China's legislature approved Chinese President Hu Jintao as the country's official military chief, state media said, marking the final step in China's first bloodless leadership transition.
Hu, aged 62, replaces aging former leader Jiang Zemin, 78, as chairman of the state's Central Military Commission (CMC), the official Xinhua news agency said Sunday.
He was selected by an overwhelming 2,886 votes at a meeting of China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), with six votes against and five undecided, Xinhua said.
The news agency reported that Jiang praised Hu as a "young and energetic leader" with "excellent qualifications."
