China's national outline 12th Five Year Plan (12FYP) was approved in March 2011. In order to make sure you do good business and make sound investments during this period (2011 - 2015), you not only need to know what is in the 12FYP but you also need to understand the legal dimension of political succession in China and keep track of two very different generations of China's top decision-makers during this five year planning cycle (the two "horses"): China's current Fourth Generation leaders (Horse #1) who are now making this 12FYP and will be in charge of implementing it as it rolls out in 2011 but they will retire in 2012-13; and their Fifth Generation successors (Horse #2) who will take over leadership nation-wide in 2012-13 including all of 12FYP implementation work through end-2015. In what aspects will this rising new generation of leaders impact and your China plans be impacted by the laws related to succession, how will these new leaders differ from their predecessors, and how might these differences change the way in which China will be governed, how will the 12FYP be implemented and how can you optimize your business and investment in China during this period?

W. John Hoffmann is a well-known and leading China expert. He is the Co-Founder and Principle of Exceptional Resources Group - XRG and China Dialogues Network - CDN.

Tibor Baranski, Esq. is a well-respected and leading China lawyer. He is Counsel at Jun He Law Offices.