A native of Jiangdu, in neighboring Jiangsu Province, the new vice mayor was the secretary general of the municipal government of Shanghai before elected.

"It is this charming metro-polis - my second home-town -- that gives a non-Shanghai-native marvelous opportunities to be successful," a clearly excited Jiang told a roomful of reporters yesterday at his first press conference as a vice mayor.

For now, Jiang will continue to do the work of secretary general until that position is filled and he is assigned a particular role. While no one is saying what specific job he will be given, many speculate that he will be placed in charge of the city's financial sector -- a position that has been vacant since the previous vice mayor in charge of the sector, Chen Liangyu, was named mayor earlier this year.

Jiang, who has lived in the city for 25 years and graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, attributes his political success to the rising number of opportunities in China since the country adopted its opening up policy and to all the people that touched his life while he was growing up.

"I'd like to use the motto of my mother university to ex-press my gratitude: When drinking water, think of its source," Jiang said.

After graduating from Jiao Tong University with a master's degree in machinery engineering in 1985, Jiang spent time working as the university's vice president, vice director of the Organization Department of the CPC Shanghai Committee, and governor of Xuhui District.

He also spent several months, from December 1993 to June 1994, studying at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, as a visiting scholar.

(eastday.com August 20, 2002)