to maintaining and enhancing high unity and solidarity within the Party; building a clean and strong Socialist rule-of-law state; strengthening national defense and security; and consistently pursuing an independent, self-reliant, peaceful, and friendly foreign policy.[19][20] On the morning of 22 October 2024, the handover ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace.[21] At the ceremony, Tô Lâm officially handed over the presidential duties to Cường and requested relevant agencies to report specific tasks, review work plans, and coordinate internal and external affairs with the new president.[22][23][24]
On 10 November 2024, Cường began a three-day visit to Chile, his first overseas visit since becoming president. He arrived inSantiago to meet PresidentGabriel Boric. Before that, he visited the home of the late presidentSalvador Allende and met with members of Allende's family. During the visit, a member of Cường's delegation was arrested for sexual assault.[25]
On 13 November, Cường arrived inLima in Peru to participate in theAPEC Summit. He was awarded theOrder of the Sun of Peru by Peruvian presidentDina Boluarte. He also met with many other world leaders during the summit.[26]
Military Exploit Order (1st class)[27]
Military Exploit Order (2nd class)[27]
Military Exploit Order (3rd class)[27]
Feat Order (1st class)[27]
Feat Order (2nd class)[27]
Feat Order (3rd class)[27]
Victory Banner Medal[27]
Fatherland Protection Medal[27]
Glorious Fighter Medal (1st class)[27]
Glorious Fighter Medal (2nd class)[27]
Glorious Fighter Medal (3rd class)[27]
40 years of Party membership badge[28]
Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Sahametrei (Cambodia, 2019)[29]_ribbon.svg)
Order of Playa Girón (Cuba, 2022)[30]
Freedom Medal (2nd class) (Laos, 2019)[31]
Grand Collar of theOrder of the Sun of Peru (Peru, 2024)[32]
Order of Friendship (Russia, 2021)[33]| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of Vietnam 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Permanent Member of the Secretariat 2024 | Succeeded by |
 Heads of state of Vietnam since 1945 | |
|---|---|
| Empire of Vietnam (1945) | .svg) |
| Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam; 1945–1976) | |
| State /Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam; 1949–1975) | 
|
| Socialist Republic of Vietnam (1976–present) | |
1 President is a non-participant; Taiwan is represented asChinese Taipei. |
|
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