Vietnamese president dies after battling 'serious illness'

Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang died Friday morning from a serious illness, state media reported.

Quang, 61, served a largely ceremonial role in Vietnam's triumvirate that includes Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the secretary-general of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, who has the most power in the country.

Vietnamese television reported that Quang died in a military hospital in Hanoi from a "serious illness despite efforts by domestic and international doctors and professors."

Quang was elected in 2016 and his term would have ended in 2021.

He was born in Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam.

He was a career policeman and served as Minister of Public Security from 2011 until he was elected president. He was also a professor in security science.

Quang hadn't been seen in public for weeks, including the Vietnamese Communist Party's Seventh Plenum. Rumors started circulating that Quang would be replaced because of health concerns.

Quang hosted U.S. President Donald Trump last year.