Xi Jinping of China Becomes State Chairman for Third Term Today... Will Unanimous Approval Follow?

Chinese President Xi Jinping will confirm his first 'third term' since the founding of the People's Republic of China through a vote on the 10th.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong on the 10th, from 9 a.m. local time, the third plenary session of the first meeting of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) will be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the election of the President, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Vice President, and other positions will take place.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Xi, who was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission at the Party Congress last October, is expected to be elected for a third consecutive five-year term as President through this vote. Although the President, like other senior state officials including the Premier of the State Council, was previously limited to serving only two terms, the constitutional amendment in 2018 removed the term limit for a third term. If the third term is confirmed, it will be the first case since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

A total of 2,977 NPC deputies will participate in the vote. When Xi was first elected President in 2013, he received 99.86% of the valid votes out of 2,956 ballots (1 opposing vote and 3 abstentions), and in his re-election in 2018, he received unanimous support with 2,970 votes.

Following the presidential election, the election for the Chairman of the Central Military Commission will take place, where Xi is also expected to secure a third term, further solidifying his position as the country's top leader. Bloomberg News commented, "Since he already secured the top position at the last Party Congress, this election is merely procedural," adding that "he has already sidelined potential rivals."

Meanwhile, elections for the Chairman, Vice Chairmen, Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee, and Vice President will also be held on the same day. Zhao Leji, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and ranked third in the Party hierarchy, is expected to become Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and Han Zheng, the current Vice Premier, is expected to take the position of Vice President. A vote on the State Council's organizational restructuring plan, which includes the establishment of the National Data Bureau and the National Financial Regulatory Administration, will also be conducted on this day.