For the first time in more than half a century, private entrepreneurs have joined the candidates for "National Model Workers", the top honor for China's labor class.

Around 30 private entrepreneurs from all over the country are included in a list of 2,977 nominees for this year's "National Model and Advanced Workers" award, released online this week for "public comments and supervision".

The nationwide selection of the model workers, conducted by the State Council, the Chinese cabinet, has been held since 1950, and once every five years since 1989. It was intended to pick out exemplary figures from the country's huge working population of about 750 million to inspire public morale for the socialist construction.

Celebrations of model workers traditionally depict the like of tireless and highly-productive workers and farmers, or conscientious public service providers such as toilet cleaners, bus conductors and plumbers. Scientists with outstanding accomplishments and sports stars "earning glory for the motherland" on international occasions like the Olympic Games are also the contenders for the award.

Private entrepreneurs, however, who were once regarded as people making profits from other's labor, known as "members of the exploiting class", were denied access to the selection.

Despite the fact that a few provinces and cities had made private entrepreneurs "model workers" at local levels in recent years, the door of the national selection had kept closed to the country's new-riches till this February, when the selection rules were formally changed to make them "eligible nominees".

"We made the policy change in line with the spirit of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC)," said Yin Weimin, vice director of the Judging Panel for Model and Advanced Workers under the State Council. "We want to encourage people from all social sectors to make contributions to the country."

The 16th CPC National Congress, held in Beijing in November 2002, defined the "non-public sector" as "an important component part of the socialist market economy", and underlined the importance to "encourage, support and guide" its development.

Official statistics show that in 2003, China's private business sector contributed one third of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), or 3.5 trillion yuan (US$423 billion). In 1979, the private sector only accounted for less than 1 percent of the GDP.

"For our prominent contributions to the country, we deserve the recognition both from the government and the society," said Xu Lianjie, board chairman of Heng'an Group based in east China's Fujian Province, when knowing his nomination. Xu's company claimed of paying 200 million yuan (US$24 million) annually to the government in taxes.

A senior official with the Model Workers Judging Panel who declined to be named disclosed that the nominated private entrepreneurs were picked according to their "tax-paying and law-abiding records", as well as their "contributions to social welfare undertakings".

Liu Yonghao, board chairman of the Sichuan-based New Hope Group who was once dubbed "China's richest person" by Forbes Fortune, also made the candidates' list for having helped 4.59 million people out of poverty over the past decade by sponsoring nearly 10,000 projects in the country's poorest western and central areas.

Though private entrepreneurs have only occupied about one percent of this year's national model worker nominees, their presence still provokes some debate.

"The title of 'model worker' should only be given to ordinary laborers, who are quite different from business owners," said Wu Yaping, a professor of trade union study with the Beijing-based China Institute of Industrial Relations.

But Xiao Zhuoji, a noted professor of economics with the prestigious Beijing University, argued that "private business owners are not only investors, they also labor in their management work".

"Private entrepreneurs are fully entitled to the honor because they help promote the development of society with their efforts," added Xiao.

Li Hua, a lawmaker of the National People's Congress, the top Chinese legislature, from northwest China's Shaanxi Province, described the nomination of the private entrepreneurs "a reflection of China's political and social progress" and "a natural outcome of the rapid expansion of private businesses".

According to officials with the Model Workers Judging Panel, they decided to release the nomination information nationwide, the first time in the selection history, to "listen to the public opinion in as wide a range as possible".

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2005)