China’s Xi handed historic third term as president
Written by Olarotimi Oshin on March 10, 2023
Xi Jinping was handed a third term as Chinese president today, capping a rise that has seen him become the country’s most powerful leader in generations.
His appointment by China’s rubber-stamp parliament comes after Xi locked in another five years as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in October.
Since then, the 69-year-old has weathered widespread protests over his zero-Covid policy and the deaths of countless people after its abandonment.
But those issues have been avoided at this week’s National People’s Congress (NPC), a carefully choreographed event that is also set to appoint Xi ally Li Qiang as the new premier.
Delegates handed Xi a third term as president and re-appointed him head of the country’s Central Military Commission in a unanimous vote.
