Vietnam's National Assembly confirmed Pham Minh Chinh, a career security official, as the southeast Asian country's next Prime Minister at an official ceremony on Monday. The move completes the five-yearly renewal of Vietnam's top four positions, as it looks to maintain economic growth, keep the Coronavirus pandemic at bay, and balance relations with Beijing and Washington.<br />'' <br />''China has been asserting its authority in the South China Sea, while the U.S. Treasury Department labelled Vietnam a 'currency manipulator' in December due to its trade surplus with the United States and heavy foreign exchange market intervention to hold down the value of its dong currency.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Chinh, 62, was the sole nominee put forward by the ruling Communist Party for the post at a congress earlier this year. He won 96.25% of the vote at Monday's National Assembly vote. Chinh will replace former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was confirmed earlier on Monday as the country's new president, a largely ceremonial role.</span><br />