Xi Jinping gets historic third term

In a predetermined election, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been re-elected for a historic third term as president. All 2,952 members present at the People’s Congress of China voted in favour of Xi’s re-election, which was made possible after he changed the law in 2018 to allow a president to serve more than two terms, effectively paving the way for a lifetime appointment.

The election process of Xi and other senior government officials is shrouded in secrecy, with no lists of candidates made public. It is unclear whether there were any opposing candidates, although it is assumed that this is not the case for all high positions.

Xi was previously re-elected as leader of the Communist Party at last year’s party congress, where it was also revealed that Zhao Leji, a confidant of the president, was likely to become chairman of the People’s Congress. This has now been officially confirmed, although Zhao’s position is largely ceremonial.

Xi and Zhao were sworn in by hand on a copy of the Chinese constitution in a ceremony, and more political positions will be officially filled in the coming days. The appointments suggest that Xi has exerted significant control over the selection process, with his confidants dominating the Politburo Standing Committee, the main government committee.

The People’s Congress began last Sunday and has seen the government’s plans announced in the first few days. The country is aiming for a cautious economic recovery, with outgoing Prime Minister Li Keqiang presenting a growth target of around 5 percent, the lowest growth target since the 1970s. Military spending in the country is also set to increase by 72 percent. The People’s Congress will continue for a total of eight days and conclude next Monday.