China's Xi Jinping secures historic third term in office

Xi Jinping has secured a historic third term as China's leader, state media reported, after a Communist Party Congress in which he cemented his position as the nation's most influential leader since founder Mao Zedong.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party elected Xi as its general secretary for another five-year term on Sunday, Xinhua reported, tilting the country decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among its elite.

His anointment in a closed-door vote came after a week-long gathering of the party faithful in Beijing during which they endorsed Xi's "core position" in the leadership and approved a sweeping reshuffle that saw former rivals step down.

Xi is now all but certain to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be formally announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.

The 20th Congress wrapped up on Saturday after elected the new Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials, who gathered on Sunday to elect the Standing Committee -- the apex of Chinese political power at which Xi sits firmly at the top.

Concentration of power

Since becoming the country's leader a decade ago, Xi has achieved a concentration of power like no modern Chinese ruler other than Mao.

He abolished the presidential two-term limit in 2018, paving the way for him to govern indefinitely.

Xi has also overseen China’s rise as the world’s second-biggest economy, a huge military expansion and a far more aggressive global posture that has drawn strong opposition from the United States.

Despite nearly unchecked power, Xi faces huge challenges over the next five years, including managing the nation’s debt-ridden economy and the growing US rivalry.