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Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died in a military hospital at the age of 61, state media report.

Reports say he had been suffering from a serious illness for several months and had received medical treatment abroad and in Vietnam.

He was sworn into office in the communist country in 2016, following a stint as public security minister.

The role of president in Vietnam is largely ceremonial.

But it is one of the top four posts in the country, along with the prime minister, National Assembly chairman and communist party head. Mr Quang was also a member of the party's powerful Politburo.

Mr Quang began his career in the police and spent more than 40 years at the shadowy public security ministry, which oversees the secret police and intelligence service. He obtained the rank of police general.

He was seen as a loyal and committed communist party member and known for his hard-line approach to dissent. Scores of dissidents have been jailed under his leadership.

An anchor dressed in black announced his death on state-run Vietnam Television and a state funeral service is expected.

Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh will take over as acting president until a new president is chosen by the communist party's Central Committee and voted on by the National Assembly.</s>HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Official media say Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died at age 61 due to illness.</s>Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the country's second in command after the Communist party's leader, died Friday of a serious illness, the government said. He was 61.

The website statement said Quang passed away despite "utmost efforts to treat him by Vietnamese and foreign professors and doctors and care by the Party and State leaders." It said he died at the 108 Military Hospital in Hanoi but did not elaborate on his illness.

Quang hosted President Donald Trump during his first state visit to the communist country last year where Trump attended a summit of Pacific Rim leaders.

His last public appearance was at a Politburo meeting of the ruling Communist Party and a reception for a Chinese delegation on Wednesday. He looked frail on the state-run Vietnam Television broadcast.

Quang did not appear in public for more than a month last year, raising speculation about his health.

Born in northern Ninh Binh province, Quang attended a police college and rose through the ranks at various positions at the Ministry of Public Security before being appointed minister in 2011.

A career security officer and four-star general, Quang was elected president in April 2016 by the Communist-dominated National Assembly, effectively becoming the second most powerful man in the country after General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The National Assembly is scheduled to convene a session next month and expected to elect a new president.</s>HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died. He was 61.

The official Vietnam News Agency says Quang died at the 108 Military Hospital in Hanoi on Friday due to a serious illness. It did not elaborate.

Quang hosted President Donald Trump during his first state visit to the communist country last year.

His last public appearance was at a Politburo meeting of the ruling Communist Party and a reception for a Chinese delegation on Wednesday.

Quang did not appear in public for more than a month last year, raising speculation about his health.

According to Reuters, Vietnam has no paramount ruler. Experts say the presidency is largely ceremonial.</s>Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, one of three top leaders in the Southeast Asian country, has died at age 61, according to state media, which says he suffered from a "serious illness."

Quang was sworn in as president in 2016 and served in the largely ceremonial post alongside Prime Minster Nguyen Xuan Phuc and secretary-general of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, who experts believe wields the bulk of the power in the country's leadership triumvirate.

Quang died in a military hospital in Hanoi from a "serious illness despite efforts by domestic and international doctors and professors," according to Vietnam Television.

Quang had not been seen in public for several weeks before his death was announced. In May, at the time of the Vietnamese Communist Party's Seventh Plenum, The Diplomat reported that there were rumors Quang would be replaced "on account of health."

"However, no new Politburo members were named, while Quang quashed rumors of his ill-health by successfully carrying out his duties as chair for the closing session," according to The Diplomat.

Prior to serving as president, Quang had been the head of the Ministry of Public Safety, the country's de facto security and intelligence service, which has been singled out by international critics of Vietnam's human rights record.

Reuters writes, "Originally from a small farming community [70 miles] south of Hanoi, Quang rose through party ranks to become a police general and member of Vietnam's powerful decision-making Politburo."

Quang hosted President Trump when he made his first state visit to the country during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Danang last year.</s>Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died on Friday in a military hospital at the age of 61 after an illness.

According to state media said that Quang died of a “serious illness despite efforts by domestic and international doctors and professors."

The state-run Vietnam Television announced his death and a state funeral service is expected. Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh will take over as acting president until a successor is chosen by the communist party's Central Committee.

Reports also claimed that he had been suffering from a serious illness and had received medical treatment abroad.

Quang was sworn into the Presidential office in 2016. He was a former minister of internal security, who became one of the most high-profile leaders in the communist-ruled country.

The former police officer was a loyal and committed communist party member, and known for his hard-line approach to dissent.</s>Updated at 4:40 a.m. ET

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, one of three top leaders in the Southeast Asian country, has died at age 61, according to state media, which says he suffered from a "serious illness."

