Xu Kuangdi
Encyclopedia
Xu Kuangdi KmstkNO
' onMouseout='HidePop("30746")' href="/topics/Tongxiang">Tongxiang
, Zhejiang
, China
) is a Chinese politician
of the ruling Communist Party
. He was mayor of Shanghai from 1995 to 2001. He supervised the transformation of Shanghai
during his administration into a center for international investment
and trade that helped lead the intensive development of China's economy
. He was demoted in 2001, to a far more obscure and powerless position as party chief of the Academy of Engineering in Beijing
, apparently as the result of an intra-party power struggle between President Jiang Zemin
and Premier Zhu Rongji
, both former Mayors of Shanghai. Xu was replaced by Executive Vice-Mayor Chen Liangyu
, one of Jiang's followers later arrested for corruption. He continues as Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
.
. He graduated from the Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Engineering in 1959, during the midst of the Great Leap Forward
, and was a professor there from 1959 to 1963, then at the Shanghai Institute of Engineering from 1963 to 1971, through the height of the Cultural Revolution
. He did not join the Communist Party of China
until 1983. He studied in Britain
in 1982 and 1983 and worked in Sweden
from 1984 to 1985; he also won a national award for his design of a stainless steel
pipe for use in aircraft production.
He held a number of other academic positions through 1991, when Zhu appointed him as director of the Shanghai Municipal Planning Committee, allegedly because he had remarked that he hated central planning. That position led to a number of increasingly powerful positions within the municipal government of Shanghai. He was an alternate member of the 14th CPC Central Committee and member of the 15th and 16th CPC Central Committees.
Xu is currently a Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
, Party Chief and President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
. He is a professor and doctoral supervisor at Shanghai University
.
He retired on June 11, 2010.
Order of the Polar Star
.
At an October 4, 2007 ceremony, Xu received an honorary
Doctor of Engineering
degree
from the Polytechnic University of New York
.
On June 28, 2011, Xu received an honorary
Doctor of Engineering
degree
from the City University of Hong Kong
.
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
' onMouseout='HidePop("30746")' href="/topics/Tongxiang">Tongxiang
Tongxiang
Tongxiang City is a county-level city, part of Jiaxing , in northern Zhejiang Province, China. Population : 109,976.The scenic town of Wuzhen is part of Tongxiang....
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
) is a Chinese politician
Politics of the People's Republic of China
The politics of the People's Republic of China take place in a framework of a single-party socialist republic. The leadership of the Communist Party is stated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China...
of the ruling Communist Party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. He was mayor of Shanghai from 1995 to 2001. He supervised the transformation of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
during his administration into a center for international investment
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
and trade that helped lead the intensive development of China's economy
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
. He was demoted in 2001, to a far more obscure and powerless position as party chief of the Academy of Engineering in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, apparently as the result of an intra-party power struggle between President Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
and Premier Zhu Rongji
Zhu Rongji
Zhū Róngjī is a prominent Chinese politician who served as the Mayor and Party chief in Shanghai between 1987 and 1991, before serving as Vice-Premier and then the fifth Premier of the People's Republic of China from March 1998 to March 2003.A tough administrator, his time in office saw the...
, both former Mayors of Shanghai. Xu was replaced by Executive Vice-Mayor Chen Liangyu
Chen Liangyu
Chen Liangyu was a politician of the People's Republic of China from the ruling Communist Party, and the disgraced CPC Shanghai Committee Secretary, or the city's first-in-charge....
, one of Jiang's followers later arrested for corruption. He continues as Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference [], shortened as 人民政协, Rénmín Zhèngxié, i.e. "People's PCC"; or just 政协, Zhèngxié, i.e. "The PCC"), abbreviated CPPCC, is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China...
.
Biography
Xu graduated from the famous Hangzhou High SchoolHangzhou High School
Hangzhou High School , or Hangzhou Senior High School, established in 1899, is a high school in China. There are 46 academicians who graduated from the institution.-Hanggao Observatory:...
. He graduated from the Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Engineering in 1959, during the midst of the Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...
, and was a professor there from 1959 to 1963, then at the Shanghai Institute of Engineering from 1963 to 1971, through the height of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. He did not join the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
until 1983. He studied in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1982 and 1983 and worked in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
from 1984 to 1985; he also won a national award for his design of a stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
pipe for use in aircraft production.
He held a number of other academic positions through 1991, when Zhu appointed him as director of the Shanghai Municipal Planning Committee, allegedly because he had remarked that he hated central planning. That position led to a number of increasingly powerful positions within the municipal government of Shanghai. He was an alternate member of the 14th CPC Central Committee and member of the 15th and 16th CPC Central Committees.
Xu is currently a Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference [], shortened as 人民政协, Rénmín Zhèngxié, i.e. "People's PCC"; or just 政协, Zhèngxié, i.e. "The PCC"), abbreviated CPPCC, is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China...
, Party Chief and President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chinese Academy of Engineering
The Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...
. He is a professor and doctoral supervisor at Shanghai University
Shanghai University
Shanghai University is a public, comprehensive university located in Shanghai, China. The university has the longest serving President; Chien Wei-zang since 1982 until he died in 2010. He was a well known scientist in China...
.
He retired on June 11, 2010.
Honours
In 2006 Xu was made a Commander Grand Cross of the SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
.
At an October 4, 2007 ceremony, Xu received an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Engineering
Doctor of Engineering
The Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the Polytechnic University of New York
Polytechnic University of New York
The Polytechnic Institute of New York University, often referred to as Polytechnic Institute of NYU, NYU Polytechnic, or NYU-Poly, is the engineering and applied sciences affiliate of New York University...
.
On June 28, 2011, Xu received an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Engineering
Doctor of Engineering
The Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong is a comprehensive research university in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. It has achieved fast growth in recent years and received international recognition for its academic achievements...
.