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Zhou Xiaoguang, 40, president of Yiwu Xinguang Ornament Company in
Yiwu city of East China's Zhejiang Province, has studied the
problems of the many "wholesale markets" in her hometown following
her election as a deputy to the 10th NPC in January. The results
will form the basis of one of her main proposals during the NPC
meeting.
"Wholesale markets have already become a main part of the country's
circulation industry, and are playing an important role in
providing a variety of goods and developing local economies and
offering job opportunities," said Zhou.
Having conducted a thorough investigation, Zhou said there are now
more than 90,000 different wholesale markets around China,
accounting for one-third of the country's annual retail sales.
In
Yiwu, a city well-known for its flourishing wholesale markets,
there are 1 million people working in wholesale markets, Zhou said.
They are relatively well-off, but also badly in need of guidance
from sound government management and legal protection.
Now president of a privately owned company producing ornaments with
total assets of more than 200 million yuan (US$24 million), Zhou
worked in wholesale markets for more than 17 years. "I know all the
strengths and weaknesses of them," she said.
"Having no particular laws for running wholesale markets, problems
like inefficient administrative management controls and the lack of
overall development plans have all seriously affected the growth of
the markets."
Zhou will propose to the NPC legislative body that a survey of
wholesale markets in China is conducted, and related regulations
and tax policies devised.
The growth of wholesale markets is only one of Zhou's many concerns
as a new NPC deputy. She also wishes to call for improved
efficiency of handling cross-provincial crimes, and the
conservation of the limited arable land.
"All these problems are typical in areas that are already quite
prosperous like Yiwu," she said. "If they are solved, even quicker
developments can be made in these areas.
"From the day that I was elected an NPC deputy, I feel this heavy
burden on me to report the problems and issues arising from our
daily life to the congress.
"It is no longer things about my own company any more, but more
about the society around me."
Zhou said her own experience provided the best evidence of the
great changes felt by Zhejiang people.
Born in a remote mountain area in a poor village beside Yiwu, Zhou
had to travel long distances with her mother to earn money. In
1978, 16-year-old Zhou started her business life. She had to make
ends meet as the oldest child in a family of six daughters and a
son.
Despite her tender age, Zhou traveled from village to village and
market to market, selling embroidery needles for 0.20 yuan (2.4 US
cents) each.
The first few years were hard. But things improved gradually. The
quick growth of the wholesale markets in Yiwu enabled her
commercial business to develop fast.
In
1985, Zhou married in Yiwu. Her goal was to earn 50,000 yuan
(US$6,000) by selling Shanghai-made ornaments. But she had earned
more than the expected figure at the end of that year.
"We saw the great potential in running an ornament business, owing
to the fast increase in people's living standards. People are now
relatively wealthy and want to make themselves more beautiful," she
said.
In
1995, Zhou and her family established their own ornament company
with an investment of 7 million yuan (US$840,000). There were only
100 workers at first, said Zhou.
Now her company has 2,600 employees, producing more than 100,000
different types of ornaments with an annual sales volume of more
than 100 million yuan (US$12 million). Their products have been
sold to the United States, the United Kingdom, France and
Russia.
In
Yiwu, the success story of Zhou's company has led to a number of
ornament businesses being established. There are currently more
than 1,800 ornament-making enterprises with more than 100,000
workers in the city, making almost 70 percent of the whole
country's ornaments.
"I
believe it is only when we make progress that we are able to help
other underdeveloped areas," she said.
"Now that I am a NPC deputy, I have bigger responsibilities."
(China Daily March 5, 2003)
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