Trương Tấn Sang

Biography

Trương Tấn Sang was born on January 21, 1949, in Đức Hòa, a district in Long An Province in southern Vietnam. He climbed the ranks of the Communist Party of Vietnam over several decades and became a key figure in Vietnamese politics by the early 2000s. He studied at the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, which laid the groundwork for his career in government and party administration. He rose steadily through the party's structure, joining the Central Politburo, the executive committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in 1996, and kept this role for 20 years.

Sang was the Communist Party secretary for Ho Chi Minh City from 1996 to 2000. During this time, he managed the party's operations in Vietnam's largest and most economically active city during a period of major growth and reform. In October 2009, he was promoted to the number two position in the national party, right behind General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng in the Central Secretariat. This group has significant power over policy in Vietnam's single-party system, and Sang's role put him among the most powerful people in the country.

At the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January 2011, Sang was nominated as President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. On July 25, 2011, the National Assembly officially confirmed his election, and he took over from outgoing president Nguyễn Minh Triết, who had retired. On the same day he was confirmed, Sang suggested Nguyễn Tấn Dũng as the new head of government. He was the eighth President of Vietnam, serving until 2016, and worked alongside Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng as part of the country's leadership team.

During Sang's presidency, Vietnam continued integrating into the global economy, engaged in active foreign diplomacy, and worked on maintaining internal party unity. Reports during his tenure mentioned a rivalry between Sang and Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, with each having support from different parts of the Communist Party. Despite this, Sang maintained a constant and authoritative role in Vietnamese politics during his time in office. He was awarded Cuba's Order of José Martí, highlighting the historically strong ties between Vietnam and Cuba in terms of socialist international cooperation.