Wang Qishan
Age: 61
Vice-Premier
As mayor of Beijing in 2003, Shanxi-native Wang gained a reputation as an unflappable troubleshooter for his cool-headed handling of the SARS crisis. That gravitas no doubt serves Wang well when, as vice-premier in charge of finance, he meets with U.S. economic and commerce officials to discuss the Sino-U.S. trade relationship. The chain-smoking Wang previously served as head of the China Bank of Construction, where he oversaw the creation of China International Investment Corp., China's first joint-venture bank, with Morgan Stanley.
