Asia Sentinel

Asia Sentinel

Politics

Viet Leader Tô Lâm’s October Diplomacy

Power, illusion, and the art of control

Oct 22, 2025
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By: Khanh Vu Duc
Tô Lâm on the move

When Vietnamese Party chief Tô Lâm embarked on two unusual foreign trips this month – to North Korea (9–11 October) and to Europe (Finland and Bulgaria, 20–24 October) – it quickly became clear that these were not ordinary acts of diplomacy. They were carefully staged political performances, less about outreach than abo…

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