China's parliament on Saturday almost unanimously re-elected Communist Party chief Hu Jintao to serve as president for five more years, according to a ballot made public.

Hu received the support of 99.7 percent of the 2,965 votes cast by delegates to China's parliament. He was also re-elected head of the China's Central Military Commission with the same level of support.

The overwhelming endorsement was not a surprise because China's parliament is regarded as a rubber-stamp body for the ruling Communist Party.

His re-election was widely expected after he was re-confirmed as head of the party at its five-yearly Congress in October last year.

The parliament also elected rising political star Xi Jinping, 54, as vice president in a result seen as putting him in line to succeed Hu in five years.

Wu Bangguo, 66, was re-elected for another term as head of the parliament.

Premier Wen Jiabao, 65, is expected to be named to another five-year term on Sunday.