From humble roots as the son of farmers in central Hubei province, Hu Chunhua has worked his way into China's ruling elite and is considered a top contender to become the next premier as the ruling Communist Party reshuffles its leadership.
Since becoming the youngest of four vice premiers in 2018, Hu has overseen poverty alleviation, agriculture, trade and commerce portfolios amid the upheaval of COVID-19 and China's increasingly nationalistic and state-driven economic policy.
