BEIJING, Nov 15: Xi Jinping succeeded Hu Jintao as China’s leader on Thursday, assuming the top posts in the Communist Party and the powerful military in a once-a-decade political transition.

Mr Xi was formally appointed as general secretary after a meeting of senior Communists that capped a weeklong congress. He was also appointed chairman of the military commission after Mr Hu stepped down, breaking with the recent tradition in which departing party leaders hung on to the military post to exert influence over their successors.

The moves give Mr Xi a freer hand to consolidate his authority as first among equals in the Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power. Immediately after the announcements, he strode onto a stage in the Great Hall of the People, leading the six other newly appointed committee members, all conservative technocrats dressed in dark suits.

“We shall do everything we can to live up to your trust and fulfil our mission,” Mr Xi, 59, said in remarks that were broadcast on state television and worldwide. Standing beside him was Li Keqiang, the presumptive premier and chief economic official.—AP