China's Xi spotlights national security in congress closing speech

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering his speech at the closing ceremony for China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on March 13, 2023. - AP

BEIJING (AFP): China's Xi Jinping on Monday (March 13) emphasised the need to strengthen national security, in his first address since being handed a historic third term as the country's president.

Xi became China's most powerful leader in generations last week when he was reanointed for another five years at the helm of the world's most populous nation, in a break with long-standing political precedent.