CHINA’S TOP 30 OF 2013

by China Pictorial Editorial Department

Reform is undoubtedly a buzzword for China in 2013. This year， the nations new leadership brought changes， trends， and spiritual aspirations to Chinese society. The recently-concluded Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China blazed a new road toward deeper， healthier reform.

The past year， despite remaining the worlds second largest economy， China still encountered great challenges and difficulties in economic development. Calls to end government-led stimulus and let the market play the decisive role have become concrete policy and action. The helmsmen guiding the vessel of the Chinese economy are attracting global attention. Over the past 12 months， achievements have been made in defending Chinas national interests， improving the peoples living standards， and seeking solutions to problems emerging over the course of social transformation. A number of social trailblazers and their accomplishments have laid a solid foundation for the revival of the nation.

In this issue， we look back at China in 2013 through the stories of 30 of the countrys most influential people.

Xi Jinping： Earths Third Most Influential Person

Highlights

As the CPC Central Committee announced decisions on several important issues to comprehensively deepen reform， a document outlining 60 specific reform measures from 16 different aspects was debated and approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in November. The move was closely watched by experts and journalists both abroad and within China， where reform is considered the most pressing need.

Profile

Born in 1953 as the son of Xi Zhongxun， a Communist revolutionary hero， Xi Jinping volunteered to live in a small village in northwestern Chinas Shaanxi Province as an “educated youth” at the age of 15. By serving as a provincial governor for many years， Xi not only accumulated deep affection for common people but also developed a down-to-earth working style. In March 2013， Xi Jinping， general secretary of the 18th CPC Central Committee， was elected president of China at the countrys 12th National Peoples Congress.

Difference

Navigating the countrys development path and taking a crucial role in policy making， Chinas new leadership is expected to significantly influence the nation as well as the world. Announcing an impressive “Decision” after a year in office， Xi Jinping， who was ranked the third most influential person in the world by Forbes magazine， is leading his team through further reform in a brave and strategic manner.

Li Keqiang： Pioneer of “Likonomics”

Highlights

When Chinas economic path was still engulfed with uncertainty in 2013， Chinas newly-elected Premier， Li Keqiang， proposed that real economic growth in China should be achieved through reform， which in turn will point Chinas economic path on the right track， since the time has come to end stimulus-heavy economic policy adopted in the wake of the international economic crisis in 2008. Considering the moves significant influence on Chinas economy， the U.K. magazine The Economics even coined the term “Li Keqiang index，” which measures Chinas GDP growth under the guidelines of Li Keqiangs economic philosophy.

Profile

Born in 1955， Li Keqiang received a Ph.D of economics under the supervision of Chinas leading economist Professor Li Yining. After years of experience serving as the leader of Communist Youth League of China and provincial governors， Li Keqiang was elected to the Politburo Standing Committee（PSC） in October 2007 and remains a member today when the 18th PSC took office in November 2012. On March 15， 2013， Li Keqiang was elected Premier by the 12th National Peoples Congress.

Difference

Taking the reins of Chinas economy， which currently sits a crucial junction after three decades of rapid development， Li Keqiang is considered the pilot of the nations economic development in a transition period characterized by conflict and complexity after “Likenomics” has been in place for almost a year. It is widely believed that， based on Lis philosophy， accelerated transformation and upgrade of the nations economic structure through enduring short-term pain will eventually steer Chinas economy onto the right track.

Wang Yi： Chinas Face of Foreign Affairs

Highlights

In March of 2013， Wang Yi was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs after he was approved by the Congress with an overwhelming 99.4 percent of votes.

Profile

Born into an ordinary family， Wang Yi was sent to northeastern China， where he served as an “educated youth” for eight years before he returned to Beijing and enrolled in the Japanese Department of Beijing International Studies University （BISU） at the age of 24. Upon graduation， Wang was hired by the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and began his career as a diplomat in 1982. Having served as Chinas ambassador to Japan for two different terms， Wang is well-known and respected in Japan. Famed for his wisdom and strategy at the Six-party Talks in 2003， Wang Yi also played an important role during his tenure as director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of PRC.

Profile

After graduating from the Suzhou Institute of Silk Textile Technology in 1994， Ma Ke started her design career with a small garment company in Guangzhou， Guangdong Province. By 1995， she was ranked as one of Chinas Top Ten Fashion Designers. A year later， Ma co-founded Exception de Mixmind and became its art director. In 2006， she launched a line of haute couture called Wuyong， meaning “useless” in Chinese， and became the first Chinese fashion designer to make a Grand Finale debut at Paris Fashion Week.

