Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, considered by many the architect of the country's economic boom, this week published a collection of speeches he gave to party officials.
Straight-talking Zhu, who led the country from 1998 to 2003, told the cabinet on his appointment: "If the government is comprised only of yes-men, it will show itself unworthy of the people."
Zhu was also renowned for his authoritarian style and his tirades against corruption.
The weekly Nanfang Zhoumo newspaper published two of his discourses during his time in government.
"Someone once said that if we eat together, as we eat, we can talk. Won't that save time?" he said in one of his addresses in 1992 when he was vice premier in charge of the economy.
"I answered that it wasn't a means of saving time, as we only have one mouth, be it for talking or eating."
He was referring to the meals which Chinese executives frequently engaged in with public money, a common source of complaint among the people.
In 2003, shortly before leaving power, Zhu condemned the forced expropriation of China's rural community and the poor compensation offered to them as industrialisation accelerated.
"Urbanisation is a great concern of mine. It's bound up with home building, and farmers are being conned out of their homes to the benefit of outsiders and real estate developers. If we don't rehome the farmers properly, this process is very dangerous," he said.
In the same speech Zhu, now 82, spoke out against China's deepening love affair with the car. The country has since become the world's top motor market.
"Young people don't need to draw pride from owning their own vehicle," said Zhu, who favoured the development of public transport.
