High-powered think tank seen as brains behind Chinese leaders

3. Li Daokui, professor and director of the China and the World Economy Center at Tsinghua University, former member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the central bank.

Economist Li Daokui speaks to reporters on the sidelines of Summer Davos in Dalian, on Sept 9, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Li is another scholar who has attended symposiums at Zhongnanhai more than five times since the 18th CPC National Congress.

In an interview after data showed that China's GDP grew 6.9 percent in the third quarter in 2015, the first time it fell below 7 percent since 2009, he said the economy would gradually stabilize by the first quarter next year. Starting from the latter half of next year, the growth rate would increase. The annual growth rate in 2017 could come back to 7 percent or, optimistically, even higher.

However, Li stressed, the prerequisite for the optimism is that the government should work hard. The director observed that the preoccupation now is to make local officials more motivated by introducing a reward and punishment mechanism.