His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday consented to send a message of congratulations to Xi Jinping, Vice President, People's Republic of China, following his appointment as the General Secretary of the Communist Party.

In the message, His Majesty wished Mr Xi every success in his new post and looked forward to working closely with him to further strengthen the friendly bilateral ties and close cooperation enjoyed by the two countries, both bilaterally and as partners in the region.

In ending the message, His Majesty extended kindest regards to Mr Xi.

A new generation of top Chinese leaders took the stage on Thursday in one of the world's most important power transitions, taking the helm of the ruling party of the world's second-largest economy and the most populous country.

Xi Jinping was sworn in as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), leading the seven-seat Political Bureau Standing Committee, Xinhua reported.

The other six members of the top leadership of the party's central leading organ are Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli.

They were elected at the first plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee following the CPC's 18th National Congress. Their election marked a smooth top leadership transition following the 16th national congresses of the party in 2002. - Borneo Bulletin (16 November 2012)