Odishatv Bureau
Beijing: China's new Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will formally take over as President in early March when the country's legislature opens to elect the leaders at various levels.

The first annual session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) will convene on March 5, during which top state leaders including the country's President will be elected, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

NPC is regarded as rubber stamp legislature as most of the power wrests with the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), whose bodies elect the national leaders.

59-year-old Xi was elected as General Secretary of the CPC last month succeeding Hu Jintao, which makes his election as President a formality.

He has already been appointed as the head of the military and will take over as President with the incumbent retires in March.

Hu has already handed over the Party and military posts to Xi.

Similarly, Vice Premier Li Keqiang, 57, who was elected as number two leader in the Party's seven member Standing Committee of the Politburo would take over as Prime Minister from the incumbent Wen Jiabao.

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