Top leaders swear oath of loyalty to Constitution

Xi Jinping was elected president of China by a unanimous vote on Saturday morning at a session of the 13th National People's Congress.

Xi, 64, also was elected chairman of the Central Military Commission by a unanimous vote.

Right after the election, Xi took a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

It was the first time a Chinese president had taken such an oath upon assuming office.

In October, he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and appointed Central Military Commission chairman of the CPC at the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee.

With the national emblem hung in an auditorium inside the Great Hall of the People, everyone stood and a copy of the Constitution was carried to the stage by honor guards as the ceremony started at 10:49 am.

After a chorus of the national anthem was sung by all present, Xi, in a dark suit, took the podium, placed his left hand on the Constitution, raised his right fist and read the oath.

"(I pledge to) be loyal to the country and the people, be committed and honest in my duty, accept the people's supervision and work for a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful," he said.

He then bowed and returned to his seat amid warm applause.

The ceremony was held six days after the national legislature added oaths of allegiance to the newly amended Constitution. The amendment also added Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a guiding theory for China.

Based on a decision passed by the top legislature in July 2015, China put the system into effect in January 2016, requiring all state functionaries to take a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution when assuming office.

The People's Republic of China enacted its first Constitution in 1954. The current Constitution was adopted in 1982 and amended in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004 and 2018.

Joining NPC deputies in a panel discussion on March 10, Xi urged officials to uphold the rule of law, oppose the rule of man, be in awe of the Constitution, and exercise their duty within the boundaries of the Constitution and laws.

The ceremony was broadcast live via State television and the internet.

"By taking the lead in swearing the oath, the president is telling the public that everyone is equal before the law, and there is no exception," said Xiao Shengfang, an NPC deputy and vice-president of the Guangdong Lawyers Association. "It shows commitment by the Chinese leadership to the rule of law, which will ensure China's journey toward modernization."

Li Zhanshu was elected chairman of the 13th National People's Congress Standing Committee on Saturday morning.

Li is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He also took an oath of allegiance to the country's fundamental law on Saturday.

Wang Qishan was elected vice-president of China on Saturday. After the announcement of the election result, Xi shook hands with Wang and extended his congratulations to him amid warm applause in the Great Hall of the People. Wang also took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.