Age: 58
Occupation: Vice President, People's Republic of China
This fall, Xi is expected to take over from President Hu Jintao during China's once-a-decade leadership transition. The son of a former Vice Premier, Xi has held top jobs in booming coastal provinces and the city of Shanghai. While slightly more colorful than China's current crop of leaders — his wife is a popular singer, and Xi counts old friends in places like Iowa, which he visited in 1985 — he remains just as much a cipher. Where will he take China? We'll find out next year.