1. Early Party membership  

Nguyen Duc Ha reveals that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was admitted to the Party at the age of 23, while he was a fourth-year student in the Vietnamese Literature Department at Hanoi University. "In the 1960s, it was quite rare for students to be admitted to the Party. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was among those few exceptional students," Ha recounts.

2. Academic excellence  

According to Ha, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was one of the university's outstanding students, defending his thesis on "The Folk Poetry and Popular Songs in To Huu's Poetry," supervised by the renowned Professor Dinh Gia Khanh. "This connection to To Huu's poetry is deeply ingrained in him, which is why his speeches and writings often quote To Huu," Ha notes.

Mr. Ha cited an example: when receiving the 50-year Party membership badge, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong used two lines of poetry from To Huu to express his feelings and pledge to the Party. "Even with one second, one minute of breath left, I will continue to fight without pause" (These two lines were written by poet To Huu while imprisoned by the French colonialists).

In a recent article titled "Proud and Confident Under the Glorious Flag of the Party, Determined to Build a Prosperous, Civilized, and Heroic Vietnam" on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Party's founding (February 3, 1930 – February 3, 2024), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also quoted To Huu's poetry to conclude the article, expressing deep pride and confidence in the Party.

"Our Party, with a hundred hands and thousand eyes,

Our Party, with iron bones and bronze skin,

Our Party, of millions of workers and farmers,

Our Party, of millions of hearts full of trust."

"And perhaps not only myself but also many other people were deeply moved when watching General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on television, paying respects to President Ho Chi Minh at House No. 67, visiting the Presidential Palace, and receiving a grapefruit from the garden of President Ho from the staff at the Presidential Palace. It was truly touching to see him holding the grapefruit and reciting four lines from To Huu's poem about Uncle Ho," Mr. Ha said emotionally.

3. Distinguished career at Communist Review  

After graduating in December 1967, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong worked as a staff member in the Documentation Department of the Communist Review, later serving as an editor and continuing his work at the Communist Review for 24 years. During this time, he spent nearly five years studying at the Nguyen Ai Quoc School and in the Soviet Union for his doctoral dissertation. "From a university graduate to the head of the Communist Review, a position equivalent to a minister, is a remarkable achievement. This was a rare case in that era due to the lack of personnel rotation policies," Ha emphasizes.

4. Leadership roles  

Ha shares that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first to be re-elected to the 13th Party Central Committee during the 13th Party Congress, marking his third term as General Secretary.

5. Longevity in office  

On April 14, 2024, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong turned 80, making him the longest-serving General Secretary since the Party's inception.

6. Extensive political experience  

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has participated in the Party Central Committee, Politburo, and National Assembly over multiple terms. "He has served in seven Party Central Committee terms, six Politburo terms, five National Assembly terms, four leadership roles including one as Chairman of the National Assembly, and three terms as General Secretary."

7. Dual leadership roles

During his tenure as General Secretary, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong also served as President from October 2018 to February 2021. "He is the third leader to hold both positions simultaneously, following President Ho Chi Minh and Truong Chinh," Ha explains.

8. Highest academic achievements  

Ha highlights that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is the highest-ranking academic General Secretary to date, holding the title of Professor and Doctor of Political Science (specializing in Party Building).

"He was appointed Associate Professor in 1992 and became a full Professor in 2002, serving as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council. Additionally, he led the drafting committee for the Party's congress documents, leaving a significant mark on the documents from the 9th to the 14th Congress."

Thu Hang