He has been a member of the Party Central Committee for four consecutive terms, from the 11th to the 14th term; a member of the Politburo for three terms, from the 12th to the 14th term; and a National Assembly deputy for three terms, from the 14th to the 16th term.
After graduating from the Central Police School, now the People's Security Academy, he worked at the Political Protection Department 1, then successively held the positions of Deputy Director of Political Protection Department 1, Director of Political Protection Department 3 at the General Department of Security. In 2009, he became Head of General Department of Security 1.
Before being appointed Minister of Public Security in April 2016, he served as Deputy Minister of Public Security for six years.
In early 2019, he was promoted to the rank of General.
In May 2024, he was elected President by the National Assembly; three months later, he was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam by the 13th Party Central Committee. He held both positions simultaneously for a short period, then assumed the position of General Secretary from October 2024 to the present.
General Secretary Lam, together with the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat, has led and promulgated numerous major policies, setting the goal of Vietnam becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030; and a developed country with high income by 2045.
He has repeatedly emphasized the need to establish a new growth model, which takes science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the main drivers for rapid and sustainable development.
Under the leadership of General Secretary Lam, Vietnam has streamlined and restructured its administrative apparatus. By 2025, many agencies were merged, and the number of administrative units was significantly cut; the number of provinces and cities nationwide decreased from 63 to 34; the number of communes and wards was trimmed to 3,321; and the district level was abolished.
Simultaneously, numerous Politburo resolutions were issued concerning the development of science and technology, the private sector, social welfare policies, culture, and legal institutions.
General Secretary Lam directed the intensified fight against corruption and waste without exceptions, while protecting the rule of law. In foreign affairs, he undertook numerous trips abroad, contributing to elevating Vietnam's relations with other countries and international organizations. They included visits to the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Singapore, and activities at the United Nations.
Under the leadership of General Secretary Lam, the 13th Party Central Committee successfully held the 14th National Party Congress earlier this year. The Congress elected 200 members of the Party Central Committee, who elected 19 members of the 14th Politburo and re-elected To Lam as General Secretary.
