Vietnam’s Communist Party is in a weaker position than it seems

THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS marched down the streets of Hanoi on January 10th in honour of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s 13th national congress. The show of muscle was in keeping with the party’s mood. Every five years apparatchiks convene to rubber stamp policies and a fresh slate of leaders. As they assemble for this year’s congress, which begins on January 25th, some may feel exultant. With just 1,544 covid-19 cases and 35 deaths to date, Vietnam has handled the pandemic well. It was one of few countries whose economy grew last year, by nearly 3%. The public approve. In a survey conducted in May, which assessed how people from 23 countries rated their governments’ response to the pandemic, Vietnam scored second best.