Xi Jinping started an unprecedented third time period as China’s president on Friday, cementing the Chinese language chief’s unchallenged grip on energy amid rising tensions with the US and deepening financial challenges at residence.

In a solemn ceremony at Beijing’s Nice Corridor of the Folks, China’s strongest chief since Mao Zedong was sworn in as head of state for one more 5 years.

Whereas the formal appointment was principally ceremonial — Xi secured the extra highly effective posts as head of China’s Communist social gathering and navy management on the social gathering congress in October — his reinstatement as head of state comes at a delicate second for China’s relations with the world.

Below strain from Washington’s export controls on semiconductors, allegations of spying and scrutiny of Beijing’s shut relationship with Moscow, Xi this week explicitly named the US because the chief of a western effort to include China. Whereas he typically engages in nationalist rhetoric, the Chinese language chief hardly ever immediately criticises the US.

“I feel the largest change is de facto the collapse of China’s relations with the US prior to now 10 years,” mentioned Minxin Pei, professor of presidency at Claremont McKenna Faculty in California and writer of quite a few books on China, of Xi’s first decade in energy. Pei added that with the Chinese language financial system struggling, reigniting a way of optimism could be one of many president’s largest challenges going ahead.

“How can he rebalance, how can he make individuals extra optimistic whereas saying there may be this large ugly adversary on the market attempting to choke us off?” Pei mentioned.

Xi’s appointment was handed with 2,952 votes in favour and 0 in opposition to on the annual assembly of the Nationwide Folks’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament whose members are appointed by the social gathering.

Friday’s announcement of a 3rd time period completes a course of Xi began in 2018 by abolishing two-term limits on the presidency, successfully permitting him to rule for all times if he chooses.

Xi promised “to work onerous to construct a affluent, robust, democratic, civilised, harmonious and exquisite fashionable socialist nation” in taking the oath of workplace, which adopted the Chinese language nationwide anthem and an honour guard that escorted a replica of the structure into the Nice Corridor of the Folks.

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin congratulated Xi on Friday, hailing his “private contribution” to strengthening the nations’ “complete partnership” and anticipating additional “fruitful Russian-Chinese language co-operation”, in line with a press release launched by the Kremlin.

China’s financial system is predicted to rebound this 12 months after development fell to one of many lowest ranges in a long time in 2022 due to Xi’s draconian zero-Covid insurance policies, however economists are involved that medium-term development will probably be harder to realize.

The property sector and native governments proceed to battle with debt, and efforts to rebalance the financial system away from funding and in the direction of consumption have but to bear fruit.

The congress additionally appointed vice-premier Han Zheng as vice-president, a principally ceremonial function.

Whereas Han is a political survivor from the period of the late president Jiang Zemin, he’s anticipated to have little affect within the present authorities, mentioned Wu Qiang, an unbiased political commentator in Beijing.

On the social gathering congress in October, Xi was capable of stack the Communist social gathering’s prime decision-making physique, the Politburo Standing Committee, with shut allies.

“With all Xi’s individuals within the standing committee and prime positions, Han Zheng will dwell underneath Xi’s shadow and play a really restricted function,” mentioned Wu.

The parliament additionally confirmed Zhao Leji, an in depth ally of Xi, as its new chair. He was previously head of the social gathering’s robust inside investigation company, the Central Fee for Self-discipline Inspection.

“It exhibits Xi is happy with Zhao’s work within the CCDI,” mentioned Wu.

Extra reporting by Xinning Liu and Nian Liu in Beijing