Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese president, was elected chairman of the state Central Military Commission (CMC) in Beijing on Sunday.

Hu won an overwhelming 2,886 support votes in a ballot among 2,901 deputies attending Sunday's session of the top legislature, the National People's Congress, with 6 votes against and 5 votes abstained.

Hu, now 62, succeeded Jiang Zemin and became chairman of the CMC of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last September.

Hu assumed the post of vice chairmanship of the CPC Central Military Commission in 1999. He was directly involved in the making of a series of major decisions regarding army building, according to the letter requesting resignation by Jiang Zemin last year.

Jiang's request of resignation from his remaining post as chairman of the state CMC was accepted by the top legislature Tuesday. He praised Hu Jintao as a "young and energetic" leader with "rich leading experience" and "excellent qualifications."

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2005)