Guangdong's liberal party boss Wang Yang may still be ahead of his time

Few benefited more than Wang Yang when the murder of a British businessman in a Chongqing hotel room late last year triggered a chain of events that ultimately ended the political career of the city's party chief, Bo Xilai.

As the father of "Chongqing model", Bo was seen as the standard bearer for a hardline brand of Communist Party leadership that focused on robust economic growth driven by state-run companies, severe crackdowns on crime and corruption, with a dose of Mao-era nostalgia.

Then, there was Wang, whose relatively liberal, high-toned approach to managing the country's most populous province was dubbed the "Guangdong model". Rather than central planning,

Wang stressed personal responsibility, innovation and compromise. Rather than emphasising party pride, Wang told citizens that only they could make themselves happy.

Both men - and thereby both models - were viewed as top contenders for the Politburo's Standing Committee at the upcoming national party congress. Their ascension to the party's uppermost echelons would set up a battle royale between the two visions for the nation's future.

Wang, 57, was believed to have the support of President Hu Jintao ; Bo was thought to have backing from Hu's predecessor, the still influential kingmaker, Jiang Zemin.

Then suddenly Bo was gone, stripped of his Chongqing post and suspended from the Politburo. Wang had seemingly won the fight, without having to throw a punch. Many China watchers now see him as one of two or three contenders competing for the last seat on the Standing Committee.

In recent days, Wang has launched a frenzied campaign to polish his image as a more sensitive brand of leader - promoting Cantonese culture during a trip to Beijing, for instance - while simultaneously burnishing his credentials as a true communist.