Can problem-solver Wang Qishan get the job done on graft?
New head of party's discipline commission is a troubleshooter who gets results, analysts say
In Chinese politics, it is believed that a leader's personality and wisdom can help change the course of history, but that such qualities are not always enough.
Thus many believe the appointment of Wang Qishan to head the Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection could usher in some significant changes. Corruption is widely seen as having worsened over the past decade, becoming a main source of disaffection with the ruling party.
Wang's personality and wisdom could be why the party leadership under new general secretary Xi Jinping chose to assign the vice-premier the task of handling internal party discipline, instead of giving the reformist leader a key economic portfolio.
"I think it is possible that the new leaders want one of their problem-solvers to tackle one of the most difficult and stubborn issues," said Gu Su, a law professor at Nanjing University.
Analysts said Wang's no-nonsense working style, his decisive manner and his problem-solving skills would help the party leadership bolster its disciplinary apparatus in the wake of the scandal surrounding former Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai .
"With a reputation as a troubleshooter, his appointment indicates that the newly installed Communist Party leadership is planning to step up its fight against official corruption," said Johnny Lau Yui-siu, a veteran China-watcher.