The unenviable job of policing the relationship between Taiwan and its strongest ally, the United States, belongs to Zhou Mingwei, Vice-Minister of Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office.
The position is regarded as the toughest in the department. Miscalculations could result in war.
He has earned top marks since his appointment two years ago. 'He is very smart and sharp,' said one senior cross-straits expert in Washington.
Even a Taiwanese security expert conceded: 'He performs very well. He speaks the Washington language.'
Schooled in the art of diplomacy, Mr Zhou speaks fluent English after spending long periods in the US, including two years as a Fulbright scholar at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Before joining the Taiwan Affairs Office he was Shanghai's chief of foreign affairs.