Wang Yang

Hailing from one of the country's poorest provinces, Wang Yang lacks the revolutionary pedigree of the so-called "princeling" party leaders. Yet since taking office in 2007, Wang has led a far-reaching crackdown on corruption resulting in several high-profile convictions, including that of former Shenzhen mayor Xu Zongheng. He has also overseen a rise in government transparency, making the provincial capital of Guangzhou the mainland's first city to publish its budget.