Xi Jinping reasserts his absolute power in China by being re-elected for a third presidential term

chinese president Xi Jinpingtoday he consolidated his power after National People’s Assembly (ANP, legislative equivalent) appointed him for a third five-year presidential term (2023-2028), which is unprecedented among his predecessors. The plenary session of the PNA today confirmed the permanency of Xi, also the general secretary of the ruler Communist Party of China (CCP)after the body approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 that removed the limit of two consecutive five-year terms for Chinese presidents.

The 2,952 deputies present in the Assembly, in which they very rarely oppose the presented measures, unanimously approved the continuation of Xi as head of state. The plenary session, held in the Great Hall of the People, located in Tiananmen Square, also confirmed the appointment of Han Zheng as vice president and Zhao Leji as chairman of the PNA Standing Committee, a position corresponding to the position of head of the legislature.

After the vote, Xi, Han and Zhao took the oath to the Chinese Constitution. Lawmakers also gave the green light, also unanimously, to a third term for Xi as chairman of the Central Military Commission, a position equivalent to that of head of the Asian country’s armed forces.

Last October, Xi confirmed his position as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party for a third term, unprecedented among his immediate predecessors. This strengthened the president’s control over the three branches of government: the state, the Communist Party and the army.