Profile: Zhang Gaoli: From "poor boy" to political figure (2)

（Xinhua）  08:37, December 26, 2012

The story of Zhang, who has ascended step by step to top ranks, is a typical example of personal struggle in the Chinese political sphere.

Zhang's ancestors were all poor peasants in coastal Panjing Village, located in Jinjiang in southeast China's Fujian Province.

His father died when Zhang was three years old. His mother managed to sustain his schooling despite family poverty. The diligent Zhang entered the prestigious Xiamen University in 1965, studying statistics in its Economics Department.