Xi Jinping has secured a third term as China’s leader: state media

Beijing [China]: Chinese President Xi Jinping has secured an unprecedented third term as the country’s top leader, putting him among the likes of most influential leaders China has seen since the Chinese Communist Party was founded by Mao Zedong.

Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the committee’s first plenary session held on Sunday, the state media outlet reported Xinhua reported.

The session presided over by Xi, was attended by 203 members of the 20th CPC Central Committee and 168 alternate members. Xi was also named chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission at the session.

The once-in-five-year National Congress concluded after a week-long meeting. The Congress revealed the newly-formed Central Committee, the party’s main leadership body, which included Xi. Of the 205 members listed, only 11 are women, CNN reported.

The Chinese Premier, the second most powerful official after Xi, is not listed in the new Central Committee, which means that Li will retire from his party role.

Saturday’s preceding was marred by controversy surrounding former President Hu Jintao’s unceremonious exit from Congress. The 79-year-old former leader, Xi Jinping’s predecessor, was unexpectedly led out of the hall by two men during the closing ceremony.

According to Chinese state media, Hu was “not feeling well” when he was unexpectedly removed from the closing ceremony of the 20th Congress of China’s Communist Party on Saturday.

“Xinhuanet reporter Liu Jiawen has learned that Hu Jintao insisted on attending the closing session… despite the fact that he has been taking time to recuperate recently,” Xinhua said on Twitter.

“When he was not feeling well during the session, his staff, for his health, accompanied him to a room next to the meeting venue for a rest. Now, he is much better,” the state agency added.

The congress took place at one of the most perilous periods in international affairs in recent years. A war is raging in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin attempts to burnish his credentials as a great Russian leader, and China remains a staunch supporter of this would-be tsar.

At the same time, Taiwan Strait tensions are at their highest in decades, as China attempts to pummel Taipei into acquiescence.