China's parliament has chosen Communist Party chief Mr Hu Jintao to succeed Mr Jiang Zemin as state president, putting the formal seal of approval on a historic transition to a younger generation of leaders.
Mr Jiang was re-elected chairman of the Central Military Commission, China's top military post, ensuring his dominance of military and foreign affairs.
But, in a rare display of defiance at the largely rubber-stamp National People's Congress, 7.5 per cent voted against him or abstained.
As the nearly 3,000 delegates applauded, Mr Hu took several deep bows and shared a long handshake and warm smiles with Mr Jiang.
Mr Jiang's chief protege, Mr Zeng Qinghong (63) a rocket scientist turned party apparatchik, was elected vice president, although 12.5 percent of the NPC deputies voted against him or abstained.
Foreign diplomats said the no votes and abstentions are rebuke from parliament which essentially approves decisions already made by the Communist Party.
But there was virtually no opposition among legislators to Mr Hu (60), who received just four no votes and three abstentions.
Mr Jiang (76) handed the party's top post to Hu in November in China's first orderly transition since the Communists took power in 1949, but packed the all-powerful, nine-member Politburo Standing Committee with allies and proteges.
For five decades, heirs to power came to a sticky end. One died in prison, another was killed in mysterious plane crash and a third was placed under house arrest.
Parliament chose another Jiang ally, Mr Wu Bangguo, as its new chairman, with 2,918 votes for, 20 against and 12 abstentions.
While Mr Hu takes over as head of state, Mr Jiang, who has been handling the Iraq and North Korean crises even as parliament met for its two-week annual session, is expected to have the final say in military and foreign affairs.