China's next leaders: Who's who

Xi Jinping

The 59-year-old presumptive next leader of China is a so-called "princeling," the son or daughter of a revolutionary veteran. Born in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province, Xi was sent to work on an agricultural commune before being accepted into the prestigious Tsinghua University in 1975.

Xi studied chemical engineering and went on to serve as a personal secretary to the then minister of defense Geng Biao. His early political career took him from his native province to Hebei and later Fujian, where he served as vice governor in 1999, before being promoted to governor a year later.

In 2002, Xi took up senior government and Party positions in Zhejiang, a province on the country's southeast coast. He entered the Standing Committee of the Politburo in 2007 and in 2008 became the country's vice president. In 2010 he was also promoted to vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission and China's Central Military Commission. He's also president of the Central Party School.

Personal life

Xi's father, Xi Zhongxun, was a top Communist who was imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution. After his release, Xi senior was elected to the Politburo and served as vice premier. During his time in power, he supported economic liberalization and was instrumental in creating China's Special Economic Zones. Xi is married to Peng Liyuan, a famous Chinese folk singer and his second wife. They have one daughter, Xi Mingze, who is reported to be studying at Harvard University.

Inside track

Xi is considered to be a protégé of former Chinese leaders President Jiang Zemin and Vice President Zeng Qinghong.

Xi has long been known for his market-friendly approach to economic development," said Cheng Li of the Brookings Institution in a report on China's Top Future Leaders to Watch. "Yet he has also displayed strong support for 'big companies,' especially China's flagship state-owned enterprises," Li added.

"Xi's experience in the military -- serving as a personal assistant to the minister of defense early in his career -- also makes him stand out among his peers."

Li Keqiang

Unless there's a major upset, China's 57-year-old Vice Premier Li Keqiang looks set to replace Premier Wen Jiabao in March 2013, when the reshuffle of government posts is formalized. Li is already the seventh-ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee after rising through the Communist Youth League, a training ground for party leaders.

Born in Dingyuan County, Li was in his late teens when he spent four years doing manual labor with the Dongling Production Brigade in his native Anhui Province. In 1978, he went to Peking University, where he graduated with degrees in law and economics.

In the 1980s and '90s, Li served as secretary-general of the All-China Students Federation, then held party positions in the Communist Youth League Central Committee. In 1999, he was promoted to governor of Henan Province and later became chairman of the Standing Committee of the Henan's Provincial People's Congress.

From there, he moved to Liaoning before being made a member of the Politburo Standing Committee in 2007. Li is considered a core member of President Hu Jintao's "Tuanpai faction," whose ties originate with the Communist Youth League.

Personal life

Li is one of the non-princelings vying for a place at the top of China's political hierarchy. According to Brookings, he comes from a midlevel official family; his father was a county-level cadre. Li's wife, Cheng Hong, is a professor of English language and literature at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, according to reports, which also suggest they have one daughter who is studying in the United States.

Inside track

"Based on his previous work and the populist policy agenda he shares with his mentor Hu Jintao, Li's hot-button policy issues will include increasing employment, offering more affordable housing, providing basic health care, balancing regional development and promoting innovation in clean energy technology," according to Cheng Li of the Brookings Institution.

Zhang Dejiang

Zhang Dejiang was vice premier of China's State Council until he was suddenly diverted to replace disgraced party chief Bo Xilai as leader of Chongqing in March 2012.

Born in Tai'an, Liaoning province, 65-year-old Zhang was in his early 20s when he was sent to the countryside to work at the Luozigou Commune in Wangqing County, Jilin Province.

In the early 1970s, Zhang worked in the county propaganda department before studying Korean at Yanbian University. He served as secretary of the local Communist Youth League branch in Liaoning before crossing the border to North Korea to study economics at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang.

In the '80s, Zhang returned to Yanbian, where he held senior positions in the Communist Party before taking a role as the vice minister of civil affairs. Senior party positions followed in Jilin until Zhang moved south to Zhejiang to become secretary of the CPC's Provincial Committee.

In 2002, he entered the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and become secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee. Zhang's political record is alleged to have been blemished by incidents while in Guangdong, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which claimed he was implicated in efforts to conceal the SARS epidemic. Railways were also under his portfolio during the public outrage that followed the collision of two high-speed trains in July 2011.

Personal life

Zhang is a princeling, the son of Zhang Zhiyi, a former PLA major general who is reported to have served as deputy commander of the Artillery Force in the Guangzhou Military Region. Zhang's wife, Xin Shusen, has a long history of holding senior positions at the China Construction Bank and is also said to be a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, according to the Brookings Institution. Zhang is considered a protégé of former leader Jiang Zemin.

Inside track

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said Zhang's sudden appointment to Chongqing may indicate that he won't be on the short list for the Politburo Standing Committee. If he is, Brookings expert Cheng Li said he may "continue to promote policies in favor of the development of state-owned enterprises, state monopoly and so-called indigenous innovation (economic protectionism)."