Xi Jinping

China's incoming president Xi Jinping wants to be seen as a man of the people. So for this year's opening of parliament he has banned extravagant banquets, gifts and flowers in delegates' rooms.

He was elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China early Thursday morning. But those hoping for change in China say the make-up of the party's elite makes it unlikely major reforms will come anytime soon.

The man who is about to become China's new leader, Xi Jinping, is well-traveled. In his current role as vice president, he's been to 41 countries, more than any other Chinese leader-to-be. In all his globetrotting, he's kept a soft spot for Muscatine, a small town in Iowa.

China began its once-a-decade leadership transition as the 18th Communist Party Congress opened Thursday. The message focused on cleaning up government corruption, which President Hu Jintao said could be "fatal" to the party and the state.

Xi Jinping hasn't been seen or heard since Sept. 1, leading to speculation of an injury that might prevent him from assuming the presidency next month.

The man in line to be China's next President has missed a number of official functions recently — leading to speculation about his health. Xi Jinping who's expected to take over the presidency next month, has not been seen in public for the last ten days. Comments on Chinese microblogging sites suggested he might be severely ill, or had been injured in a car crash. However wire reports quoting unnamed official sources say Xi has injured his back while swimming, and is avoiding public events while he recovers.

Xi Jinping, the next in line to succeed President Hu Jintao, has missed important meetings in the past week, with officials offering no explanation for his sudden disappearance.

"Peng Liyuan has been touted now as sort of the Carla Bruni of China," says one music critic. She's regularly featured on Chinese television's blockbuster Spring Festival Gala, and she's also a major general in China's People's Liberation Army.

Li Keqiang, who is in line to become China's next premier, has a very different resume than other Chinese leaders. He speaks English well, translated a book by a prominent British judge, and mingled with activist students when he attended Peking University three decades ago.

The son of a communist revolutionary hero who was later imprisoned, Xi Jinping is set to become China's next leader. Family members and friends paint a portrait of a humble man with an appetite for knowledge, who is an efficient administrator and an open-minded politician.