The new acting governor of Guangdong spent the early years of his career making musical instruments and party propaganda. But analysts say Zhu Xiaodan has now developed a deep knowledge of Hong Kong-Guangdong co-operation.
Zhu, 58, has been a vice-governor of Guangdong since February last year. He was born and grew up in Guangzhou, but his family are from Wenzhou, Zhejiang.
Zhu worked in a Guangdong musical instrument factory during the 1970s, where he became secretary of the factory's Communist Youth League committee.
He headed the Guangzhou Communist Party Committee's publicity department in the 1990s and the publicity and united front work departments of the party's provincial committee before becoming Guangzhou party secretary in 2006.
Three years ago he was critical of many city government bureaucrats. 'Sometimes even I find it difficult to deal with the grass-root units of the government,' the New Express quoted Zhu as saying.
Local media reported that Zhu had aired a secretly recorded video at a conference, showing Guangzhou government staff playing online games, chatting online or watching videos at work.