Quang was sworn in as president in 2016 and served in the largely ceremonial post alongside Prime Minster Nguyen Xuan Phuc and secretary-general of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, who experts believe wields the bulk of the power in the country's leadership triumvirate.

Quang died in a military hospital in Hanoi from a "serious illness despite efforts by domestic and international doctors and professors," according to Vietnam Television.

According to The Associated Press, "The state-run online newspaper VnExpress quoted a former health minister and the head of a national committee in charge of leaders' health, Nguyen Quoc Trieu, as saying that Quang had contracted a rare and toxic virus since July last year and had traveled to Japan six times for treatment. He did not specify the virus."

Quang had not been seen in public for several weeks before his death was announced. In May, at the time of the Vietnamese Communist Party's Seventh Plenum, The Diplomat reported that there were rumors Quang would be replaced "on account of health."

"However, no new Politburo members were named, while Quang quashed rumors of his ill-health by successfully carrying out his duties as chair for the closing session," according to The Diplomat.

Prior to serving as president, Quang had been the head of the Ministry of Public Safety, the country's de facto security and intelligence service, which has been singled out by international critics of Vietnam's human rights record.

Reuters writes, "Originally from a small farming community [70 miles] south of Hanoi, Quang rose through party ranks to become a police general and member of Vietnam's powerful decision-making Politburo."

Quang hosted President Trump when he made his first state visit to the country during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Danang last year.</s>Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died at the age of 61 after a serious illness, the government said.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died at the age of 61 after a serious illness, the government said.

Mr Quang died despite “utmost efforts to treat him by Vietnamese and foreign professors and doctors and care by the party and state leaders”, the statement said.

It said Mr Quang – the country’s number two after the ruling Communist Party leader – died at a military hospital in Hanoi, but did not elaborate on his illness.

The state-run online newspaper VnExpress quoted a former health minister and the head of a national committee in charge of leaders’ health, Nguyen Quoc Trieu, as saying Mr Quang had contracted a rare and toxic virus in July last year and had travelled to Japan six times for treatment.

Mr Trieu said the president lapsed into a deep coma hours after being admitted to the National Military Hospital 108 on Thursday afternoon.

“Japanese professors and doctors treated him and helped consolidate the president’s health for about a year,” Mr Trieu said. “However, there are no medicines in the world that can cure the illness completely, instead it only could prevent and push it back for some time.”

Mr Quang hosted Donald Trump during his first state visit to the communist country last year, when the US president attended a summit of Pacific Rim leaders.

His last public appearance was at a Politburo meeting of the ruling Communist Party and a reception for a Chinese delegation on Wednesday. He looked frail on the state-run Vietnam Television broadcast.

Mr Quang did not appear in public for more than a month last year, raising speculation about his health.

Born in northern Ninh Binh province, he attended a police college and rose through the ranks at the powerful Ministry of Public Security before being appointed as a minister in 2011.

A career security officer and four-star general, Mr Quang was elected president in April 2016 by the Communist Party-dominated National Assembly, effectively becoming the second most powerful man in the country after General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Phil Roberston, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said he would be remembered for “a multi-year crackdown on human rights and putting more political prisoners behind bars in Vietnam than any time in recent memory”.

Some 97 activists had been jailed as of April this year, according to Amnesty International.

The National Assembly is scheduled to convene a session next month and is expected to elect a new president.</s>Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang died on Friday after an illness, the government of Vietnam announced.

Quang, 61, died in a military hospital in Hanoi from a "serious illness despite efforts by domestic and international doctors and professors," Vietnam Television reported.

Quang was appointed to the role in April, 2016. Before that, he had served as Minister of Public Security.</s>HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died. He was 61.

The official Vietnam News Agency says Quang died at the 108 Military Hospital in Hanoi on Friday due to a serious illness. It did not elaborate.

Quang hosted President Donald Trump during his first state visit to the communist country last year.

FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2018, file photo, Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang meets with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the Presidential Palace during the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Hanoi, Vietnam. Official media say Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died at age 61 due to illness on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Kham/Pool Photo via AP, File)

His last public appearance was at a Politburo meeting of the ruling Communist Party and a reception for a Chinese delegation on Wednesday.

Quang did not appear in public for more than a month last year, raising speculation about his health.

FILE - In this March 23, 2018, file photo, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang greets journalists as he waits for arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam. Official media say Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died at age 61 due to illness on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool, File)
Vietnamese President Trần Đại Quang dies at the age of 61 following an extended illness. Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh succeeds as the acting President.