Phan Văn Giang

Phan Văn Giang
Phan Văn Giang
	Giang in 2024
12th Minister of Defence
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 8 April 2021
President	Nguyễn Xuân Phúc; Võ Văn Thưởng; Tô Lâm; Lương Cường
Prime Minister	Phạm Minh Chính
Preceded by	Ngô Xuân Lịch
Chief of the General Staff
	In office; 17 May 2016 – 31 May 2021
President	Trần Đại Quang; Nguyễn Phú Trọng; Nguyễn Xuân Phúc
Preceded by	Đỗ Bá Tỵ
Succeeded by	Nguyễn Tân Cương
Personal details
Born	October 14, 1960; Nam Định province, North Vietnam
Education	Bachelor's degree in tank and armored command and staff
Alma mater	Tank and Armor Officer University school (TGH) ; National Defense Academy
Military service
Allegiance	Vietnam
Branch/service	Vietnam People's Army
Years of service	1978–present
Rank	Army general
Commands	Chief of General Staff ; 1st Military Region (Vietnam People's Army) ; Deputy Chief of General Staff ; Commander of 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army); Deputy Commander cum Chief of Staff of 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army)
Battles/wars	Sino-Vietnamese War, Vietnam War

Phan Văn Giang ([fāːn˧ vān˧ zāːŋ˧]; born October 1960) is a Vietnamese General, politician and Vietnam's Minister of National Defence. He^[1] joined the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2016.

Early life and career

Phan Văn Giang was born in October 14, 1960 in Hồng Quang Commune, Nam Trực district, Nam Định province but his hometown is from Thai Nguyen province.

Giang began his military career in August 1978, initially serving as an information soldier in Battalion 4, Regiment 677, Division 346. His skills were put to the test during the border conflict in February 1979, where he fought at high point 893 Pát village, Cao Chương commune, Trà Lĩnh District, Cao Bằng Province. In November 1979, he was selected to study at the Tank and Armor Officer University to specialize in tank and armor command. He was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam in December 1982. Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in tank and armored command and staff from the Tank and Armor Officer University in September 1983, Giang was promptly promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Division 312, Army Corps 1. Over the years, he assumed various leadership roles within the division, including Platoon Leader and Deputy Commander, while also pursuing advanced training at the National Defense Academy, where he earned a doctorate in military science.

High posts

His rise through the ranks continued with appointments such as Deputy Chief of Staff, Division Commander, and Secretary of the Party Committee. Notably, he was promoted to Major General in August 2010 and later to Lieutenant General in September 2013. Giang's leadership was further recognized when he was elected to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January 2016. Subsequently, he assumed roles such as Deputy Minister of National Defense and Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. In April 2021, he was appointed Minister of National Defense. Beyond his military and political roles, Giang has also been involved in national committees, including leadership positions in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.

Commands

Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of The 312th Division, The 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army) (2000–03)
Commander of the 312th Division, The 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army) (2003–08)
Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of The 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army) (2008–10)
Commander of the 1st Corps (Vietnam People's Army) (2010–11)
Deputy Chief of General Staff (2011–14)^[2]
Commander of 1st Military Region (Vietnam People's Army) (2014–16)
Chief of the General Staff (2016–21)^[3]

Honours

Rank

Phan Văn Giang was promoted to Major General (Thiếu Tướng) in 2009, Lieutenant General (Trung Tướng) in 2013, Colonel General (Thượng Tướng) in 2017, and Army General in 2021.^[4]