Vietnam party re-elect Nguyen Phu Trong as Gen. Sec.

Vietnam's Communist Party on Sunday reelected Nguyen Phu Trong to be its chief, state Vietnam News Agency reported.His selection makes him nation's de facto leer for a third five-year term.

vote at 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi took place a day earlier than planned, as meeting, scheduled to end Tuesday, was being shortened to lessen threat from a coronavirus outbreak, which last week spre to capital city.Vietnam is a single-party Communist state, so party leers almost automatically assume leership of government, though debates can take place within party's bodies and legislature.

1,587 delegates at congress were selected in a process that began at party's grassroots.Trong is known for his tough stance against corruption, and during his second term re were several high profile corruption cases that me it to trial, including those of two former Cabinet ministers and Hanoi's former mayor.

challenges facing Vietnam include long-term economic planning and dealing with pressure from neighboring China, which asserts claims over offshore territory in South China Sea where Vietnam is seeking to develop oil and gas resources.Hanoi is expected to maintain a delicate balance of relations with Beijing and Washington to leverage US power as a counterweight to threat from China.