China's new helmsmen (6)

NEW FACES IN POLITICAL BUREAU

In addition to the seven Standing Committee members, the Political Bureau has another 18 members. Among them, Liu Yandong, Li Yuanchao and Wang Yang are serving their second term in the central leading organ.

Liu, 67, is also a state councilor. She holds a doctoral degree of law.

Li is also a doctor of law. He was previously a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. He is 62.

Wang, 57, is Party chief of Guangdong Province. He previously worked in Chongqing. He is a master of engineering.

The new members of the bureau are: Ma Kai, Wang Huning, Liu Qibao, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan, Sun Zhengcai, Li Jianguo, Zhang Chunxian, Fan Changlong, Meng Jianzhu, Zhao Leji, Hu Chunhua, Li Zhanshu, Guo Jinlong and Han Zheng.

Among the new faces, eight were born around 1949, the founding year of New China. State Councilor Ma Kai is 66. The master of economics previously led the National Development and Reform Commission.

Sun Chunlan from Fujian Province is currently the only woman Party chief in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Her entry added one more woman member to the Political Bureau. Liu Yandong was the only woman in the central leading body. Sun is 62.

Li Jianguo, 66, is vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The senior legislator is a Chinese language and literature graduate.

Meng Jianzhu, 65, is a state councilor and also minister of public security. He holds a master's degree of engineering.

Li Zhanshu is director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee. He was previously Party chief of Guizhou Province. He is 62.

Beijing Party chief Guo Jinlong received a physics education in university, and previously worked in Tibet for 11 years. He is 65.

Fan Changlong, 65, and Xu Qiliang, 62, are two members from the army. The two generals are both vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission. They began service in the 1960s.

Seven new faces are under the age of 60. Wang Huning, 57, was previously a member of the Central Committee's Secretariat. Before he started a political career, he was a professor of the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai.

Sichuan Province Party chief Liu Qibao, 59, is a master of economics. He previously worked at the Communist Youth League of China, served as deputy secretary-general of the State Council and deputy editor-in-chief of the People's Daily. He has also worked in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Zhang Chunxian, 59, is Party chief of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He holds a master's degree in management. He worked in Hunan Province before he was transferred to Xinjiang.

Zhao Leji, party chief of Shaanxi Province, previously worked in Qinghai, a plateau province with adverse natural condition, for 27 years. The philosophy graduate from Beijing University is 55.

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng is a master of economics. He is 58.

Notably, the Political Bureau has two members who were born in the 1960s -- Sun Zhengcai and Hu Chunhua.

Sun, also 49, is a doctor of agronomy. The Party chief of Jilin Province was previously minister of agriculture.

Hu, 49, is Party chief of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. He volunteered to work in Tibet after graduating from university, and stayed there for about 20 years. He worked at the Communist Youth League of China before going to Inner Mongolia.

The plenum also elected the Secretariat of the Central Committee, which includes Liu Yunshan, Liu Qibao, Zhao Leji, Li Zhanshu, Du Qinglin, Zhao Hongzhu and Yang Jing.

It is observed that the new leading echelon has rich governance experience at provincial levels, and they also boast good education backgrounds, with more than 10 doctors and masters, whose majors vary from economics, politics and law to agronomy and management.

Their experience and education backgrounds will help push China towards greater progress, observers said.

Liu Xiangting, a resident at Dashilan, a community near Tian'anmen in downtown Beijing, said the emergence of a new leading team indicates that China will enjoy greater development momentum.

"I hope the new leaders will care for our livelihoods, boost development and keep themselves clean," said Liu.