Xi Jinping Is Handed Historic Third Term as President

Xi Jinping was handed a third term as Chinese president on Friday, capping a rise that has seen him become the country's most powerful leader in generations.

The appointment by China's rubber-stamp parliament comes after Xi locked in another five years as head of the Communist Party (CCP) and the military -- the two more significant leadership positions in Chinese politics -- in October, newswires said.

Since then, 69-year-old Xi has weathered widespread protests over his zero-Covid policy and its subsequent abandonment that saw countless people die.

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.

His coronation sets him up to become modern China's longest-serving president, and will mean Xi will rule well into his seventies -- if no challenger emerges.