Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jay-yong has been selected as one of the figures with a big impact on Chinese life.

China News Service, a state-owned news agency, announced a list of people influential in Chinese life on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported Thursday.

The roster has only two business executives, Lee and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Their companies have released a series of rival smartphones, the iPhone and Galaxy series, which influenced Chinese consumers, China News Service said, adding it that was anxious to see how they would lead their companies this year.

Influential U.S. figures included President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. The news agency picked two Japanese, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Aso Taro.

In Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi made the list.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were also on the list.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)