China's new President Xi Jinping

Xi-JinpingBeijing, March 14 : Xi Jinping, a graduate from the prestigious Tsinghua University, was Thursday elected president of China and chairman of the country's top military body. He began working at the age of 16.

Xi, born in June 1953, is an ethnic Han from Fuping, Shaanxi province. He entered the workforce in January 1969 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in January 1974. He graduated from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University with a major in Marxist theory and ideological and political education, has an in-service postgraduate education and holds the degree of Doctor of Laws.

He is currently general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reported Xinhua.

1969-1975: Educated youth and Party Branch secretary, Liangjiahe Brigade, Wen'anyi Commune, Yanchuan County, Shaanxi Province

1975-79: Student of basic organic synthesis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University

1979-82: Secretary, General Office, State Council and Central Military Commission

1982-83: Deputy secretary, CPC Zhengding County Committee, Hebei Province

1983-85: Secretary, CPC Zhengding County Committee, Hebei Province; concurrently first commissar and Party Committee first secretary, Zhengding County Military Affairs Department

1985-88: Member, Standing Committee, CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee, Fujian Province; and vice mayor, Xiamen

1988-90: Secretary, CPC Ningde Prefectural Committee, Fujian Province; and concurrently first secretary, Party Committee, Ningde Military Sub-region

1990-93: Secretary, CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, Fujian Province; chairman, Standing Committee, Fuzhou Municipal People's Congress; and concurrently first secretary, Party Committee, Fuzhou Military Sub-region

1993-95: Member, Standing Committee, CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; secretary, CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee; chairman, Standing Committee, Fuzhou Municipal People's Congress; first secretary, Party Committee, Fuzhou Military Sub-region

1995-96: Deputy secretary, CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; secretary, CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee; chairman, Standing Committee, Fuzhou Municipal People's Congress; first secretary, Party Committee, Fuzhou Military Sub-region

1996-99: Deputy secretary, CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; first commissar, Fujian Provincial Antiaircraft Artillery Reserve Division

1999-2000: Deputy secretary, CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; acting governor, Fujian Province; deputy director, National Defence Mobilization Committee, Nanjing Military Area Command; director, Fujian Provincial National Defence Mobilization Committee; first commissar, Fujian Provincial Antiaircraft Artillery Reserve Division

2000-02: Deputy secretary, CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; governor, Fujian Province; deputy director, National Defence Mobilization Committee, Nanjing Military Area Command; director, Fujian Provincial National Defence Mobilization Committee; first commissar, Fujian Provincial Antiaircraft Artillery Reserve Division (1998-2002: studied Marxist theory and ideological and political education in the In-service Postgraduate Class at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, and awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws)

2002-02: Deputy secretary, CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee; acting governor, Zhejiang Province; deputy director, National Defence Mobilization Committee, Nanjing Military Area Command; director, Zhejiang Provincial National Defence Mobilization Committee

2002-03: Secretary, CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee; acting governor, Zhejiang Province; first secretary, Party Committee, Zhejiang Provincial Military Region; deputy director, National Defence Mobilization Committee, Nanjing Military Area Command; director, Zhejiang Provincial National Defence Mobilization Committee

2003-07: Secretary, CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee; chairman, Standing Committee, Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress; first secretary, Party Committee, Zhejiang Provincial Military Region

2007-07: Secretary, CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee; first secretary, Party Committee, Shanghai Garrison Command

2007-08: Member, Standing Committee, Political Bureau; and member, Secretariat; of the CPC Central Committee; president, Central Party School

2008-10: Member, Standing Committee, Political Bureau; and member, Secretariat; of the CPC Central Committee; vice president, PRC; president, Central Party School

2010-12: Member, Standing Committee, Political Bureau; and member, Secretariat; of the CPC Central Committee; vice president, PRC; vice chairman, CPC and PRC Central Military Commission; president, Central Party School

2012-13: General secretary, CPC Central Committee; chairman, CPC Central Military Commission; vice president, PRC; vice chairman, PRC Central Military Commission (IANS)