Does "the famously stiff leader" refer to "Hu Jintao"?

[NewHopeR]

If so, the sentence below is a run-on and should be edited.

Am I on the right track?

Context:

Xi Jinping is regarded as more self-confident and gregarious than President Hu Jintao, the famously stiff leader he is on track to succeed next year in a highly choreographed transition that includes, as a major step, this week’s visit.

More:
China’s president-in-waiting heads to Washington for a visit crucial to both nations - The Washington Post

[5jj]

If so, the sentence below is a run-on and should be edited. No.

Xi Jinping is regarded as more self-confident and gregarious than President Hu Jintao, the famously stiff leader (whom) he (Xi Jinping) is on track to succeed next year in a highly choreographed transition that includes, as a major step, this week’s visit.

The famously stiff leader is Hu Jintao. We have a rather long defining relative clause that contains within itself a second defining relative clausse (which itself contains words within commas), but the sentence is grammatically sound.

Xi Jinping is regarded as more self-confident and gregarious thanPresident Hu Jintao, (the famously stiff leader (whom) he (Xi Jinping) is on track to succeed next year in a highly choreographed transition that includes, as a major step, this week’s visit).

[NewHopeR]

The famously stiff leader is Hu Jintao. We have a rather long defining relative clause that contains within itself a second defining relative clausse (which itself contains words within commas), but the sentence is grammatically sound.

Xi Jinping is regarded as more self-confident and gregarious thanPresident Hu Jintao, (the famously stiff leader (whom) he (Xi Jinping) is on track to succeed next year in a highly choreographed transition that includes, as a major step, this week’s visit).

Good stuff.
Thanks