Difference

With focus on accelerating Chinas garment industry and making the country one of the worlds major clothing producers， Ma Ke asserts that design should be driven by each practitioners everyday life. “Never follow blindly， stay out of others shadows， and use your lifetime to be exceptional at one thing.” Her Zhuhai-based Wuyong workshop is a public interest group with a mission to carry on and kindle innovation in traditional Chinese folk arts and crafts， inspire people to live a simple life and pursue growth and freedom of the soul.

Zeng Fanzhi： Painting New Heights

Highlights

On October 5， the most famous oil painting by Zeng Fanzhi， The Last Supper， sold for a record price of HK$160 million at Sothebys Hong Kong 40th Anniversary Evening Sale. As the marquee piece of the evening， The Last Suppers turn on the block marked the climax of the auction and brought an electric atmosphere. When the hammer finally fell， the applause was thunderous.

Profile

Born in Wuhan in 1964， Zeng graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts in 1991. Soon thereafter， his work was appearing in solo exhibitions. Today， many of his works have been acquired by collectors from Switzerland， Germany， Hong Kong， and the Chinese mainland.

Difference

The Last Supper not only set a record price for contemporary Asian art， but also catapulted Zeng amongst Chinas most expensive living painters. Considered his most representative work， The Last Supper captures the spirit of Chinas dramatic changes during waves of commercialization in the 1990s.

Ang Lee： Cross-cultural Master

Highlights

On February 25， Ang Lee received his second Best Director Oscar for Life of Pi.

Profile

Born in Taiwan in 1954， Lee graduated from National Taiwan University of Arts in 1975 and later Tisch School of the Arts of New York University， where he received an MFA in film production. In 1995， Lee directed the big screen adaptation of Jane Austens classic novel Sense and Sensibility， which became a sensation in international film circles. In 2006， he won his first Best Director Oscar for Brokeback Mountain.

Difference

Lee is the only person of Chinese heritage to win both the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and Best Director Oscar twice. He is a master of cross-cultural communication. His deep understanding of both Chinese and Western cultures continues driving his career.

Feng Xiaogang： New Direction

Highlights

In July， China Central Television （CCTV） announced that Feng Xiaogang， a renowned Chinese film director， was invited to helm the 2014 Spring Festival Gala. In television ratings terms， the Gala remains the Superbowl of China， despite recent difficulties satisfying the younger generation and their diverse entertainment options. Feng declared that fun is his top priority in arranging the programming.

Profile

A Beijing native film director and writer， Feng is particularly known for comedies in the Beijing dialect. Since the 1990s， his films such as Dream Factory， Be There or Be Square， The Banquet， and If You Are the One have performed well at the box office.

Difference

Contrasting many renowned directors， Fengs work is aimed at the mainstream public， and he follows commercial numbers closely. His name has already raised expectations for the 2014 Spring Festival Gala.

Meng Jinghui： Tears of Joy

Highlights

From late July to early September， avant-garde stage director Meng Jinghuis drama To Live toured the Chinese mainland. Adapted from the novel of the same name by writer Yu Hua， which is considered by many to be the most influential Chinese novel of the 20th century， Mengs To Live has proven a powerful tearjerker. His direction and stark but imaginative staging fittingly complement the bleak story. In early 2014， the drama will be brought to life in mainstream German theaters.

Profile

Born in Beijing， Meng graduated from the Chinese Language Department of Beijing Normal University in 1986， and received a masters degree from the Central Academy of Drama in 1991. Now， he is a director at the National Theatre of China.

Difference

Meng is hands-down the most influential experimental theater director in Asia. The drama To Live is an intimate， personal story which not only illuminates the conditions in China at the time， but proves a profound exploration of the human condition regardless of locale， making it a benchmark for contemporary Chinese drama.

Guo Jingming： Controversial Times

Highlights

Soon after Tiny Times， a film directed by pop writer Guo Jingming and adapted from his own novel of the same name， was released last June， it earned 488 million yuan （US$80 million） at box office. However， money-worship values celebrated in the film aroused ferocious comments from critics. Verbal warfare between cinema heavyweights and Guos fans went on for more than a few rounds on the web.

Profile

A Sichuan native， Guo first achieved fame in high school due to a national writing competition and later dropped out of Shanghai University. A representative writer of Chinas millennial generation， Guo has been a bestselling novelist for years and manages his own publishing house and cultural company.

