Chinese president Xi Jinping's two years in office has been marked by a commitment to economic and political progress, while avoiding reforms which could threaten the Communist Party's grip on power.

The son of a communist revolutionary, Mr Xi's own ascendancy has been remarkable and crafted by what some analysts have described as a "flawless" leadership style.

Selected as Communist Party boss and military chief at the 18th congress in November 2012, Mr Xi was elected president in March the following year.

Forbes rates Mr Xi as the third most powerful person in the world, behind Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Barack Obama.

Born in 1953 in Beijing, Mr Xi belongs to the ruling party's "princeling" generation. His father, former vice-premier Xi Zhongxun, fought alongside Mao Zedong in the Chinese civil war.

Mr Xi was sent to work in the north-western Chinese countryside at the age of 15 after his father was imprisoned during China's Cultural Revolution.

He went on to study chemical engineering at Tsinghua University, graduating in 1979.

A native of the poor, inland province of Shaanxi, Mr Xi was promoted to governor of south-eastern Fujian province in 1999 and became party boss in neighbouring Zhejiang province in 2003.

Mr Xi secured the top job in China's commercial capital, Shanghai, in 2007 when his predecessor was caught up in a huge corruption case. Later that year he was promoted to the party's standing committee.

His nickname 'Xi Dada', which translates as Uncle Xi or Daddy Xi, puts him in stark contrast to China's previous leaders including his bureaucratic predecessor Hu Jintao.

Married to famous singer Peng Liyuan, Mr Xi's public image is regularly boosted by state media which portrays him as a hardworking patriarch of the Chinese people.

Dr Hugh White, a professor at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, said China's economic, political and strategic aspirations have "grown tenfold" under Mr Xi's leadership.

"Xi Jinping has stamped his leadership on the Chinese system with more firmness and authority than any political leader in a very long time, and so he's probably feeling pretty good about things politically," he said.

Xi Jinping addresses world leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing. ( AFP: Kim Kyung-hoon )

A vigorous campaign to stamp out corruption, particularly in government and military ranks, has granted Mr Xi public support and significantly consolidated his power.

"The problems among our party members and cadres of corruption, taking bribes, being out of touch with the people, must be addressed with great effort," Mr Xi said at the 2012 plenum.

Sweeping free market reforms have also been the hallmarks of Mr Xi's progressive yet relatively conservative leadership.

According to Forbes, Mr Xi has gained the title as chief of the world's largest economy, valued at $17.6 trillion.

"Mr Xi was quick to see the benefits of privatisation-friendly reforms and further signs of fresh thinking are everywhere," it said.

But Dr Paul Monk, a China expert and managing director of Austhink Consulting, said the Chinese president is ultimately "engaged in a systematic effort to recentralise power in China".

"Mr Xi's priorities, consistent with the broad priorities of Chinese leaders since Deng Xiaoping after Mao's death started putting China back on a sensible course, have been to ensure three things," he told the ABC.

"One is that the Communist Party remains firmly in the political saddle; it has resisted every suggestion and every request - both domestically and internationally - that it starts to liberalise and legitimise political dissent in opposition, that's clearly a very high priority.

"The second thing is to continue the growth of China economically because clearly, that is the foundation for everything else that might be wanted including military power.

"The third is a nationalist agenda including territorial claims. And not as Chinese propaganda would have us believe, because this is China's right in restitution for wrongs in days gone by, but rather because such nationalism is increasingly the party's means for legitimation."

'China wants to live in harmony with its neighbours'

While China's territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have long been a source of tension and hostility within the region, Mr Xi has sought to soften its aggressive nationalism.

At this week's APEC summit, Mr Xi underscored his commitment to improving foreign relations by agreeing with the leaders of the US, Japan, and the Philippines to resume political and security dialogue.

"China will continue to build friendship and partnership with its neighbours, implement the policy of harmony, security and common prosperity in its neighbourhood," Mr Xi said.

"China wants to live in harmony with all its neighbours."

According to respected China analyst Willy Lam, Mr Xi's leadership style has "by and large lived up to his own pronouncements".

"Given Mr Xi's increasing tendency to present himself as a paragon of flawless leadership, he and his entourage seem intent on erecting a personality cult that is geared toward boosting the already formidable authority of the general secretary, president and commander-in-chief," Mr Lam wrote in an article for the Jamestown Foundation.

"However, it is not clear whether Mr Xi's vintage leadership style will work in a modern, and rapidly-changing, China.

"He has yet to demonstrate his ability to learn from the fiascos created by overconfident leaders in the party's 93-year history."