The South China Morning Post reports that outgoing Chinese President Hu Jintao will formally relinquish his position as the chief of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission at the end of the ongoing 18th National Congress.

The Hong Kong daily reported that by completing his retirement by stepping down from his military post, Hu wants to break an unpopular precedent set by his predecessor Jiang Zemin. In 2002, Jiang chose to keep the top military position for two years after his 13-year reign as party chief ended before relinquishing power to Hu. Jiang came under fire both inside and outside the party for the decision.

Some political analysts expected Hu to cling to the military leadership post for the time being as a way to maintain his clout and cement his legacy after retirement. Some even predicted that Hu would hold onto the top military job for five more years until the next party congress.