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After a long public absence, two former members of Việt Nam’s "Four Pillars"—Nông Đức Mạnh and Nguyễn Tấn Dũng—reappeared on Jan. 20, 2025, to receive the nation's highest honor, the Gold Star Order. The medals were awarded by the current General Secretary of the Communist Party, Tô Lâm.

A Breach of Protocol? The ceremony immediately sparked controversy, as this was the second time Tô Lâm had awarded the honor, but under two different official capacities. In July 2024, while serving as President, he signed and presented the medal to then-General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng. This time, however, he did so as Party leader, raising legal questions.

The controversy stems from the fact that the Gold Star Order (Huân chương Sao Vàng) is a state medal, not a Party decoration. According to Article 77 of Việt Nam’s 2022 Law on Emulation and Commendation , only the President holds the legal authority to confer this medal. Furthermore, Article 82 mandates that the person who signs off on the honor must also be the one to present it, or must formally authorize another person to do so.

That role, by law, should have fallen to President Lương Cường, who was present at the January 20 ceremony. Yet it was Tô Lâm who performed the presentation. While this is not without precedent—Nông Đức Mạnh personally awarded the medal to Lê Khả Phiêu in 2007, and Nguyễn Phú Trọng did the same for Raul Castro in 2018—this latest instance has renewed concerns over the blurring of legal boundaries between the authority of the Communist Party and the formal protocols of the state.

What Is the Gold Star Order? Described as “the highest honor of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam,” the Gold Star Order is reserved for individuals with exceptional revolutionary contributions or distinguished service to the country.

According to the 2022 Law on Emulation and Commendation , Communist Party and State officials are eligible if they have made “many great and outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause” or “contribute in the fields of politics, economics, society, culture, art, science, technology, national defense, security or other fields”.

Decree 98/2023/ND-CP further specifies what these "great and outstanding contributions" entail, outlining two key conditions for top leaders:

First , the individual must “continuously participate in revolutionary activities from 1935 onwards” or before the August Revolution ; or “continuously participate in the two wars against French colonialism and American imperialism”; or “continuously work in the resistance war against American imperialism or the period of national construction and defense”. Second , they must have held one of the country's most important positions, such as General Secretary, Prime Minister, or Chairman of the National Assembly. Beyond this primary path, the honor can also be awarded to long-serving officials in ministries or Party agencies who have already received the Hồ Chí Minh Medal and have worked continuously for 25 years or more. Finally, the Gold Star Medal can be conferred upon foreign heads of state who have made significant contributions to Việt Nam.

Does the Medal Come with a Cash Prize? Yes. Under Article 55 of Decree 98/2023, recipients of the Gold Star Order are entitled to a monetary bonus equal to 46 times the base salary. With the current base salary set at 2.34 million đồng , this reward amounts to approximately 107.6 million đồng (roughly $4,200).

Notable Recipients of the Gold Star Order According to national broadcaster VOV, the award has been granted to 141 Vietnamese individuals or organizations, and 28 foreigners. The first recipient was former president Tôn Đức Thắng. Interestingly, Hồ Chí Minh was twice offered the medal but reportedly declined both times .

Other notable recipients include:

Nguyễn Phú Trọng (2024), former General Secretary Huỳnh Thúc Kháng (2013), revolutionary and intellectual Phan Văn Khải (2008), former Prime Minister Lê Khả Phiêu (2007), former General Secretary Võ Nguyên Giáp (1992), celebrated military general Kim Il-sung (1987), former leader of North Korea Mikhail Gorbachev (1985), former leader of the Soviet Union Fidel Castro (1982), former leader of Cuba The award has also been granted to institutions, with the Việt Nam People’s Army receiving it five times and the People’s Public Security receiving it four times.

Nông Đức Mạnh: Diplomacy and Domestic Controversy Nông Đức Mạnh served as one of Việt Nam’s longest-standing “Four Pillars” of leadership, first as Chairman of the National Assembly from 1992 to 2001, and then as General Secretary of the Communist Party for two consecutive terms (2001–2011).

In foreign policy, he oversaw key diplomatic milestones, including the upgrading of Việt Nam-China ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2008 and elevating relations with Japan to a Strategic Partnership in 2009, which paved the way for large-scale Japanese ODA support.

However, his tenure was also marked by significant domestic controversy. One of the most debated initiatives under his leadership was the bauxite mining project in the Central Highlands. This project was extended on Nov. 1, 2007, when former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng signed Decision 167 , which approved plans for zoning, exploration, exploitation, processing, and use of bauxite ore from 2007-2015, with a vision towards 2025.Despite official backing, the project drew strong criticism for its low economic yield, environmental risks, and potential national security concerns due to the involvement of Chinese firms. The project was so contentious that even the legendary General Võ Nguyên Giáp publicly urged the government to halt it in 2009. Mạnh retired from his post in January 2011, passing leadership to Nguyễn Phú Trọng.

Nguyễn Tấn Dũng: The Enigma of "Comrade X" For years, former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng was known informally as “Comrade X.” The term originated during a 2012 Party session when General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng spoke of not disciplining an unnamed Politburo member. Two days later, then-President Trương Tấn Sang referred to this individual as “Comrade X,” fueling widespread speculation that the unnamed figure was Nguyễn Tấn Dũng himself.

As Prime Minister from 2006 to 2016, Dũng was a key architect of Việt Nam's global economic integration. He led the country into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007 and oversaw the signing of multiple free trade agreements .

However, his tenure was also marred by high-profile scandals within state-owned enterprises, including the collapse of the Việt Nam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin) under more than 80 trillion đồng in debt and a massive corruption case at Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), which led to a death sentence for former chairman, Dương Chí Dũng. Public debt also jumped sharply from 50.1% to 62.2% of GDP. Dũng retired following the 12th Party Congress in early 2016.

Huỳnh Kha wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luat Khoa Magazine on January 21, 2025. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.

Shiny Gold Star, Shady Past: Comrade “X” Collects Both

Huỳnh Kha

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