The following is his brief biography:
- Date of birth: October 12, 1956
- Native land: Quang Thien commune, Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province
- Ethnicity: Kinh
- Academic title, degree: Professor, PhD in law
+ Political theory training: High level
+ Foreign language: Chinese (master’s degree)
- Date of Party admission: July 26, 1980
- Deputy of 13th National Assembly
- Summary of career:
+ July 1972 - October 1975: Student at people's police school and school of foreign languages under Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ October 1975 - June 1987: Officer at Political Protection Department I, and deputy head of Political Protection Department II’s professional office under Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ June 1987 - June 1990: Head of staff office and head of professional office, Political Protection Department II, under Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ June 1990 – September 1996: Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of and deputy head of Security Staff Department, Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ September 1996 – October 2000: Head of Security Staff Department, Ministry of Public Security; member of General Security Department Party Organisation; member of General Security Department Party Standing Committee; and Secretary of Security Staff Department Party Committee, Ministry of Public Security.
+ October 2000 – April 2006: Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of and Deputy head of General Security Department, Ministry of Public Security; promoted to Major General (2003); and conferred the title of Associate Professor (2003).
+ April 2006 – January 2011: Member of 10th Party Central Committee, member of Central Public Security Party Committee, member of the Central Public Security Party Standing Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Promoted to Lieutenant General (2007), and conferred the title of Professor (2009).
+ January 2011 – August, 2011: Politburo member, member of Central Public Security Party Standing Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security.
+ From August 2011 – now: Politburo member (11th and 12th tenures), member of National Defence and Security Council, member of Party Delegation to the Government, Secretary of Central Public Security Party Committee, Minister of Public Security, promoted to Senior Lieutenant General (2011) and General (2012), Head of Central Highlands Steering Committee, deputy of 13th National Assembly, Deputy head of Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, Deputy head of central internal political protection sub-committee.
+ Elected President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at the 11th session of the 13th National Assembly on April 2.