The Central Committee of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party has approved a decision by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to step down.

Phuc apparently took responsibility for a corruption scandal linked to the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The party said the Central Committee on Tuesday accepted Phuc's decision to resign as president and from his position in the party's Politburo.

The party said Phuc made many efforts in leading the country's response to the coronavirus and achieved important accomplishments. But it added that he must bear political responsibility for the violations and wrongdoing made by many officials including two deputy prime ministers.

Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong has been cracking down on corruption by senior government officials.

Earlier this month, two deputy prime ministers were dismissed in connection with the pandemic-related corruption scandal.

Phuc visited Japan in September last year to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Phuc had been working to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Japan in security and other fields.