Recently, Yin Mingshan, president of the Chongqing Lifan Industry (group) Co., Ltd., was elected vice president of Second Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the committee's first plenary session, becoming the first private entrepreneur to enter the CPPCC leadership at the provincial level.

In April 2002, 65-year-old Yin Mingshan was elected president of the Chongqing Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce at the second congress of the federation.

Yin established Lifan Group with only 200,000 yuan (US$24,155) and nine staff in 1992. After 10 years' arduous effort, the company has now realized annual production of about 4 billion yuan (US$483.1 million) and annual profit exceeding 100 million yuan (US$12 million), with over US$100 million in exports, becoming one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in China. During this time, the company has created, either directly or indirectly, over 40,000 jobs.

By the end of last year, Chongqing's non-public economy exceeded 42 percent of the city's GDP with more than 500,000 private employees, and is expected to surpass the public economy by 2005. To achieve this goal, Chongqing is putting more effort into rapidly developing a sound private economy. At the same time, the development of the non-public economy depends on the qualities of private business people for political consciousness and management, with entrepreneurs being able to exert significant influence on the future of enterprises.

"Previously I held a one-sided view that the only important thing is to be a good president and do my job well for the federation. As for the enterprise, it didn't matter," Yin Mingshan said. "But now I realize it is also essential to run the enterprise well, because only by making the enterprise stronger can we bring about the prosperity of the non-public economy.

"Lifan Group has just reshuffled its top management and strengthened the power of managers. I can now put more time and energy into working with other vice presidents and the administrative staff to do an excellent job for the federation. To qualify myself as a vice-president of the CPPCC Chongqing Municipal Committee, I will work hard and learn from the others. I'll take note of and report on public opinions and suggestions. I will also take the initiative to participate in the deliberation and administration of state affairs and make every effort to develop Chongqing's non-public economy."

According to Xu Dengquan, vice minister of Chongqing United Front Work Department and Party chief of the Chongqing Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce, said that, the number of non-public economy members in the new municipal committee of CPPCC and the number of non-public economy deputies to the new municipal people's congress which have been elected recently have both increased by 30 percent to reach 93 and 58 respectively.

The statistics shows that people who engage in the private economy are playing an increasingly important role in Chongqing's political life and will become even more significant, particularly while participating in the management of state affairs.

(china.org.cn by Li Xiao, January 24, 2003)