China’s President Xi Jinping has secured a third term as the Communist Party’s leader and has filled the party’s top positions with his political allies.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) elected Xi as its general secretary for a five-year term on Sunday.

“I wish to thank the whole party sincerely for the trust you have placed in us,” Mr Jinping told press at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Sunday.

The announcement came after the week-long Communist Party Congress.  Delegates at the congress also chose a new Central Committee of 205 party officials, with only 11 women named. The Central Committee members then elected the Politburo Standing Committee.

The list of Mr Jinping’s allies in the new Central Committee includes Shanghai Party boss Li Qiang, close aide Ding Xuexiang and Guangdong Party chief Li Xi.

At the Congress, the party also modified its constitution to endorse the core status of Mr Jinping and his political thought to the party’s 96 million members.

Mr Jinping came to power in 2012 and won a second five-year term as leader during the 19th congress of the Communist Party of China held in 2017. In 2018, He then scrapped the presidential two-term limit, allowing him to rule for another term. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mr Jinping in a statement on the Kremlin’s website, saying he was looking forward to developing a “comprehensive partnership” between both nations.