Chinese President Xi elected to a 3rd term

On Friday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping was elected to serve a 3^rd term as China’s President, giving him another five years in power.

Xi was expected to be re-elected as president in March’s parliamentary meeting, which is known as the “Two Sessions.” 

On the same day as being re-elected as President, Delegates to the congress formally reappointed Xi as chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Xi swore an oath where he vowed to “build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and great modern socialist country”.

The beginning of Xi’s new term saw some changes in his cabinet such as former vice premier Han Zheng being elected as the new vice-president and Zhao Leji, former chief of the party’s  anti-corruption commission, as the new parliamentary chair. 

It was also confirmed that China will aim for a growth of “around 5%’ along with a small increase in the defense budget.

Xi’s new reign will start with the United States and China still having frosty relations.

Xi delivered a speech to the delegates at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which runs alongside the NPC this week where he criticized Washington’s “containment, encirclement and suppression of China”.

Xi went on to say that China must have the “courage to fight as the country faces profound and complex changes in both the domestic and international landscape”.

Xi’s predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao both gave up power after 2 terms, or 10 years in charge.  Xi abolished term limits in 2018.

Xi has faced mass protests across China for his zero-Covid policy leading up to his appointment which saw countless people die.