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The way in which China is selecting its top leaders is perhaps changing, reflecting some new socio-cultural trends in current Chinese elite politics. Xi Jinping has at least three things going for him: his princeling background, his clean reputation and his pro-business performance. However, before 2012 he has yet to pass several other tests before possibly stepping into Hu Jintao's shoes, especially those concerned with diplomatic affairs.
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Zheng et al. (2009) studied this question.
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