Controversy always seems to dog Zhang Dejiang . The 60-year old Guangdong Party secretary has earned as much praise as criticism during his decade at the helm of China's two richest provinces.
Supporters describe him as an energetic leader who is cautious yet decisive. He is said to be capable of handling complex situations and making difficult decisions.
Mr Zhang, who was the party secretary of Zhejiang between 1998 and 2002 before moving to Guangdong, is also the man behind the formation of the Pan Pearl River Delta - a gigantic economic co-operation platform that covers a third of the country.
His detractors, however, portray Mr Zhang as an ultra-conservative who owes his career more to good relationships with top leaders than real achievements. They hold him responsible for the social and political disturbances in Guangdong, and most importantly, over the 2003 Sars outbreak which rocked the country to its core.
Speculation about his promotion prospects - he remains a Politburo member but did not make it onto the Standing Committee - evoked mixed reactions.
Mr Zhang had long been seen as a rising star. The Liaoning -born official started his political career in Jilin in the northeast industrial rustbelt.