Difference

Controversial Guo represents many of the young adults born in the wake of Chinas introduction of reform and opening-up. Chinas millennials are bolder and more ambitious than their parents. They tend to focus on the surest path to success rather than traditional value judgments.

Sun Li： Goddess of TV

Highlights

On October 8， Chinese actress Sun Li was nominated for a Best Actress International Emmy for her performance in the 76-episode The Legend of Imperial Concubine Zhen Huan.

Profile

Born in Shanghai in 1982， Sun joined an art troupe at the age of 15. She broke out in 2003 in the TV series Jade Goddess of Mercy. In 2012， due to the soaring popularity of The Legend of Imperial Concubine Zhen Huan throughout the global Chinese-speaking community， Sun became the most popular Chinese actress.

Difference

The Legend of Imperial Concubine Zhen Huan is considered the most successful and influential TV series in China in recent years. It not only scored impressive ratings across Asia， but also performed well on American TV. Suns exquisite performance as Zhen Huan catapulted her to the top tier of young Chinese actresses.

Lang Ping： Volleyball Brass

Highlights

On April 25， Chinas National Womens Volleyball Team announced that they had contracted Lang Ping as their head coach.

Profile

In 1978， Lang Ping joined the National Womens Volleyball Team as a player. In 1981， she helped win Chinas first world championship at the Third Women Volleyball World Cup in Japan. In 1995， she first became the head coach of the national team， and won a silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as well as runner-up at the 13th Womens Volleyball World Championships in Japan in 1998. She left China to coach abroad in March 1999.

Difference

Lang Ping first left China for a coaching position in the Italian professional volleyball， where she was honored as coach of the year several times. From there， she was hired to coach the American Womens Volleyball Team， which defeated China in Beijing in 2008 and took the silver medal. Her global coaching experience and capabilities are unparalleled， and no one on the planet is more qualified to coach Chinas national team. Volleyball fans throughout the country hope she will put Chinas team over the top.

Li Na： World-class Athlete

Highlights

On April 29， Li Na graced the cover of Time magazine as one of its 100 Most Influential People in the World. After her secondplace finish at the 2013 WTA final in Istanbul， Turkey in October， she was ranked as one of the top three tennis players in the world.

Profile

Li Na began playing tennis at age six. After going professional in 1999， she became Chinas first tennis player to reach the Olympic semifinals in Beijing in 2008. In 2011， she won womens singles at the French Open， becoming the first Asian to win a singles grand slam.

Difference

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics， Li Na established her own private team， which proved a savvy move for Chinese sports development when she won the 2011 French Open.

Wang Qishan： Anti-Corruption Crusader

Highlights

As a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee （CPCCC）， Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection， and head of CPCCCs inspection leadership group， Wang Qishan launched a campaign against corruption this May during the inaugural round of inspections. By the end of September， nine of ten groups of inspectors had identified corruption cases. The second inspection tour began in late October.

Profile

Born in 1948， Wang Qishan was one of a million “educated youth”to work in the countryside in decades past. After receiving a degree in history， he became an expert in Chinas rural affairs and finance. During his tenure with the Peoples Bank of China as well as his political career， he has navigated many major events， including the global financial crisis， the SARS pandemic， and the Beijing Olympic Games. He has faced and overcome one challenge after another. In 2008， he joined the Political Bureau and was elected a member of its Standing Committee at the 18th CPC National Congress.

Difference

In recent years， China has encountered serious problems with corruption. Soon after becoming head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection， Wang Qishan introduced new measures to combat corruption such as preemptive procedures， severer punishments， exhaustive investigations， enhanced mobility of non-government forces， and intensified secret inquiries by inspection groups. His strategies ultimately illuminated the magnitude of the corruption situation throughout the country. As a result， 2013 was dubbed “the dawn of Chinas anticorruption era.”

Wang Yaping： Out of this World

Highlights

June 20 marked a milestone for Chinas space program when Wang Yaping became Chinas first “space teacher” by delivering a physics lecture to high school juniors while aboard Tiangong-1， the countrys space station， 300 kilometers from the earth.

Profile

Wang Yaping， Chinas youngest astronaut， became the countrys second female astronaut after Liu Yang. A native of Shandong Province， Wang logged 1，600 flight hours as a military pilot， during which time she stood out for her delivery of relief supplies to victims of the Wenchuan earthquake as well for dispersing clouds and thwarting rain ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Difference

The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft， the fifth manned space craft in China since 2003， successfully completed Chinas first applicability flight back-and-forth between space and earth， marking a brand-new stage for the space laboratory and a new era for Chinese manned space flight.

