Hu Jintao, the chief of China's ruling Communist party, was today re-elected President of the Communist nation for another five-year term by Parliament. Rising political star Xi Jinping was chosen as the Vice President. Xi, 54, a member of the powerful Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is widely tipped to step into the shoes of Hu when he steps down in 2012.

65-year-old Hu received 99.7 per cent of the 2,965 votes cast by delegates to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's Parliament, to be re-elected as President, according to a ballot made public. The vote had been widely expected.

Hu, the CPC General Secretary, has been the President since March 2003. He was also re-elected Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The election results were announced after a secret ballot by deputies of the NPC, official Xinhua news agency said.

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