Can China do it? This is the crucial question for the world's biggest and boldest economic, political and social experiment. At the core of understanding the country's prospects is the governance philosophy of its leader, Xi Jinping.

Xi is leading more than 1.3 billion people on a march toward the Chinese Dream - bringing an end to poverty and rejuvenating a nation that has already made astonishing progress in creating prosperity.

The 63-year-old reformer has brought his own thinking to bear on problems down the road, especially after a year of tumultuous global events.