The head of think tank Civic Exchange made her long-anticipated switch to government service with her appointment as undersecretary at the Environment Bureau. The former lawmaker's appointment was widely welcomed by environmental groups, who believe she can finally make an impact in improving the city's wretched air quality.

Rumours that the former Guangdong party chief is under investigation over his handling of the 2010 Asian Games are abating fast after his appointment as head of the Liaoning steelmaker Angang Steel. It's a return to a familiar arena for Zhang, who started out as a steelworker in Guangzhou in 1971 before switching to a political career in the 1990s.