Zhou Haijiang comes from East China's Jiangsu Province, a place where privately-owned businesses are flourishing.
Zhou Haijiang is the head of the Hodo group, a well known private enterprise in Jiangsu. 20 years ago, Zhou resigned from his job at a college to work here. Since then, he has witnessed the growth of a little factory into a huge company with sales of 15 billion yuan (about US$2 billion) last year.
Zhou Haijiang
Zhou said, "China's private enterprises were born because of the Communist Party's opening up and reform policies. The government is making more and more policies to help, encourage and guide the development of the private economies. I can say now it is the best time for us to develop."
Zhou has been a member of the Communist Party for more than two decades. Although being in charge of a private company, his faith and confidence strengthens in Communist beliefs, and the Communist members, who he says are the most precious fortune for his company.
Zhou said, "The CPC organization is playing a great role in a company. Back in 1997, when the Southeast Asia economic crisis broke out, many companies have closed down. We have felt great pressure also. But our CPC employees have saved the enterprise, none of them has left. So we survived and kept growing."
This has determined Zhou to build up the Communist Party branch in his enterprise. He says Communist Party members are always the advanced workers in the team. Now, this political advantage has transformed the cultural character in the Hodo Group.
As a successful entrepreneur, Zhou believes he has the responsibility of making profit, and more importantly, repaying society and serving the people, and this is what the Communist Party of China is doing in the country.
This is the motto for all CPC members in the Hodo Group. Seven years ago, Zhou Haijiang invested 50 million yuan to set up a sewage treatment plant, disposing of industrial sewage from his own factories. Now the plant is playing a bigger role by also disposing of domestic sewage in Wuxi city.
Zhu Xuefeng, engineer of Hodo Group, said, "At first, we could not understand why we would do such a thing. You know, a 50 million-investment of industrial case will receive a great payback. But now, we know this is a right investment, echoing the CPC's appeal for environmental protection."
The Hodo Group has over 700 CPC members. In order to let them fully understand Party and government documents and company decisions, Zhou set up a party school in his group, teaching the members the party's policies, and spirit.
Zhou said, "Our private enterprises set the goal of the Communist Party of China as their goal. That is developing economy. As one of the major forces of China's economic growth, the private enterprises must develop better and better, and the country's economy will be better and better."
Sometimes, Zhou himself is a teacher, sharing his opinions, such as why he decided to build the sewage treatment plant, with other Party members, especially the young members.
Hodo Group employee Qian Yiping said, "The class has broadened my view and knowledge so now I combine my individual development with the country's growth. This has boosted my work."
With the help of all levels of the CPC's organizing department, more than 250,000 private enterprises in the country have set up Communist Party committees or branches, covering 3 million members. The companies realize this will help them better understand the CPC's policies, and balance relations among the company, the nation, and the people.
Zhang Xixian, professor of CPC Central Party School, said, "These party organizations will help the private enterprises grow better and faster, play a greater role in the country's economic development. And this will help bring the private economy into the country's scientific development program."
Zhou Haijiang has been elected a delegate to the CPC's 17th National Congress. With the development of the private economy and with the growth of the country, more and more like him are expected to appear from across the nation.
(CCTV October 17, 2007)
