Amid applause, Xi led the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee into a brightly-lit room inside the grandiose Great Hall of the People, facing rows of eager journalists.
Xi, 64, was flanked by Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.
He smiled, waved to the journalists and took the podium.
"I was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee," said a confident Xi against the backdrop of a giant Chinese landscape painting featuring the Great Wall.
"I see this as not just approval of my work, but also encouragement that will spur me on," he said.
Xi thanked all other members of the Party for the trust they have placed in the new leadership and vowed to work diligently to "meet our duty, fulfill our mission and be worthy of their trust."
The coming five years, Xi said, will see several important junctures and signposts.
"Not only must we deliver the first centenary goal, we must also embark on the journey toward the second centenary goal," he said.
The year of 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of reform and opening-up.
Xi said China will make determined efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and open still wider to the world.
The year of 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The CPC will continue efforts to accomplish all the tasks laid down in the 13th Five-Year Plan, develop new blueprints for China's future, and see the flourishing of all the endeavors, he said.