Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has been named among 'The World's Most Powerful People' by Forbes magazine in its annual ranking for 2018.

The army chief has been ranked as the 68th most powerful person in the world on a list that includes 75 personalities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been named the world's most powerful person for 2018, while Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have been ranked second and third, respectively.

"Although the president is his boss on paper, Pakistan's chief of army staff is de facto the most powerful person in the nuclear armed state," says Forbes about Gen Bajwa.

"Javed Bajwa joins the world's most powerful at a time when the rift between India and Pakistan is improving, partly thanks to his efforts."

Forbes, a New York-based bi-weekly magazine, observed that Gen Bajwa has a "difficult task" on his hands of maintaining peace in Pakistan, where militant groups are present, "while managing a complex relationship with India".

"Two years into his tenure as the head of the world's sixth largest army, Bajwa has established himself as a mediator and proponent of democracy," the magazine wrote.

Gen Bajwa is one of 17 new entrants on the most powerful people list. Of these, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), the Kingdom's de facto leader, is the only one who has made it to the top 10.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked 9th on the list, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ranked 4th, is the only woman among the top 10.

Forbes' yearly ranking of The World’s Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million "whose actions mean the most".

"There are nearly 7.5 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 75 men and women make the world turn," the magazine wrote.