Xi Jinping looked relaxed as China's legislators cast their votes in large red ballot boxes at a carefully stage-managed ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Sunday. He had good reason to be.

There were only two "no" votes out of the nearly 3000 legislators representing every region of Greater China who backed changes to the country's constitution which effectively give Xi the power to remain president indefinitely. Three others abstained, while 2963 delegates from China's rubber stamp parliament voted in favour.