Li Zhanshu , newly appointed director of the General Office of the Communist Party's Central Committee, appears to be a transitional figure despite being named to one of the most powerful positions in Beijing.
Like his predecessor Ling Jihua , Li rose through the Communist Youth League, a key base of support for President Hu Jintao . Observers compared Hu's decision to put Li in the post, which manages the daily activities of top officials, to former president Jiang Zemin's appointment of his own protégé, Wang Gang , during Hu's rise a decade ago.
Hu is expected to hand over party leadership to Vice-President Xi Jinping after the 18th party congress this autumn. Li, 62, was previously the party boss of Guizhou province.
"It seems Hu has appointed Li to help Xi, the incoming new secretary general, in dealing with extremely complicated and crucial party matters day in and day out," a Beijing-based media source said.
The source said that Li was someone who was also seen as acceptable and trustworthy to Xi, because he had been the magistrate of Wuji county in Hebei province in the early 1980s, when Xi was in charge of nearby Zhengding county. It is believed that Li and Xi have stayed in touch over the years.
Li subsequently served as the Communist Youth League's Hebei provincial secretary from 1986 to 1990. However, Li's age means his prospects for further promotion are limited, even if he manages to get a seat on the Politburo after the 19th party congress in five years. He would be 72 - and thus due for retirement - by the 20th party congress in 2022.