China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has been elected to a historic third term as president by the country’s rubber-stamp legislature. It comes after a consolidation of power that has elevated Mr. Xi, 69, to China’s most powerful leader in generations. The president’s functions in the Chinese system of governance are primarily ceremonial. Mr. Xi wields considerable power.

Overview
The solid evidence of his third term as president was widely anticipated. The appointment of a new premier and other ministers in the coming days is viewed as more critical. The majority of the new appointees are expected to be Xi Jinping followers. This includes Li Qiang, who is expected to be Mr. Xi’s lieutenant.

Mr. Xi has established his rule as China returns to everyday life following his bruising zero-Covid policy, which has fueled anti-government protests. The country is also dealing with a declining birth rate, threatening its economic growth engine. Ties between Beijing and Washington remain strained, as evidenced by recent allegations that China was spying on the US using balloons.

Mr. Xi also was re-elected as chairman of the People’s Republic of China’s CMC on Friday. There are two CMCs in the country, which is a revolutionary party and the other one as a state institution, but their membership is usually the same.

End Note
The national legislature appointed Han Zheng, a 68-year-old former Politburo Standing Committee member, as vice president. As the position’s functions are not fully defined, its importance varies. Chong stated that Mr. Xi’s last vice president, Wang Qishan, led Mr Xi’s anti-corruption campaign.
Mr Han is likely to closely follow Mr Xi’s lead and enforce the president’s policies as needed, he added.