Hu Jintao

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The man behind the wheel of the world's most supercharged economy.

He may be the kind of guy you wouldn't ordinarily think twice about--cautious, colorless and corporate. In the past he has often lost the spotlight to other world leaders with bigger egos and sharper elbows. But to underestimate Hu Jintao would be a monumental error. His position as China's president makes him CEO of a financial juggernaut that's projected to post a $280 billion trade surplus this year. While the rest of the world plunges deeper into recession, Hu the Humble is emerging as the one who is holding the lifeline.

Thirty years of drastic reforms have transformed China from a vast sinkhole …