Han Zheng

Han Zheng was 48 when first named mayor of Shanghai in 2003, the youngest person to hold the post in 50 years. He is strongly tipped to become the city's party chief and a Politburo member having successfully overseen Shanghai's hosting of the World Expo in 2010, its rise as the world's busiest container port and the current strides it is making towards becoming the top renminbi trading, clearing and pricing centre by 2015. However, his lack of experience outside Shanghai might hinder his chances of becoming a member of the Politburo.