Outspoken, humorous and personable are descriptions that seldom spring to mind for Communist Party cadres - unless it's the Guangdong party secretary, Wang Yang.
His imperfect Putonghua, laced with a strong dose of his native Anhui accent, has proven to be no obstacle for Wang, a rising political star, in establishing his popular image of a hard-nosed reformist.
Wang is also a media icon for the new generation of leaders. His liberal and transparent approach in quelling social unrest such as village land disputes or factory strikes is a sharp contrast to conservative officials, who tend to react to unrest with violence or suppression.
Wang has stepped up his push for a smarter, leaner form of government in what is being seen as an attempt to bolster his support among the liberal camp.
'We must hasten the development of small government and a great society,' Wang told a provincial social development meeting.
He reiterated such calls during the annual parliamentary congress, urging the government to surrender more of its grip on economics and social affairs, and to encourage greater involvement of civic organisations. 'I want to see if we can get backing from the relevant departments to grant power to [Guangdong] to pioneer reform. If there is a legal obstacle, let's all petition against it,' Wang said.