The bare truth about official degrees

In a country where a number of senior government leaders hold a master's or doctorate degree, newly-appointed Suzhou Party secretary Jiang Hongkun's on-the-job junior college diploma looks sheepishly lackluster at first glance.

Critics have little faith in Jiang's humble education and question whether he is capable of taking the top rank in the fast-growing city, which has the fifth-largest economy among Chinese cities. The three predecessors of Jiang all had a PhD.

Contrary to the traditional Confucian worship of a scholastic background, the overwhelming public has been singing high praises for the 55-year-old's junior college training.