- Native land: Yen Bac commune, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province

- Date of Party admission: August 4, 1973; date of official membership: August 4, 1974.  

- Education: Bachelor of Party building

 - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (10th, 11th, 12th tenures);

- Politburo member (12th tenure);

- Deputy to the National Assembly (13th tenure)  

Professional career

January, 1972 – July, 1973: soldier, deputy squad leader of the 14th Battalion, the 320th Division, the 308th Division;

August, 1973 – October, 1974: Squad leader of the 14th Battalion, the 55th Regiment; the 341th Division, the 4th Military Region;

November, 1974 – October, 1978: Lieutenant, Platoon, Deputy Political Commissar, Political Commissar, Party member of 12th Battalion’s Party Committee, 55th Regiment, the 341th Division, the 4th Military Region;

November, 1974 – October, 1978: Lieutenant, Platoon, Deputy Political Commissar, Political Commissar of the 14th Battalion, the 55th Regiment, the 341th Division; the 4th Military Region;

November, 1978 – March, 1981: Senior Lieutenant, the 341th Division, the 4th Military Region;

April, 1981 – August, 1982: Senior Lieutenant; a student of Quan Chinh School, the 4th Military Region; a student of the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies;

September, 1982 – July, 1985: Senior Lieutenant, a student of the Academy of Politics and Military;

August, 1985 – July, 1987:  Senior Lieutenant, Deputy Political Commissar, Deputy Regiment Commander, Secretary of the 667th Regiment’s Party Committee, the 667th Regiment, the 779th Regiment, the 346th Division; the 26th Corp, the 1st Military Region; member of the Cao Bang Provincial Military Party Committee; 

August, 1987 – January, 1988: Major, Secretary of Regiment Party Committee, Deputy Head of the 462th Regiment on political affairs, the 392th Division, the 1st Military Region;

February, 1988 – August, 1994:  Lieutenant colonel, Assistant of the Organization Department under the General Political Department, the Academy of National Defense;

September 1994 – October, 2000 Senior Lieutenant , Colonel, Deputy Manager, Manager on political affairs, then Deputy Director of the Organization Department under the General Political Department; graduated bachelor at the Academy of Politics and Military (1995-1996);

November 2000 – April 2003: Colonel, Director of the Politic Department;

May, 2003 – November, 2004: Colonel, member of Party Standing Committee, Political Chairman of the 3rd Military Region;

December, 2004 – March, 2006: Brigadier, Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Commander on Politics of the 3rd Military Region;

December 2007 – January, 2011: member of the Party Standing Committee, member of the Central Military Party Committee; Lieutenant-General; Vice Chairman of the General Political Department of the Viet Nam People’s Army;

January, 2011 – February, 2011: member of the Party Standing Committee;  Vice Chairman of the General Political Department of the Viet Nam People’s Army; a member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee;

February 2011 – April, 2016:  Senior Lieutenant-General; Chairman of the General Political Department of the Viet Nam People’s Army; National Assembly deputy (13th tenure); a member of the Politburo (at the 12th Party Congress);

April, 2016 – present: Minister of National Defense./.