Furthermore, he has argued that Nguyễn Phú Trọng had three overarching missions: restoring party authority, tempering corruption and giving direction to Đổi Mới, a catch-all term meaning reform and development.

[9] Four alternates were younger than forty, with the youngest one being Lê Quốc Phong [vi], the First Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, who was thirty-eight years of age upon election.

Moreover, he hoped the plenary session would be able to contribute to enacting the slogan three strategic breakthroughs, which states that the CPV works to perfect the institutions of the socialist-oriented market economy, enhance human resources and construct a synchronous infrastructure system.

Phạm Minh Chính, as Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Organisation Commission, informed the plenum about the Politburo's proposed list of nominees for state and government positions.

[23] Nguyễn Phú Trọng, in his closing remarks to the session on 12 March, stated that "the Committee generally agreed with the draft working agenda for the 12th tenure, saying that it covers important issues to successfully realise the Resolution adopted by the 12th National Party Congress".

[31] According to Scholar Nguyen Manh Hung, the adoption of new regulations regarding inspection work granted the CIC power to oversee and audit the declarations of properties of cadres managed by the Politburo and Secretariat.

[36] In addition, the plenum reached a consensus on the proposed candidates for state offices and the meeting ended with a call to the entire Party, people and army "to carry forward achievements they have recorded, fix limitations and weaknesses, and strengthen the great national unity bloc to fulfil socio-economic targets set for the second half of 2016 and the whole year".

[42] It called for improving party education in Marxism–Leninism, creating a regulatory mechanism as well as conducting criticism and self-criticism internally to combat these manifestations and struggle against lax political discipline.

Later that day, the 4th Plenary Session was divided into working groups to discuss the implementation of international economic integration and political stability in light of Vietnam's participation in several new trade deals.

[49] More generally, the meeting would discuss the "perfecting of the institutions of the socialist-oriented market economy", the reorganisation and performance of state-owned enterprises, ways to encourage and facilitate private sector growth, a report on evaluating the work of the Politburo and Secretariat on implementing the resolutions of the 12th National Congress in 2016, disciplinary action against party members "and a number of other important issues".

Nguyễn Phú Trọng, in his opening speech, informed the meeting that the Secretariat had established several steering committees to study, summarise and develop projects on the above-mentioned topics and reported them to the Politburo for consideration.

[50] On 7 May, the third day was presided over by Nguyễn Phú Trọng and discussed the disciplinary case against fellow Politburo member Đinh La Thăng, the Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee [vi].

CIC Chairman Trần Quốc Vượng delivered a report, on behalf of the Politburo, on the charges levelled against Đinh La Thăng for his leadership of Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (also known as PetroVietnam), for which he committed shortcomings and legal violations in running the company.

[54] According to ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute researcher Le Hong Hiep, some believe that the corruption allegations levelled against figures such as Đinh La Thăng were not real and that the anti-corruption campaign was an excuse to purge of Nguyễn Phú Trọng's opponents.

[57] Furthermore, it was announced that Đinh La Thăng had resigned as Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee Secretary and been appointed as Deputy Head of the CPV Central Economic Commission [vi].

[59] It also discussed a slew of popular issues, such as healthcare, public sector reform, gender imbalance, birth rate, an ageing population, lean and efficient political governance, Party leadership "and other important matters".

[66] On 7 October, the fourth day, the 12th CC convened for a morning session to discuss how to renew the management and financial mechanisms of the State and to reorganise the system of non-business public entities.

[69] The fifth working day started with a morning session, presided over by Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, that scrutinised the proposal on reforming management and financial mechanisms and the reorganisation of state administrative units.

The Politburo later presented a newly amended report and proposal on population work, management and financial mechanisms reform, the reorganisation of public non-business entities, streamlining the political system and improving state efficiency.

However, the 12th CC stated that the country still faced "an array of difficulties and challenges, including high overspending and public debt, big non-performing loans, slow [official development assistance] and Government bond capital disbursement, loss-making State-owned enterprises, violations in environmental protection and food hygiene, complicated traffic accidents and crimes, and more".

[82] Furthermore, they discussed creating a power control mechanism, preventing bribery, appointing non-local personnel to serve on Party committees at provincial and district levels and training and using young officials.

According to 12th CC member Đỗ Văn Chiến, the Chairman of the Government Committee for Ethnic Affairs, it is difficult to maintain a clean administration when officials administer localities they have intimate and familial relationships in since it increases the likelihood of nepotism.

Deputy Minister of Defense Be Xuan Truong concurred with Lê Vĩnh Tân's report, adding that ten per cent of staff could be cut annually to speed up wage reform.

Bùi Văn Cường [vi], the President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour's Central Committee, endorsed the proposal but remarked on the value of making a coherent set of regulations on how the trade unions would represent and negotiate wages on behalf of workers per the law.

[105] According to scholar Le Hong Hiep, Nguyễn Phú Trọng's nomination "was rather surprising given his advanced age and the fact that he was reportedly not very enthusiastic about the idea of merging the two positions [the posts of general secretary and state president].

[108] According to Hutt, the nomination of Nguyễn Phú Trọng was the easiest path since appointing another official would have disrupted "the normal order of political jockeying inside the Party that goes on for at least eighteen months before a National Congress.

[136] On the last working day, the 11th Plenary Session adopted a resolution and Nguyễn Phú Trọng delivered the closing speech, stating that the plenum largely agreed on the draft reports presented.

[139] Nguyễn Phú Trọng then wrote an article, titled "Some Issues That Need Special Attention in the Preparation of Personnel for the XIII Party Congress", in which he stated that all candidates had to possess good ethics, non-corrupt, reject opportunism, personal ambitions for power and have earned credibility amongst the people.

In his opening speech, Nguyễn Phú Trọng told the participants that the plenum took place in the context of the 45th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and national reunification, former president Hồ Chí Minh's 130th birthday and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his opening speech, Nguyễn Phú Trọng implored the attendees to analyse the report thoroughly and required them to make points to refute any opinions contradicting the Party's fundamental standpoint and regulations.