Career
He founded the literary group and publishing house Tự Lực Văn Đoàn ("Self-Strengthening Literary Group") in 1932 with the literary magazines Phong Hóa ("Customs", or "Mores") and Ngày Nay ("Today"), and serialized, then published, many of the influential realism-influenced novels of the 1930s. Tam fled to China where he was arrested on the orders of Chang Fa Kwei, who at same time had arrested Ho Chi Minh. This faction soon merged with the larger Đại Việt Quốc Dân Đảng ("Great Viet National Party" DVQDD) and later this too merged into the Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng ("Vietnam National Party" VNQDD).
After release from China Nhat Linh returned to Vietnam in 1945, to become Foreign Minister in the first coalition government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
He was chief negotiator with the French in Dalat in April 1946 and was to have led the delegation to France. However fearing Viet Minh assassination he fled to Hong Kong and resided there 1946-1950.
On his return to Vietnam, to the South, avoiding politics and concentrated on literary activities. This did not prevent the accusation of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime of involvement in the 1960 attempted coup.
Nhat Linh denied this, and the police having found no evidence did not seek to arrest Tam till 1963.