“One inch wrong, one mile away” is something that must be extremely cautious with famous people, especially with politicians or heads of state. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong – head of the Communist Party of Vietnam – is in such a negligent situation.
That is the story related to a clip from AFP News Agency, posted by Radio Free Asia’s Youtube Channel, in which General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong choked up while giving a speech at the reception ceremony for the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hanoi.
The sounds and images in the clip show viewers that Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong choked up, in an emotional state that almost burst into tears, when he said: “Comrade Xi Jinping is much younger than me. But I’m already old, and I really want to entrust and hand over to the younger generation…”
One thing of concern is that, as revealed by RFA, that information and images were not updated and reported by Vietnam’s state-controlled media in news reports related to the recent visit to Vietnam by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Immediately, the clip just mentioned was spread on social networks at a dizzying speed, accompanied by the rhetoric of “hostile forces” when questioning “General Secretary Trong choked up and was about to cry in front of Xi Jinping.” What is his intention?
There have been a series of comments surrounding the question just mentioned.
There are opinions that General Secretary Trong is old and weak. Halfway through the 13th term, the “key” personnel plan for the 14th National Congress has still not been completed. General Secretary Trong, because of his responsibility, as well as because of his concern and dedication to the work assigned by the Party and the people, deputy, so crying is normal.
There are opinions that retort, as scholar Truong Nhan Tuan once posed the problem: “The issue of power transfer is an internal matter of the Vietnamese Party. People only talk about this within the Party among themselves, among competent party members in the Party leadership. Why did Mr. Trong confide in front of a ‘national guest’ Chinese President Xi Jinping, like a confession between two extremely trusted comrades and brothers?“
Public opinion sees that the question just mentioned is a difficult one, but getting an accurate and satisfactory answer is perhaps even more difficult.
According to observers, at this time, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is facing major challenges, both in terms of corruption and in Vietnam’s extremely stagnant economic and social situation.
At the 8th Plenum of the 13th Central Committee, in the closing session, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong officially announced for the first time that he would retire at the end of the 13th term, citing his old age (82) and sat for three consecutive terms as General Secretary, in the 11th, 12th and 13th terms.
Experts confirm that General Trong absolutely never wants to retire. The reason is that, as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for more than 10 years, Mr. Trong has made too many enemies and also incurred too many resentments.
More than ever, at this time, Mr. Trong has been thinking about what will definitely happen. And waiting for the General Secretary in the near future, that is the rule “fish eat ants and one day the ants eat fish.”
Even the “rival” forces within the Party do not hesitate to say that Mr. Trong has been trying to maintain good relations with Beijing, holding out the hope that, if there are major changes within the Party, Trong will have to consider the last step, following in the footsteps of former State President Hoang Van Hoan, to live the last days of his life in China.
That is why, according to observers, General Secretary Trong wants to build a team in the Politburo, at least over 2/3, or reach 100% of the upcoming 14th National Congress, that he can still dominate and control, after retirement. Only then will he eat well and sleep peacefully in the last days of his life.
Returning to the question, why was General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, in his position as head of the Communist Party and State of Vietnam, so emotional that he was about to burst into tears in front of President Xi Jinping?
There is an opinion that Mr. Trong wants Mr. Xi Jinping and the Beijing leadership to help turn the tide. Let Mr. Trong stay and continue to hold the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for the fourth term, in early 2026. But perhaps, this is just his personal wish.
The important thing is, after retirement, it is unlikely that Trong will be at peace. He may even die without a complete body. Just look at the way he treats former President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, or incumbent Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and you can clearly see how Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong will live and die in the last days of his life, when he no longer has power.
Hoping that China and Xi Jinping will save his life is truly the thinking of a traitor.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
