Chinese President Xi Jinping was formally chosen to serve a second five-year term as Communist Party leader Wednesday.

AVA- The 64-year-old Xi stood side-by-side with the five new members of the ruling Politburo Standing Committee at Beijing's Great Hall of the People after they were chosen by the Central Committee. The new members include Zhao Leji, who takes over the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection from Wang Qishan, who led President Xi's sweeping anti-corruption drive.

The only other member returning from the previous ruling Politburo along with Xi Jinping is 62-year-old Premier Li Keqiang. The other members are also 60 years old or older, leaving the party without an heir apparent once Xi's tenure ends in 2022. Analysts say the absence of a clear successor suggests Xi may remain in power well past 2022.

Xi's new mandate was a foregone conclusion, especially after his name was enshrined in the Communist Party's constitution earlier this week at the closing session of the once-in-five-year party congress on Tuesday. He is only the third Chinese leader to have his name elevated to iconic status, next to Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist China, and Deng Xiaoping, whose economic reforms led to China's current status as a global economic power.

The concept that bears Xi's name ("Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era") places the Communist Party at the forefront of everyday life in China, from overseeing the economy and national security to providing moral guidance to its citizens.