Xi Jingpin has been endorsed as president of China for yet another five-year term. This is very significant in the contemporary history of the Chinese Republic. He becomes the only leader to get a third term since the days of Chairman Mao Zedong.

Xi’s predecessors,Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao were generally regarded by many Chinese as very effective leaders. However, they had two terms each. Many observers around the world attribute a general attitude of skepticism by modern-day Chinese towards dictatorships and cult personalities in government to why Xi’s predecessors had 10 years each in government.

China’s National People’s Congress endorsed Xi Jingpin’s third term on Friday. Significantly, it also paved the way for his staunch ally, Li Qiang to be pronounced as the new premier. The new term obviously further consolidates Xi’s image as leader of the world’s second most important super power.

In 2018, a constitutional review abolished term limits for Chinese leaders. Today, many Chinese policy watchers say the review had a third term for Xi as its ultimate goal. The same observers say the Chinese president is now the undisputed most powerful person in the world.