Former top graft-buster Wang Qishan elected vice president of China

Wang Qishan was elected vice president of China on Saturday at the annual session of the country's top legislature.

Wang Qishan takes a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 17, 2018. Wang Qishan was elected vice president of China on Saturday at the annual session of the country's top legislature. [Photo: Xinhua]

Wang was elected at the fifth plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) by nearly 3,000 lawmakers.

After the announcement of the election result, Xi Jinping, China's newly-elected president, shook hands with Wang and extended his congratulations to him amid warm applause in the Great Hall of the People.

Wang later took an oath of allegiance to the country's Constitution upon assuming office.

Wang, born in July 1948, was a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC from 2012 to 2017.

During his time as top graft-buster, Wang pushed China's campaign against corruption and violation of the Party's code of conduct, which has seen the downfall of both high-level officials and grassroots ones.