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![Wen, right, talks to President Hu at the end of the first session of the National People's Congress [EPA]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/China/1/2/3/4/5/Wen-Hu.jpg "Wen, right, talks to President Hu at the end of the first session of the National People's Congress [EPA]") | | Wen, right, talks to President Hu at the end of the first session of the National People's Congress [EPA] |
China's parliament has re-elected Wen Jiabao as the prime minister, but a next-generation leader was passed over for promotion to a top military job.
The rubber-stamp National People's Congress gave Wen, ranked third in the Communist Party hierarchy, a second five-year mandate with 2,926 votes for, 21 against and 12 abstentions.
While the premier is nominally number three in China's political system, the position is widely seen as the second-most important, after that of Communist Party secretray general, an office currently held by President Hu Jintao.
Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, generals for the People's Liberation Army, were elected vice-chairman of the decision-making Central Military Commission.
A Hong Kong newspaper had said next-generation leader Xi Jinping would become the third vice-chairman of the military commission, but he was not on the ballot on Sunday.
If Xi, who was elected vice-president on Saturday, had been given the military portfolio, it would have cemented his role as heir apparent to President Hu, who doubles as Communist Party and military chief.
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Tags: Wen Jiabao China PM
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