Intriguing changes have taken place in the power balance between the three topmost politicians in China: President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and parliamentary chief Li Peng.
Given his dynamism, Mr Zhu has unsurprisingly emerged as the 'core of the contradictions' in factional slugfests.
Superficially, the premier has been able to maintain the reform momentum despite economic problems that have been exacerbated by the floods.
In the past fortnight, the economic tsar has tried, with some degree of success, to reassure all and sundry that he can attain the most important goal of the first year of his premiership - the eight per cent growth rate. Yet, insiders say the 70-year-old head of government is under siege.
'Zhu is bogged down in battles on too many fronts,' said a veteran party source. 'He is the target of flak from more quarters than he can handle.' Take the eight per cent clip. Western - and unofficial Chinese - economists estimate the real growth rate to be in the region of three to six per cent. Most observers assume Mr Zhu is gunning for his original target partly for 'face' reasons because his credibility and prestige are at stake.
The party source said Mr Zhu almost failed late last month to convince his Politburo colleagues that Beijing needed to issue additional bonds worth 100 billion yuan (about HK$93.5 billion) to reflate the economy.