Bloomberg evaluates potential candidates for China’s next leader

This year Xi Jinping’s government plans a series of reshuffles that will bring forward a new generation of officials who are expected to become the next top leaders of the country. Over 20% of management positions in China will be updated in the near future.

By the 2030s, these young leaders will be around 60 years old, the peak career age for Chinese civil servants

"The longer Xi stays in power, the more likely his eventual successor will be drawn from the ranks of the post-70s generation," said Neil Thomas from the China Analysis Center at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Among the potential candidates for Xi Jinping’s successor, Bloomberg highlights Liu Jie. He is the youngest governor in China and leads the wealthy coastal province of Zhejiang. However, experts do not rule out other scenarios.

"It’s also possible that Xi breaks more norms and keeps his close allies in power way beyond traditional retirement ages, ushering in a new era of old man politics in Beijing," Thomas suggested.

China's role in ending the war in Ukraine

During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23, US President Donald Trump expressed hope for China’s assistance in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Recently, Trump also had a phone conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Beijing welcomes Trump’s intentions to resolve the "Ukrainian crisis." China will continue to facilitate negotiations and is ready to maintain communication with other parties.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is confident that Chinese leader Xi Jinping could push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward peace, as Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on China.