One of the most influential political columnists in Hong Kong, Joseph Lian Yi-zheng is no stranger to controversy. Now his latest row with Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying could serve to prove just how influential his column is among the political elite.
The 61-year-old economist was born and raised in the city until he left for the United States to complete his higher education in the late 1960s.
He completed his PhD in economics at the University of Minnesota, and developed his academic career in the US.
More than three decades after he left the city, he returned in 1992 as a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Three years later, he joined the finance-based Hong Kong Economic Journal as chief editor following an invitation by the paper's co-founder Lam Shan-muk - commonly known by his pen name Lam Hang-chi. That kicked off his career as a political columnist, and his analysis - usually combining statistics and original observations - won a following among politicians and intellectuals.
He soon drew the attention of former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa.