Wu Jichuan, as the top official in charge of the booming telecommunications industry, is an unlikely cabinet minister to be seen under siege.
But the Minister of Information Industry has been in the hot seat since the beginning of this year.
Back in March, when the National People's Congress was in session, Mr Wu reportedly received tongue-lashings from deputies, including Lu Ping, Beijing's former top official in Hong Kong, about high telephone and Internet charges.
In the following month, foreign media singled out the minister as a representative of forces within government opposed to the market liberalisation package Premier Zhu Rongji had offered to the United States in April to secure Beijing's entry into the World Trade Organisation.
Last month, Mr Wu caused another stir when he said foreign investment in the Internet in the mainland was illegal - just as Hong Kong and other foreign companies were snapping up Internet-related businesses across the country.
Soon afterwards, the minister qualified his remarks, saying foreign investment in Internet service providers, Internet content providers and other value-added services was banned under existing laws drafted in 1993, but the government was reviewing regulations, signalling a possible liberalisation towards the end of this year.