XI JINPING was unanimously elected president of the People’s Republic of China on Friday.

Mr Xi was also unanimously named head of the Central Military Commission that commands the two million-member People’s Liberation Army.

The election of Mr Xi for a third consecutive term as the nation’s president took place during the final session of the 2,977-strong 14th National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Mr Xi had already been named to a third five-year term as general secretary of the Communist Party in October last year.

Born in Beijing in June 1953, Mr Xi joined the Communist Party at the age of 22. 

He was appointed governor of Fujian and, later, secretary of the Communist Party in Fujian and Shanghai.

He rose to greater political prominence and was soon recognised as a frontrunner to eventually replace then-president Hu Jintao.

In 2012, Xi was elected secretary of the Communist Party and, the following year became president, promising to continue growing the country’s economy and stamp out corruption.

Following the vote Mr Xi took an oath to uphold the constitution of China and over the weekend is set to complete appointments to cabinet roles.

Congress also elected a team to work alongside Mr Xi. Han Zheng was made vice-president and Li Qiang is widely expected to take over as prime minister. 

Wang Huning was named head of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Mr Wang has been a top adviser to three Chinese leaders and has authored books critiquing Western politics and society.

In other voting, the party’s third-ranking official Zhao Leji was named head of the National People’s Congress. 

Former head of the manufacturing powerhouse of Guangdong province, Li Xi, has already been appointed to replace Mr Zhao as head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Mr Xi was congratulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said the new term was an “acknowledgement of your achievements as the head of state, as well as wide support of your policy focused on China’s socioeconomic development and protection of its national interests on the global stage.”

“We will continue to co-ordinate our joint work related to the most important issues on the regional and international agenda,” Mr Putin added.

Mr Xi is expected to make a keynote speech on Monday, the final day of the Congress.