Zhou Yongkang: Top policeman not averse to flexing muscles to get the job done

China's top policeman, Zhou Yongkang , owes his rise to power to a source completely unrelated to police work: his 30 years of experience in the country's oil industry, which has become a breeding ground for a new generation of political heavyweights.

Two of the new faces on the Politburo Standing Committee unveiled yesterday share an oil industry background: Mr Zhou and party organisation boss He Guoqiang . Others with similar experience include Hainan party secretary Wei Liucheng .

But their elevations have less to do with China's growing hunger for energy than the fact that by working in the oil industry their paths briefly crossed with that of Vice-President Zeng Qinghong - the party's powerbroker and one of the mainland's most influential politicians in more than a decade. Mr Zeng worked in the oil industry in the 1980s before moving to Shanghai.

Mr Zhou and Mr Zeng were believed to have established close ties and with patronage being a potent force in Chinese politics, Mr Zhou's stock rose fast following the rise of Mr Zeng.

Born in Jiangsu province near the home town of former president Jiang Zemin , Mr Zhou also benefited from local connections, with many senior officials, such as Beijing Party Secretary Liu Qi and former foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan , from the same region.

His entry into the Politburo is seen as part of the political horse-trading between Mr Zeng and President Hu Jintao which saw Mr Zeng officially retire from the top rank but continue to hold sway over important party affairs through his proteges Mr Zhou and Mr He.

Mr Zhou is set to take over the law and order portfolio from outgoing party chief Luo Gan . The immediate task awaiting him is to ensure security for next year's Olympic Games. Beyond that, Mr Zhou will be responsible for keeping close tabs on the restive countryside and the crime that plagues the country.