Wang Xuguang： Transparent Judge

Highlights

In August， Bo Xilai， former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China， faced public trial at the Jinan Intermediate Peoples Court in Shandong Province. Wang Xuguang， vice president of the court， presided over the trial and served as judge. His performance was widely acclaimed for being “unbiased and skillful” as well as for practically safeguarding the litigious rights of both sides.

Profile

A native of Shandong， Wang Xuguang joined the Jinan Intermediate Peoples Court after graduating from the Law Department of Shandong University in the 1980s. He later enrolled as a Ph.D student at Renmin University of Chinas law school and spent time at University of Illinois as a visiting scholar. With an interest in the Internet， Wang has devoted much of his time to developing an online court.

Difference

The event marked Chinas first live webcast （via Weibo microblogging） of a trial of a former senior Party official. Not only did it illuminate Wangs performance， but also marked a breakthrough for Chinas exploration of judicial reform and transparency.

Lei Jun： Smartphones for the People

Highlights

In October 15， 2013， the Mi Phone 3 and Mi TV devices were released. The price tag for a Mi Phone 3 tops out at 2，499 yuan （US$400）.

Profile

Born in 1969， Lei Jun became an angel investor before assuming the position of chairman of Jinshan Software in 2011. Now， he serves as chairman and CEO of Beijing Miui Science and Technology Co. Ltd. Lei and his company developed Mi smartphones to deliver high performance for a low price， which won them many fans.

Difference

Miui Science and Technology Co. Ltd. introduced limited availability as a marketing strategy， making it more difficult to acquire a Mi Phone. Due to its impressive performance at a low price， Mi phones have already attracted many diehard fans. The MIUI operating system， developed from Android by Miui， was designed specifically for the Chinese users， which proved especially popular with consumers.

Ma Huateng： Mobile Trailblazer

Highlights

Thanks to a usage explosion in 2013， WeChat （Weixin in Chinese）， a mobile app developed by Tencent Holdings， became the most popular networking app in China.

Profile

Born in 1971， Ma Huateng graduated from the Computer Department of Shenzhen University， founded Tencent in 1998， and still serves as its chairman and CEO. He believes that the mobile internet is not just an expansion， but an overthrow of the internet. He continuously warns himself to ‘live dangerously with inspiration from the phrase “when the giant fell， his body was still warm” in reference to Nokia.

Difference

The development of the Chinese internet has consistently followed the steps of the U.S. For example， Baidu mirrors Google， Facebooks twin is Renren， Twitter has Weibo， and ICQ， QQ. The rise of WeChat foreshadows the mobile internets takeover of the internet and marked the first time a globally viable communication platform was developed in China.

2013： The Year of Online Finance

March 7

Alibaba Group announces the launch of its Ali Micro-Finance Service Group， offering financial services for small and micro businesses and consumption services within its system. Already ranked second behind only Ping An Insurance Group， one of Chinas insurance giants， in terms of configuration and combination， the newly-established group provides a wide range of financial services including bill payment， loan application， insurance， and escrow.

June

Agricultural Bank of China opens an Internet Laboratory on Financial Technology Innovation to accelerate its exploration and development of innovation mechanisms in Internet financing and diversify its online business.

July

AliPay joins hands with Tian Hong Asset Management Co.， Ltd. to release a new service named “Balance of the Treasure.” It allows clients to complete everyday transactions with their cell phones： buy， sell， and check earnings at any time.

July 6

Sina Corp is granted a license to provide third-party payment for Internet and mobile services.

July 29

Jingdong Mall announces the founding of its Financial Clique which moves it into the realm of internet financing services.

August 29

Minsheng E-Commerce Co.， Ltd. （Minsheng E-Commerce） is founded in Shenzhen， with registered capital of four billion yuan. Unlike anyone else at the time， it provides professional financial services such as venture capital investment and asset management in addition to basic e-commerce services.

August

WeChat 5.0 rolls out for mobile devices， with the new payment features.

October

China Merchants Bank leads the launch of a P2P online loan platform.

October 28

Baidu Financing under Baidu Financial Center goes live online. The collaboration with ChinaAMC offers a fund called Baifa， which guarantees an annual return of eight percent， considerably higher than other monetary funds， such as Balance of the Treasure and Current Treasure.

November

November 6， Shanghai welcomes the launch of Zhong An Online Property and Casualty Insurance Company Ltd.， a joint venture between Ping An Insurance Group， Alibaba Corporation， and Tencent Holdings. It is the first online insurance company in China.

