To Lam took over as Communist Party general secretary in August after the death of his predecessor and was making his first speech Monday as top leader to National Assembly delegates.

A major anti-graft purge begun by the late Nguyen Phu Trong has swept up dozens of business leaders and senior government figures, including two presidents and three deputy prime ministers since 2021.

Lam has enthusiastically pursued the drive, although analysts say he has weaponised anti-corruption investigations to take down political rivals.

Over the past year, more than 10,000 people were tried in around 4,800 trials as part of the anti-corruption fight, Vietnam’s chief judge Le Minh Tri said last week, according to state media.

An unusual period of political upheaval in the ruling Communist party saw Nguyen Xuan Phuc resign from the presidency in January 2023 and his successor Vo Van Thuong relinquish the role in March 2024. Both admitted to “violations and mistakes that badly influenced the prestige of the party and state”.

With many fearful of being caught in its crosshairs, everyday transactions within business and government alike have slowed.