President Xi Jinping has great ability to deliver effective leadership, according to the special adviser to a London-based think tank.

"His delivery style is very confident, and he speaks very effectively with conviction. You actually find yourself listening to what he has to say," said Nigel Inkster, special adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

In terms of personality, Inkster said he thinks Xi "comes across as an extrovert, a big, confident, outgoing kind of person, very much a leader in terms of his personal demeanor".

He conceded that he has very little insight into the day-to-day mechanics of how Xi works, but has seen Xi exercise effective strategic leadership.

One such example is the 2015 agreement with the US on combating industrial cyber espionage, an agreement which Inkster said to a large degree has been adhered to.

Inkster also is a former director of operations and intelligence for the British Secret Intelligence Service.