BEIJING, March 16, 2008 (AFP) - China's parliament on Sunday re-elected Wen Jiabao as the nation's premier for five more years, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Wen, 65, was the sole candidate for the job. Xinhua did not immediately give the number of votes cast in favour of Wen.

While the premier is nominally number three in China's political system, the position is widely seen as the second-most important, after that of Communist Party secretray general, an office currently held by President Hu Jintao.

Wen has been in charge of the management of the economy, which often presents formidable challenges, as China seeks to open up to the world at the same time as it dismantles the remnants of its past socialist system.

China's parliament, widely regarded as a rubber stamp body, also re-elected Hu, 65, on Saturday as the nation's president for five more years.

Xi Jinping, 54, was elected vice president on Saturday, setting him up to succeed Hu in five years.