Xi Jinping sharpened his political skills in Fujian
Leader-in-waiting had setbacks in early years in Fujian, but learned fast. In the second of a three-part series, we look at his 17 years in the province
Xi Jinping, China's leader-in-waiting, fine-tuned his political antennae during 17 years spent as an official in the southeastern province of Fujian.
"On the surface, Xi looked like a mediocre leader who would like to play it safe," he said. "But actually, he was an ambitious politician who wanted to make something big out of his life.
"When he was still young, he had already made up his mind to enter the Communist Party's central leadership. But I dare say even Xi himself didn't expect that he would become China's supremo one day."
Xi is the second son of late reformist vice-premier Xi Zhongxun, who was also a former Guangdong party secretary. His father was well known for being a strong supporter of Guangdong's economic reform and its special economic zone (SEZ) pilot schemes in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou .
Xi Jinping's first job in Fujian was to take care of Fujian's SEZ in Xiamen, just five kilometres from Taiwan's Quemoy Island. He tried to learn from his father to support Xiamen's development, but failed.
Xi was working as a county party secretary in Hebei when he was suddenly ordered to go to Xiamen in 1985 to replace deputy mayor An Li, the daughter-in-law of then party chief Hu Yaobang. An was forced to resign because her extravagant lifestyle and arrogance upset officials and residents.