Xi Jinping in Mao Zedong's league after re-election as CPC General Secretary for record third five-year term

A day earlier, the 69-year-old had been elected to the party's powerful Central Committee by a once-in-a-five-year Congress despite crossing the official retirement age of 68 and completing the tenure of a decade.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been handed a privilege only accorded to Communist Party of China founder Mao Zedong after he was re-elected as the General Secretary of the ruling party for a record third five-year term.

A day earlier, the 69-year-old had been elected to the party's powerful Central Committee by a once-in-a-five-year Congress despite crossing the official retirement age of 68 and completing a decade's tenure.

Several senior leaders, including Communist Party of China's number two leader Premier Li Keqiang, either retired or failed to make it to the Central Committee resulting in a major shakeup of China's government and politics.

On Sunday, a 25-member Political Bureau was elected by the Central Committee members. The Political Bureau then picked the Standing Committee members to govern the country. Soon after his election, Xi appeared before the media in Beijing along with the newly-elected Standing Committee. 

In his brief closing remarks at the 20th Congress on Saturday, Xi said that the revision of the Constitution sets out clear requirements for strengthening and upholding the party's overall leadership.

'Dare to struggle, dare to win, bury your heads, and work hard. Be determined to keep forging ahead,' he was quoted as saying in the media, adding, 'We must be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms.'

'China, we have put our national interests first as we are confronted with drastic changes in the international landscape, especially external attempts to blackmail, contain, (and) blockade...," he said, apparently referring to the growing negativity against China in the United States and the West.