To Lam’s pragmatic pitch to Vietnam’s youth : economic prosperity, political control
Compared to their Southeast Asian peers, Vietnamese youth are more economically optimistic but politically disengaged. These attitudes concur with pragmatism of the country’s top leader To Lam, which focuses on material prosperity while calibrating civic freedoms to regime imperatives.
In September 2024, during his first visit to the United States as Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam spoke at Columbia University’s World Leaders Forum. Responding to a question about the government’s policies for engaging overseas Vietnamese students, Lam encouraged them to contribute to the nation’s development from wherever they are. “You can pursue higher education, access the new advances in science and technology, and still contribute to Vietnam from afar,” Lam said, urging students to “think globally, not only locally” while balancing national interests with global challenges.
Lam’s remarks broke from the traditional calls for overseas Vietnamese to return home and stood in stark contrast to his predecessor. Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary from 2011 until his death in July 2024, often criticised the “political apathy” of Vietnamese youths, lamenting their detachment from the Party and susceptibility to “self-evolution” and “self-transformation.” Though largely rhetorical, Lam’s comments reflect a broader shift from ideological to pragmatic leadership.
Such a perspective resonates strongly with the priorities of Vietnamese youths as highlighted in a recent regional poll, which shows they value political stability, economic progress, and pragmatism in navigating constraints. This convergence presents Lam with a rare opportunity to rally a pragmatic generation and build trust within Vietnam’s tightly controlled system. Yet whether this alignment translates into genuine inclusion or merely reinforces controlled participation remains an open question.
The Youth and Civic Engagement in Southeast Asia survey, published in January 2025 by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, gathered insights from university students across six Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Conducted between August and October 2024, the survey drew 3,081 undergraduate respondents aged 18 to 24, with balanced representation by gender and academic disciplines (STEM and non-STEM).
Among the findings, Vietnamese youths expressed the highest level of concern in the region about national sovereignty (91.1 per cent), reflecting heightened sensitivity to external threats and the geopolitical realities Vietnam faces. This aligns with the Vietnamese party-state’s longstanding emphasis on national security and territorial integrity as cornerstones of its messaging to younger generations.
His leadership may bring economic openness, but political activism will remain tightly policed.
Vietnamese youths also stood out as the most trusting of their government and the most optimistic about their country’s economic trajectory, while demonstrating a pragmatic approach to engagement within the system.
Nearly nine in 10 Vietnamese youths expressed satisfaction with their political system, matched only by their Singaporean peers. 68.2 per cent rate the country’s political situation as “very good” or “good”, the second-highest positivity rating in the region after Singapore. For Lam, who took the helm amid rare political upheaval and ongoing leadership shakeups, this widespread youth satisfaction is an indispensable asset for consolidating power and ensuring political stability, both of which have never been more vital for the regime.
An impressive 90.1 per cent of Vietnamese youths expressed confidence in the nation’s economic future and the government’s development plans, anchored in its proven economic resilience even amidst global uncertainties. This economic optimism — the highest in the region — mirrors To Lam’s emphasis on economic growth as the cornerstone of the party-state’s stability. Judging by his public rhetoric, Lam, unlike Trong, frames stability through prosperity rather than ideological purity.
Engaging youth is central to the regime’s performative legitimacy. Yet, Lam’s leadership faces a complex test in navigating the very constraints he once enforced as head of Vietnam’s security apparatus under Trong. During that time, sweeping crackdowns on civil society, mainstream media, and cyberspace not only silenced dissent but also entrenched a climate of fear that stifled meaningful engagement.
Years of tight restrictions appear to have dampened youth civic engagement. According to the survey, while nearly 70 per cent of Vietnamese youths express at least some interest in joining socio-political organisations, the highest in the region, they are also the least likely to sign electronic petitions (45.8 per cent) and among the least active in online political organising.
This gap suggests that while youth are willing to engage, structural limits shape their options. With social media heavily co-opted by the government and cyber troops actively policing discourse, many Vietnamese youths may be wary of leaving a digital footprint. Meanwhile, despite crackdowns on civil society, some forms of activism remain less restricted than others. Certain offline organisations — especially those focused on poverty eradication or education — operate within state-approved boundaries, possibly reinforcing the perception that participation in these spaces is not only legitimate but also safer.
Surveys of Vietnamese youths’ political attitudes are rare, making this study a timely glimpse into how the next generation perceives their government and political system. With Lam poised to remain Party chief next year, selective openness in controlled spaces will likely be his strategy of choice — offering engagement where it reinforces regime legitimacy while keeping broader civic freedoms firmly in check.
But any belief that Lam will radically open civic space is misplaced. Recent gestures, such as the release of a prominent environmentalist and a high-profile dissident just hours ahead of Lam’s US visit last September, were geopolitical manoeuvres to reinforce his pragmatist image, not to signal a shift toward greater freedoms. His leadership may bring economic openness, but political activism will remain tightly policed. Ultimately, for Lam, regime survival comes first. When push comes to shove, any perceived threats — youth included — will be swiftly contained.
By Dien Nguyen An Luong – Fulcrum.sg / ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute – February 17, 2025