President Xi Jinping on Tuesday underlined the overall supremacy of the ruling Communist Party in China and demanded that the two-million strong military and Government institutions work under its leadership.
Xi has been re-elected for a five-year second term. He is expected to continue to be in power as the head of the party, the military and the presidency for life, as the National People's Congress (NPC) ratified a constitutional amendment, removing the two-term limit for the president and Vice-President.
In his closing speech at the NPC today, Xi said, “The Party is the highest force for political leadership and the fundamental guarantee of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”.
Over 1.5 million Chinese officials, including over 100 ministers, were punished in the massive anti-corruption drive carried out by Xi in the last five years.The NPC has formally ended its 18-day annual session, widely regarded by observers as historic as it formally removed the two-term limit for 64-year-old Xi changing China's one-party system virtually into a one-leader state.