Over a period of just 12 hours two of the world’s most powerful institutions, the Roman Catholic Church and the Chinese government, have installed supreme leaders chosen in total secrecy.
But while the choice of Pope Francis came as a surprise to most, the appointment of Xi Jinping as China’s president for the next decade was decided more than five years ago and merely consecrated by the country’s ceremonial legislature yesterday.
In the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, yesterday Mr Xi, the only candidate for president, garnered 2,952 votes of support, three abstentions and one vote cast against him from delegates to the National People’s Congress.
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