Xie Dikui： Creative Reality

Highlights

According to New Media Center of Xinhua News Agency， Where Are We Going， Dad？， a reality show about the relationship between father and child， won 89 percent approval from viewers and became the most popular entertainment program of the year， topping The Voice of China and If You Are the One.

Profile

Before developing Where Are We Going， Dad？ for Hunan TV， Xie Dikui produced many programs related to adolescent growth and parental relationships and accumulated plentiful experience shooting in public.

Difference

The formula for Where Are We Going， Dad？ came from South Korea. Although the Chinese version is very similar to the Korean original， the new show eclipsed its forefather in many aspects. Today， most of the popular shows on Chinese TV are purchased from overseas concepts. Making the shows suitable for Chinese viewers is always the challenge for Chinese producers.

Wu Jiaxiang： Free Thinking

Highlights

Wu Jiaxiang had his book Fairness published after three years of research. “If I finished the book in the morning， I wouldnt regret dying in the evening，” he said. Xinhuas book channel recommend his book as a must-read political and historical work. “To read this book is to understand Chinas 4，000-year political history，” some commented.

Profile

Born in a fishing village in 1955， Wu Jiaxiang graduated from Peking University in 1982 and became an official in the Chinese government. After he left office， he became a private businessman， independent researcher and writer. Wu studied at Harvard University for three years as a visiting scholar. He continues to conduct research on economic strategy， politics and business as well as traditional Chinese thinking on strategy.

Difference

Freedom of speech evidences the development of a nation. China needs more Wu Jiaxiangs： public intellectuals， thinking loudspeakers and wisdom torchbearers.

Zhu Qingshi： Educator-in-Chief

Highlights

In July， South University of Science and Technology of China （SUSTC） in Shenzhen， Guangdong Province， enrolled 400 students in its third year.

Profile

Born in 1946， Zhu Qingshi is a chemist， an academician， and an educator committed himself to educational reform. During his tenure as president of the University of Science and Technology of China from 1998 to 2008， Zhu vetoed enrollment and campus expansion， earning his reputation as a leading reformer. After resigning from the position in September 2009， he was appointed the first president of SUSTC and immediately launched a series of reform measures in realms of administration， recruitment and graduation requirements， which aroused debate about Chinas current educational system and administration.

Difference

Considered an idealist， Zhu Qingshis ultimate goal is to create one of the top-rated universities in the world within China. He has held fast to this dream even when faced with massive obstacles while running SUSTC. He has been likened to a modern Cai Yuanpei （1868-1940）， a revolutionist and educator who implemented reform at Peking University by introducing cuttingedge styles of academia and educational freedom.

Du Shaozhong： Environmental Wolf

Highlights

As one of the seven trial platforms， the Beijing carbon trade platform was launched at the China Beijing Environment Exchange on November 28， 2013.

Profile

Born in 1953 in Beijing， Du Shaozhong became vice director and spokesman of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. When he registered a Weibo （Chinese Twitter） account with the name of “Wolf King of Basum” in 2011， he attracted over four million followers in a matter of days. Du was dubbed “a truly natural manager” and his Weibo was listed among the top ten official accounts by both Peoples Daily Online and Sina. com. In early 2012， Du resigned from his position to assume the chair of the China Beijing Environmental Exchange.

Difference

Beijing was shrouded in a haze for 26 days in January 2013， while most parts of the country were also engulfed in pollution. Improving the environment has become an urgent task for China because pollution is not only hindering its development but threatening public health. Building an ecofriendly China is a dream of every citizen.

Xu Jiayin： Investing in Football

Highlights

On November 9， 2013， the Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club won the AFC Champions League. The victory marked the first time a Chinese team took the title.

Profile

Born into humble circumstances， Xu worked as a technician， workshop foreman and plant manager before founding Guangzhou Evergrande Real Estate in 1996. The company grew into a large corporate group dealing in real estate， hotels， commerce， sports and culture. Xu believes his large investment in football over the last few years will greatly enhance his business in more ways than just advertising.

Difference

After failing to qualify for the World Cup many times， Chinese football （soccer） has been a sore spot for Chinese sports fans. Midway through this year， the national mens team lost to Thailand one to five. Chinese football has become synonymous with national humiliation. Nicknamed “Chinas Royal Madrid，” the Guangzhou Evergrande club， financed with a fortune from Xu Jiayin， finally gave Chinese football fans a reason to smile.