China on Sunday made it possible for President Xi Jinping to remain in office indefinitely by scrapping term limits in the Constitution for the country's leader, a decision that could herald a return to authoritarianism in the Asian power.

The first constitutional revision in more than a decade includes the incorporation of Xi's political thought into the nation's supreme law, sparking fears that China's long-established collective leadership system will be turned into a mere formality.

Xi's ambition to bolster his grip on power is likely to affect China's diplomacy, possibility forcing neighboring countries such as Japan, South Korea and in Southeast Asia to consider how to interact with the major Asian nation down the road.

China's congress agreed to remove from the Constitution the two-term limit for the president and vice president, with 2,958 voting for the revision, two against and three abstaining.

The constitutional amendment, approved by the National People's Congress, China's parliament, paves the way for Xi's re-election to a third five-year term in 2023.

As Wang Qishan, a Xi confidante, is certain to become the vice president, Xi and Wang are expected to rule the nation of 1.4 billion for years to come.

It was the first time since 2004 for China's Constitution to be amended.

The term limits were instituted in 1982 by former leader Deng Xiaoping, as he wanted to prevent a return to the 10-year chaos of the Cultural Revolution, initiated in 1966 by Mao Zedong who remained in power until his death in 1976.

The current version of China's Constitution, enacted in 1982, had been revised four times, mostly to advance the policy of "reform and opening-up" advocated by Deng, with the goal apparently of embracing Western values.

But the latest constitutional revision emphasizes the unquestioned authority of Xi, with some analysts warning that China has turned back the clock.

Also enshrined in the Constitution's "guide for action" is Xi's "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," adopted at the communist party's twice-a-decade congress last October.

Xi's name was added to the preamble of the Constitution, which stipulates China, under the leadership of the party, is guided by Marxism and Leninism, and the political theories of three former leaders -- Mao, Deng and Jiang Zemin.

A provision regarding a new anti-graft agency was also inserted in China's Constitution.

The annual session of the National People's Congress started last Monday. It is scheduled to run through March 20.