Zhou Xuexi 周學熙

 

Born in Zhide, Anhui Province, Zhou Xuexi (1866-1947) was a famous industrialist and businessman on par with Zhang Jian in modern China. Zhou's life and career was closely connected with the Beiyang Army's leader Yuan Shikai. As the financial minister for Yuan, he is often condemned for signing an agreement for a huge loan from a consortium of foreign banks at the price of sacrificing national interests in 1913. Nevertheless, Zhou was remembered for his outstanding achievements in rejuvenating the industrial and commercial sector in north China during the period from late Qing dynasty to the 1910s.

In his life, he established a series of financial and industrial institutions which include Beiyang Silver Minting Office, Tianjin Government Bank, Beiyang Technology Bureau, Qixin Cement Company, Luanzhou Coal Mine Co., Jingshi Tap Water Company, and Huaxin Textile Co. He ultimately built a large business empire based in Tianjin and Tangshan, which largely influenced the industrial structure of modern China.