China approves reappointment of Xi Jinping

BEIJING — China’s rubber-stamp legislature on Saturday unanimously approved the reappointment of Xi Jinping as president with no limit on the number of terms he can serve.

The National People’s Congress also appointed close Xi ally Wang Qishan to the formerly ceremonial post of vice president.

At the Great Hall of the People, Xi, Wang and other officials took turns stepping to the lectern to place their left hands on the constitution and raise their right fists as they delivered an oath swearing loyalty to the constitution, the motherland and the people.

All 2,970 members of the National People’s Congress in attendance approved Xi’s reappointment, while Wang received just one vote against.

Xi, who leads the ruling 90 million-member Communist Party, was also reappointed as head of the government commission that commands the military. He is already head of an identical party body overseeing the 2 million-member force.

Xi, 64, is considered the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. Last weekend, he was given the right to continue in office indefinitely after the legislature scrapped term limits for the president and vice president.

Chinese officials defended the move, saying it would bring the presidency in line with Xi’s other two main positions of head of the party and commander of the armed forces.

Critics say the move, which overturns a push to institutionalize China’s ruling practices dating from 1982, will likely lead to increased political repression and possible infighting among party factions seeking to promote their own candidates within the closed system.

Xi took office as president in 2013 and hasn’t said how many additional five-year terms he intends to serve.

Jon Gambrell The Associated Press Parkland (Fla.) High School students, from left, Lewis Mizen, Kevin Trejos and Suzanna Barna speak at the Global Education and Skills Forum on Saturday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.