Xi Jinping was on Thursday appointed the new General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in a smooth power transition that ushered in a fifth generation of leaders which will steer the world’s second largest economy over the next decade.
Xi, 59, who was the vice president till now, will replace Hu Jintao as President in March, while Li Keqiang, 57, will succeed Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Xi was also named the chief of the 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the world’s largest standing military, allowing him to have a free hand in running the most populous nation of the world. The fifth generation of CPC leaders was formally unveiled to the media at the cavernous Great Hall of People overlooking Tiananmen Square in an event telecasted live all over the country. It brought an end to the intense power politics among various sections of the CPC, the world’s largest political party with membership of over 80 million.