Vietnamese Communist Chief Nguyen Phu Trong Leaves Behind A Weak, Fractious Party – Analysis

By Zachary Abuza

On July 19, Vietnamese state media reported that Nguyen Phu Trong, the long-serving general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, had died after an illness.

The report of Trong’s passing at 80 came a day after the party brass had announced he hadrelinquished his powersto President To Lam due to his...