Beijing: China’s parliament on Friday unanimously endorsed President Xi Jinping for an unprecedented third five-year term. Last October, the 69-year-old Xi was re-elected as its leader by the biennial congress of China’s ruling Communist Party (CPC), becoming the first Chinese leader since party founder Mao Zedong. Remain in power beyond two five-year terms.
China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), often described as a rubber stamp parliament, voted on Friday on expected lines confirming Xi for a third term for his mechanical and routine support of CPC decisions.
Xi is expected to remain in power for the rest of his life. He has already been elected as the general secretary of the CPC during last October’s congress, which also elected a new leadership for all its top policy bodies.
This year’s annual session of the NPC is considered significant because it marks the beginning of a once-in-ten-year change in the leadership of the Chinese government, including the premier, who chairs the State Council, the central cabinet.
The term of current premier Li Keqiang will end with this year’s NPC session. His successor, widely expected to be Li Qiang, a close ally of Xi, is likely to be chosen by the NPC on Saturday.
All the names of the new leadership have been approved by the plenum of the CPC chaired by Xi a few weeks ago. The approval of NPC is a routine formality. The new premier will address the annual press conference on March 13, the last day of this year’s annual NPC session.