beijing china top bank regulator guo shuqing veteran banker jiang chaoliang front runners succeed zhou xiaochuan country longest-serving central bank head likely step next year accord multiple source familiar matter leadership reshuffle people bank china pboc closely watch global financial market monetary policy change move liberalize financial system world second-large economy would repercussions well beyond china shore 69-year-old zhou spearhead financial reform boost yuan currency global clout well central bank policy influence since take post 2002. zhou likely retire around time annual session parliament next march accord seven source tie leadership close central bank guo chairman china bank regulatory commission cbrc whose rich experience reformist credentials similar zhou see qualify job source say however jiang communist party chief hubei province back top leaders see roughly equal chance get post note pboc cbrc respond reuters request comment officials hubei communist party committee propaganda department decline comment yi gang 59 pboc vice-governor phd economics university illinois lead in-house candidate replace zhou see frontrunner yi well-trained economist support zhou background sea turtle colloquialism chinese return overseas mean less likely gain full trust china leaders source say one source correctly predict reshuffle country top bank securities insurance regulators 2011 say guo favor help understand financial market global economy appointment would boost confidence source add guo 61 summon back beijing february lead cbrc serve governor shandong province four years second regional stint serve deputy governor guizhou province late 1990s guo leadership early year cbrc start widely dub regulatory windstorm force bank cut debt late ease move fuel fear liquidity crunch nl4n1i63ir guo philosophy major visit scholar oxford university serve deputy central bank governor top foreign exchange regulator steer china construction bank corp successful share list top stock market regulator guo cement reputation economic reformer still jiang also alternate top financial provincial post remain formidable challenger guo source say 60-year-old hubei party chief stint assistant central bank governor head china development bank country large policy bank emerge possible successor zhou relatively recently jiang credit help transform state-owned bank communications plague bad debt bank strong balance sheet list hong kong shanghai jiang dark horse resume good prove capable say one source whoever take helm central bank face tough challenge walk tightrope ensure economic stability push reform rein debt risk zhou steer broad financial currency reform loosen control interest rat move away effectively yuan peg u.s. dollar step along path turn global currency par greenback term international investors guo may offer continuity say rob subbaraman nomura chief economist head global market research asia-ex-japan really represent continuity want time move liberalize capital financial market try ensure good regulation supervision zhou stay past retirement age appoint vice chairman top advisory body parliament 2013 move make national leader pboc still limit policy independence despite grow influence zhou unlike western central bank pboc final word adjust interest rat value yuan basic course monetary currency policy set cabinet communist party rule politburo china bank regulator hubei chief front runners head central bank source