Former premier Zhu Rongji, considered by many the architect of the country's economic boom, published his fourth book last week, giving a glimpse of his unique work style and the personal likes and dislikes that made him unlike any other communist leader.
At more than 2,000 pages long, the four-volume collection of his speeches, remarks and letters from his time as China's economic tsar and premier offers further insight into why he was regarded as such a fierce individualist, with few allies and plenty of enemies within the bureaucracy but plenty of fans overseas and among the grass roots on the mainland.
The Record of Zhu Rongji's Talks, containing 348 articles from 1991 to 2003, also sheds some light on the life of a top communist leader - something usually deemed top secret.
Zhu became executive vice-premier in 1991 and premier in 1998. He retired in early 2003.
He was popular for his high moral standing, general truthfulness, resolute behaviour, work ethic and dedication to economic reform - at least in the eyes of the grass-roots populace. He was unpopular among some officials and state enterprise managers for his intolerance of corruption, incompetence or red tape and his hatred of official indifference to people's grievances.
His comments on his first day as premier give some clues that confirm that reputation. At the first State Council meeting he chaired on March 24, 1998, he advised cabinet members 'to be troublemaker, not a yes-man'. He said they should be the people's servants, enjoy no privileges, speak the truth, be troublemakers who dared to offend anybody, be clean officials and be hard working and down-to-earth in solving real problems.