BEIJING: China’s ceremonial Parliament on Friday unanimously confirmed an unprecedented third five-year term for Xi Jinping as President and head of the military, paving the way for him to stay in power for life amid the slowdown of the economy and increasing tensions with the US and EU.
Much on the expected lines, 2,952 legislators of the National People’s Congress (NPC), often described as the rubber stamp Parliament for its routine endorsement of the Communist Party’s proposals, approved Xi, the 69-year-old “core leader”, as President and the Chairman of the all-powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), the high command of the two-million strong world’s largest military.
All his predecessors retired after two five-year terms. But Xi will continue, perhaps for life, as a new powerful leader of the world’s second-largest economy, heading the party, the military and the presidency, which observers say will have wider implications for China internally and externally, especially for India, considering the aggressive postures struck by the Chinese military in eastern Ladakh along the LAC.
After he was endorsed, Xi took a pledge of allegiance to the Constitution and bowed before the members of the House.