Vietnam to lay former leader Trong to rest next week

Vietnam will hold a state funeral next week for Nguyen Phu Trong, the leader of its ruling Communist Party who died on Friday, the government said yesterday.
There will be two days of national mourning on July 25-26, a government statement said, with the state funeral on the second day.
During the mourning period there will be no public entertainment, and flags at offices and other public places will fly at half-mast, it said.
Trong died at the age of 80 after holding Vietnam’s most powerful position for 13 years, overseeing fast economic growth, a years-long anti-graft crackdown and a pragmatic foreign policy.
His duties have been temporarily assigned to President To Lam, a rising star within the party who could further consolidate his powers if he is allowed to keep the two roles.
Trong will be laid to rest at Hanoi’s Mai Dich Cemetery at 3pm (0800 GMT) on July 26, the party said in a statement.
The government statement called Trong’s death a huge loss to the party, the state, the Vietnamese people and his family.
“After nearly 60 years of work, Trong has made many great and especially outstanding contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation,” it added.
During his time as party head Trong had pursued a pragmatic foreign policy, including nurturing ties with the United States.
Entertainment and sporting event organisers have already suspended activities, with social media users in the country changing their profile pictures to black in a show of mourning for the late leader.
Users on Facebook, X and Threads also posted photos and eulogies of the former Communist Party general secretary.
Vietnam has one of most heavily restricted media environments in the world and citizens are often hesitant to express their views online.
“A great heart has stopped,” Hoang Quoc Ky wrote on his Facebook page after changing his cover photo to a picture of Vietnam’s national flag flying at half-mast.
“He was a bright and perfect communist, a sharp politician ... who devoted his whole life for socialism and the happiness of the people,” Ky added.
“Trong was a very enthusiastic patriot in his own manner,” blogger DzungArt Nguyen wrote in on Facebook. “(We) acknowledge his passion ... may he rest in peace.”
The profile pictures of social media accounts for Vietnamese state media agencies were also changed to black, with companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country following suit.
In Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Vietnamese embassy “to mourn the passing” of his fellow communist party general secretary, state news outlet Xinhua reported.
Trong is the first party general secretary to die in office since the death in 1986 of Le Duan, a brother-in-arms of Ho Chi Minh.
He is also the first leader to have held three consecutive mandates at the head of the party, after the liberalisation of the economy in 1986.