Xi re-elected as China's President after removal of term limit

Beijing : Chinese President Xi Jinping has been “re-elected” for a second five-year tenure on Saturday by China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress, days after scrapping two-term rule for the President paving the way for his lifelong tenure.

He has also been elected as the head of the powerful Central Military Commission, the overall high command of the Chinese military. On March 11, over 2900 deputies of the NPC have voted for the constitutional amendment for removing the two-term limit for President and Vice President proposed by the ruling Communist Party of China.

Originally Xi is set to retire by 2023 as head of the CPC, the military and Presidency following a two-term limit followed by his predecessors. He became President in 2013. The two-term limit was adopted by the party after Mao’s death to ensure collective leadership to avert mistakes like the dreaded cultural revolution in which millions were killed.

Later today the NPC is expected to elect Xi’s close Wang Qishan as Vice President and unveil a new government under Xi. Wang is the most feared official in China as he carried out the anti-corruption campaign for the past five years initiated by Xi in which over 1.5 million officials including over 100 ministers and top generals were punished making it the biggest such crackdown in China’s recent history.

Except for Premier Li Keqiang, all top posts including the entire cabinet beside Governor of the Central Bank will be the new set of officials. From India’s perspective for the new line-up of officials, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was widely expected to be elevated to be State Councillor which makes him the top diplomat of the country.

The elevation will entail him to become China’s Special Representative for India-China boundary talks. The post is currently held by Yang Jiechi who has been elevated to the politburo, the top policy body of the ruling Communist Party of China, (CPC). The line-up of the new government will be announced on Saturday, the South China Morning Post reported.