China's political elite has officially endorsed President Xi Jinping's unprecedented third term in office.

This move solidified his control and made him the longest-serving head of state of Communist China since its founding in 1949. Xi was reappointed as president for another five years in a ceremonial vote in Beijing's Great Hall of the People by China's rubber-stamp legislature. He received a unanimous 2,952 votes, followed by a standing ovation.

The presidency, or "state chairman" in Chinese, is a largely ceremonial title, and real power resides in the positions of head of the party and military, which Xi also holds. Nevertheless, his reappointment as head of state officially completes his transition into a second decade in power. It comes amid a broader reshuffle of leadership roles in the central government, or the State Council, and other state organizations that further increase Xi's already firm grasp on the levers of power.

One of Xi's most trusted protégés, Li Qiang, is expected to be chosen as China's premier on Saturday. Traditionally, the premiership is an influential role in charge of the economy, although over the past decade, its power has been severely eroded by Xi, who has taken almost all decision-making into his own hands.

The newly appointed leaders all took a public oath of allegiance to the Chinese constitution inside the Great Hall of the People. The National People's Congress (NPC) also approved a sweeping plan to reform institutions under the State Council, including the formation of a financial regulatory body and national data bureau, and a revamp of its science and technology ministry. The overhaul is seen as a further step by Xi to strengthen Communist Party control over key areas of policymaking.

Despite Xi's firm grip on power, he faces numerous challenges both at home and abroad. The Chinese economy is struggling to recover from three years of harsh zero-Covid restrictions, investor confidence is waning, and a demographic crisis is looming as the country registered its first population decline in six decades. China is also facing a series of diplomatic headwinds from Washington and other Western capitals as relations plummeted in recent years over Beijing's human rights record, military build-up, handling of Covid, and growing partnership with Russia.

In unusually direct remarks on Monday, Xi accused the US of leading a campaign to suppress China and causing its serious domestic woes. "Western countries led by the United States have contained and suppressed us in an all-round way, which has brought unprecedented severe challenges to our development," Xi told a group of government advisers representing private businesses on the sidelines of the NPC meeting.

Xi has now entered new historical territory, becoming the first Chinese leader to hold the title of head of state for more than 10 years, including Communist China's founding father, Chairman Mao Zedong. Liu Shaoqi, who took over as state chairman from Mao in 1959, was sacked in 1968 and persecuted to death a year later during Mao's tumultuous Cultural Revolution. After Mao's death, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping introduced presidential term limits in China's constitution in 1982 to avoid the kind of chaos and catastrophe seen under Mao's lifelong rule. However, those efforts have been severely undermined by Xi, who greatly expanded the party's hold on power and his own grip over the party.

In 2018, China's legislature abolished presidential term limits in a ceremonial vote, effectively allowing Xi to rule for life. While Xi's consolidation of power has brought stability to the country, it has also sparked concerns about growing authoritarianism and a lack of political reform in China.