Rising-star status clear as ex-mayor's proposal praised
Reaction to a proposal by former Shanghai mayor Xu Kuangdi for reforming the education of engineers has illustrated his growing clout.
Media praise for Mr Xu's suggestion that an elite academy for young engineers be established comes amid expectations that the academic is being groomed for a leadership position in the central Government.
'The young generation of technicians can create an even brighter future for the country's economic and social development,' Mr Xu was quoted by Xinhua as saying on Thursday after his formal appointment as president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, which caters for senior professionals.
Mr Xu, 65, resigned as mayor in December and later became Communist Party secretary of the academy. His resignation followed a conflict with Shanghai party secretary Huang Ju, a protege of President Jiang Zemin, over decisions on an infrastructure project, officials say.
Mr Xu said he stepped down because of age and to stay in public service. Analysts say Mr Xu's move to the prestigious Beijing academy could allow him to burnish his party credentials, necessary for a move to the central Government.
'The Chinese Academy of Engineering should give more valuable advice to the state's decision-makers,' Mr Xu told a news conference, according to the Xinhua report.
This was not the first time Mr Xu has spoken to the media after stepping down as mayor. But Xinhua heaped praise on Mr Xu's record, saying he had gained 'worldwide fame' with technological achievements and 14 academic papers published in foreign journals.
Mr Xu, also considered to be favoured by Premier Zhu Rongji, is a fluent English speaker who was popular with foreign business executives in Shanghai.
Mr Huang was reappointed as Shanghai's party secretary on Tuesday, but analysts say there is still the possibility he will also take a central government post.
Mr Jiang and Mr Zhu are both due to step down from their party positions later this year.
