Đại Nguyên Trần, Dr in Physics & Polictics, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City
Some put China and Vietnam in the same category as communist countries, but actually, they are radically different in many ways.
In Vietnam, the concept of Paramount leader is not well established or well understood. Powers are devolved to many individuals of the politburo of Vietnam Communist Party. The supreme power is shared by the General Secretary of Vietnam Communist Party, President, Prime Minister and Chairman of National Assembly along with collegiale bodies such as the Politburo, Secretariat and the Central Committee of Vietnamese Communist Party.
On 2 September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam came into existence. Vietnam’s political system imitated the model of Soviet Union in many fronts. Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the PRC in 1949 ,That’s why Vietnam is NOT a copy of China and vice versa .
The General secretary is also the Secretary of the Central Military Committee, the leading Party organ on military affairs.
Picture 1:General secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Xi Jinping.
The powers and prestige of the office of President have varied over the years. For instance, while the inaugural president, Hồ Chí Minh (1945–1969), was also the Leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party (as in modern-China ), making him the first ranking member of the Politburo , his successor, Tôn Đức Thắng , served as a symbolic figure along with the General Secretary Lê Duẩn. The President is also the Chairman of the Council for defense and security and the supreme Commander-in-chief of Vietnam People’s Army.
Picture 2: The late President Tran Dai Quang and President Putin.
The powers and prestige of the prime minister have varied through the years. Pham Van Dong , Vietnam’s second prime minister, often lamented that in practice he had little power. Since the death of Pham Hung in 1988, the Prime minister has been ranked 3rd in the order of precedence of the Politburo. The Prime minister is the direct manager of the country in all aspects. Some Prime ministers maybe exceeded President’s powers .
Picture 3: Prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Trump.
The powers and prestige of the office of chairman has varied throughout the years. For instance, the two first Chairmans Nguyễn Văn Tố and Bùi Bằng Đoàn were not Communists.
Picture 4: Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Prime minister Lee Hsien Long.
The Vietnamese Fatherland Front (VFF) corresponds to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPCC). However, Chairman of VFF rarely joined in the Politburo, and its members were all religions and currently include members from Disabled Peoples Organisations, Women’s Union, Farmer’s Union,… while CPCC was a group of political parties beside Communist Party.
Picture 5: Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
In China, There are different concepts with Vietnam such as Leadership generations, Socialism with Chinese characteristic,…The Politburo Standing Committee of Chinese Communist Party is the most powerful decision-making body in China, which currently consists of seven members, both National People’s Congress and the Politburo of Communist Party are powerlessness.
Whereas, Vietnam scratched out “ the Politburo Standing Committee” in 1997 which would made the Politburo the most powerful decision-making body.
General secretary is the highest leader of the Politburo Standing Committee. The current General secretary is President Xi Jinping, this makes Xi Jinping such a paramount leader.
Picture 6:President Xi Jinping and Prime minister Li Keqiang
Picture 7: Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China.
CVD 