Xi Jinping moves closer to leadership post

China’s vice-president Xi Jinping took a step closer towards the leadership seat after being named vice-chairman of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Military Commission (CMC), the South China Morning Post reported. Xi is only the second civilian to be appointed to the CMC after President Hu Jintao received the promotion prior to his accession to party chief. The announcement was made at the annual plenary session of the party’s Central Committee. During the four-day meeting, top CPC leaders also reviewed and approved a draft of the 12th Five-Year Program which will run from 2011-2015. A statement issued at the close of the meeting said that "China will further boost people’s incomes, enhance social construction and deepen reform and opening-up." It said reform was a "powerful driving force" in the move to speed up economic development.