Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)

The appointment of the youthful Vo Van Thuong could hint at a generational leadership transition in the years to come.

Four major assumptions commonly made by analysts need to be challenged.

There is little evidence that the country’s political landscape is divided into “pro-Chinese” and “pro-American” camps.

The 52-year-old Politburo member replaces Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was forced to step down in January in connection with a series of high-profile corruption scandals.

The reported candidate is Vo Van Thuong, the youngest member on the Communist Party's Politburo.

The consolidation of power under communist party chief Nguyen Phu Trong has some striking parallels to past patterns in Chinese politics.

In centralizing power to fight graft, Nguyen Phu Trong has created a system in which corruption has an even greater chance of flourishing once he’s gone.

The country's people have flourished not because of the Communist Party of Vietnam, but in spite of it.

Two structural constraints, one international and one domestic, ensure a high degree of continuity in Hanoi's external relations.

The National Assembly will reportedly choose Nguyen Xuan Phuc's permanent replacement at its next meeting in May.