Hu Jintao wins second term

BEIJING, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Monday won a new mandate to lead the country for five more years from the newly elected Communist Party’s 17th Central Committee.

As party head, Hu, who has led the country’s fantastic economic growth in the past five years with his "scientific outlook on development" initiative, will continue as head of state and of the military, and lead the powerful nine-member Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Central Committee.

Other members of the newly-elected Standing Committee of the Political Bureau are Premier Wen Jiabao, Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, Xinhua reported.

The scientific outlook on development initiative, focusing on social harmony, environmental protection, energy conservation and economic expansion, was enshrined in the party’s Constitution, giving Hu the same status as that of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin.

The new faces in the Political Bureau Standing Committee are Xi , Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou, Xinhua reported.

Xi and Li Keqiang are party heads in Shanghai and Liaoning. He Guoqiang heads the Organization Department of the Central Committee and Zhou is minister of public security.

Top level changes were made Sunday prior to Monday’s meeting in support of Hu. The changes included the easing out of Vice President Zeng Qinghong.