Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang has died aged 61 due to illness. Photo / Getty Images
Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang has died aged 61 due to illness. Photo / Getty Images
Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang has died aged 61 due to illness on Friday morning (local time), says an official source from Vietnam's government.
Nguyen Quoc Trieu, head of the healthcare division of central officials, said the President died at 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, reports the state's mediaVnExpress.
A statement released by the health division says President Quang was in critical condition and was treated by a medical team at home and abroad.
Quang hosted President Donald Trump during his first state visit to the communist country last year.
His last public appearance was at a Politburo meeting of the ruling Communist Party and a reception for a Chinese delegation on Tuesday.
Quang did not appear in public for more than a month last year, raising speculation about his health.
Born in northern Ninh Binh province, Quang attended a police college and rose through the ranks at various positions at the Ministry of Public Security before being appointed minister in 2011.
A career security officer and four-star general, Quang was elected president in April 2016 by the Communist-dominated National Assembly, effectively becoming the second most powerful man in the country after General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
