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

Vietnam's Communist Party on Sunday reelected Nguyen Phu Trong to be its chief, the state Vietnam News Agency reported.His selection makes him the nation's de facto leader for a third five-year term. The vote at the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi took place a day earlier than planned, as the meeting, scheduled to end Tuesday, was being shortened to lessen the threat from a coronavirus outbreak, which last week spread to the capital city.Vietnam is a single-party Communist state, so party leaders almost automatically assume leadership of the government, though debates can take place within the party's bodies and the legislature. The 1,587 delegates at the congress were selected in a process that began at the party's grassroots.Trong is known for his tough stance against corruption, and during his second term there were several high profile corruption cases that made it to trial, including those of two former Cabinet ministers and Hanoi's former mayor. The challenges facing Vietnam include long-term economic planning and dealing with pressure from neighboring China, which asserts claims over offshore territory in the 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 the threat from China.

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

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

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