Vietnam re-elects party leader Trong after secretive congress Issued on: 31/01/2021 - 08:00 3 min Hanoi (AFP) Vietnam's ruling Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected Sunday -- a victory that makes him the most powerful leader in decades -- but his win was overshadowed by a serious coronavirus outbreak in the country. Trong, a 76-year-old pro-China conservative who is rumoured to be in poor health, was given the nod after a week of closed-door talks at the twice-a-decade Communist Party congress. It will be his third term in office -- a feat unprecedented in Vietnam's modern era. "On Sunday morning, comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was elected the General Secretary of the 13th Communist Party Central Committee," the Vietnam News Agency reported.