Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- Four months after hushed deal-broking produced a new leadership lineup for China , Xi Jinping is to set to formally take charge of the country he 'll rule for the next 10 years . Xi , along with new premier Li Keqiang , has inherited a supercharged economy that 's created vast riches for some , a growing middle class , and many poorer migrant workers who are becoming increasingly frustrated with their lot in life . But the deepening wealth divide is n't the only challenge facing the country 's population of 1.3 billion people . In November , as China was convening its 18th National Communist Party Congress , CNN asked a number of China experts to define what they believe to be the country 's most pressing challenges . We revisit their thoughts four months on , as delegates attend the 12th National People 's Congress in Beijing . Wen opens China 's People 's Congress with call to unite . 1 . Closing the wealth gap . In February , the Chinese government announced plan to raise spending on social welfare by two percentage points within the next five years . Economist Li Gan says that 's nowhere near enough to narrow the wealth gap and argues that the country needs to work on a `` much larger scale . '' `` If the government creates a stronger social safety net for its citizens , Chinese workers will feel less pressure to save for health emergencies , unemployment and retirement , and more likely to buy goods and services -- and create a mature consumer-driven economy , '' he says . Gan explains his views here . 2 . Too many men . Faced with a surging population , China attempted to put the brakes on procreation in the late 1970s by implementing a controversial policy limiting couples in some areas to just one child . Since then , a cultural bias towards male children has led to a skewed child sex ratio where millions of men , or `` bare branches '' face an uncertain future due to the lack of potential female partners , writes evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks . `` It would be difficult to overstate the urgent need for China to emulate South Korea in eliminating sex-biased abortion and neglect , '' Brooks writes . Studies show , he says , what can happen if it does n't . 3 . Securing China 's food , water and air . The legacy of China 's powerhouse of cheap , labor-intensive exports is a natural environment tainted by the pollutants of economic growth . Author Geoff Hiscock says securing the food , water and air security of China 's 1.35 billion people is one of the leadership 's biggest challenges . `` Beijing and other parts of northeastern China are already water-stressed , the air quality in inland mega-cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu is abysmal , farming land is being poisoned by toxic runoff from mining and industrial activities , acid rain blights large parts of south China , contagious disease is an ever-present risk among its livestock , and unscrupulous makers sell tainted foodstuffs , '' Hiscock writes . So what can China do about it ? More from Hiscock . CNN 's Paul Armstrong and Kevin Voigt contributed to this story .
CNN asked experts to explain biggest challenges facing China . Experts : Economic disparity , gender imbalance , water and food security are big issues . Delegates are meeting for National People 's Congress in Beijing . Xi Jinping to formally become Chinese president at end of congress .