Who are China's new strong men? Beijing - The Communist Party of China leads on her 18th Congress might change a one. The current Vice-President Xi Jinping will take over from President Hu Jintao in the party leadership. The assumption of the presidency in March, is then only a matter of form. Also the head of government is changed. Who are the two new leaders in China?

For Xi Jinping is the 18th Congress of the CPC, the last important stage on the way to the head of state. The 59-year-old, who has worked patiently over the decades in the Communist Party up, will take on the practices of the People's Republic on the five-yearly meeting of Hu Jintao as party leader. The National People's Congress in March 2013, the current Vice President Hu's successor will then compete in the highest state office. Thus it would determine the next ten years, China's fortunes considerably.  

Final takeover in March

In June 1953, the Beijing-born son of a revolutionary hero is considered conservative and not very charismatic. His father, Xi Zhongxun had founded the communist guerrillas in Shaanxi Province and on the side of Mao Zedong fought, which he served after the founding of the People's Republic as a Deputy Prime Minister. When, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) as a counterrevolutionary landed in jail, was also his son Jinping - like millions of other young people - sent to the countryside for re-education 
Occurred in 1974 in the Communist Party, Xi was allowed to return a year later to study at Tsinghua University in Beijing - a known hotbed of talent, which was also his mentor Hu was trained. After studying a degree in chemistry and the rehabilitation of his father by the reforms of Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s Xi climbed into the ranks of the party quickly upwards. 

massive man with a neat side parting 

Xi took over the years items in Shaanxi, Hebei, Fujian and Zhejiang. During his tenure as governor of Fujian, he was one of the few party leaders who were not implicated in a corruption scandal, the then shook the coastal province. In 2007 he was summoned by Hu Jintao to be party chief of Shanghai, after his predecessor had hopelessly entangled in a financial scandal. Since 2008, the hulking man with the accurate side parting Vice President of China.Glamour is on the otherwise brittle Xi by his wife Peng Liyuan. Ten years younger than her husband, Peng is a nationally renowned singer. While Xi as yet unknown party official filed in his career, the soprano was already a star. Her career she had begun as a simple soldier in the Army before going through her performances in the New Year's Gala, which will be broadcast nationwide on television, came to national fame. Today she holds the rank of General of the Army. 

Glamour by wife

As Peng in 2008 after 25 years passed from the New Year's Gala, was rumored that she was her husband, not compete. This was in October 2007, namely elected to the influential Standing Committee of the Politburo. Initially only number six of nine members, he soon rose to continue and was named in March 2008 as Vice President. In October 2010, when he also deputy chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission ascended, his rise to number one in the most populous country in the world was predestined.International Xi made a speech in Mexico in 2009 caused a sensation. He castigated apparently overlooking the West 'foreigners with full bellies that do not otherwise, as to criticize'. Most Chinese people expect but no significant change of course from him, especially in the party the most important decisions are made by consensus of the leadership group.'He is a team player', says China analyst Will Lam. 'He has played by the rules of the party and not on risk.' By unveiling portal WikiLeaks published U.S. diplomat end Peschen Xi describe as pragmatic, ambitious and willing to change his attitude when the political wind changes.

Deputy Prime Minister Li as 'Grandpa Wen' heritageNow it's not far to the very top: China's Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang, a bureaucrat lächelwilliger always will be on Thursday at the beginning of the Party of Communists in the squad hierarchy conveyed upward. It is certain that Li in March officially the political daily business of yet-Premier Wen Jiabao takes.Wen has been guided in recent years to a kind stylize friendly face of communism, which earned him the nickname "Grandpa Wen ': He called for political reforms in the People's Republic, and donated to the victims of natural disasters consolation. And again sentenced Wen corruption in the country - but only just reported the New York Times', Wen clan since 1992, secretly amassed $ 2.7 billion (2.1 billion euros).

Youthful and modern

                                                                    Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang

The 57-year-old Li has a similarly affable charisma as 'Grandpa Wen'. With its flowing English language and his demeanor but Li is youthful and modern so often stiff acting as his comrades. Lis Promote economic reforms met with a positive response to many economists - China did these innovations urgently needed, they argue.Li, who comes from the poor eastern province of Anhui, worked in his young years in the youth organization of the Communist Party up. Even in China's President Hu Jintao, who was in the 1980s, head of the organization, he was an influential patron. With his law degree from the prestigious Peking University and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics Li maintains today's image as someone who works hard for the Chinese middle class

Before he ascended to the Deputy Prime Minister of the People's Republic, Li was party chief in Henan in central China, and Liaoning in the northeast of the country - and both provinces flourished under his reign. Already, however, doubts about Lis political clout are loud, especially after a never-ending series of scandals in the health sector: Li stands as Deputy Prime Minister just before a commission to prevent just these scandals.

Involved in scandals

During his tenure as party chief of Henan Li looked sharp criticism for his handling of a wave of infections exposed to the AIDS virus: through sloppiness in a government-sponsored blood donation program is infected the inhabitants of entire villages. Lis provincial government responded to protests with harsh crackdown on critics.

The main task of the new government will be to Li, China's economic growth a boost. Since the People's Republic wirtschaftet export oriented pronounced flattens the growth from the global crisis - as demand from the U.S. and Europe is flat. According to observers, makes Li felt powerful, domestic demand in China to stimulate and guide it out of the country so dependent on exports. 

boost economy

Li had 'a good understanding of economics - that's for sure, "says Willy Lam, an expert on Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong:' He could, however, lack strength of character or charisma. ' Some people in Beijing is concerned that Li was cut from the same cloth as his predecessor Wen and his political goals can not prevail against the resistance in ministries and provinces.

As for Li's private life, there is little official information - a typical phenomenon with prominent personnel of the Communist Party. Chinese media reported that Li is married to Cheng Hong, a literary scholar at a Beijing university. The couple has a daughter who is studying in the U.S..

Source dpa