From Zhang Xiao in the late Qing Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, to Lu Zuofu and Chen Jiageng during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, to Rong Yiren and Wang Guangying after the founding of New China. Throughout the dynasties, there have been vivid examples of merchants and entrepreneurs throwing their heads and spilling their blood for the motherland. In modern times, with the emergence and difficult growth of national capital enterprises, patriotism has gradually become the glorious tradition of outstanding entrepreneurs in modern times. They poured patriotic feelings into the practical actions of serving the country, became a clear background of entrepreneurship, and made outstanding contributions to China's liberation from poverty, backwardness and rise.
The story of entrepreneurs' patriotism has been passed down from generation to generation, and with the different times, the connotation of patriotism has also taken on new forms of expression. At present, in the face of the new opportunities brought about by accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, re-reading the outstanding contributions and core characteristics of patriotic entrepreneurs in modern times is of great significance today.
Source | People's Forum magazine and People's Forum Network (rmltwz)
Author | Wan Liming, professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Marxism of Tongji University
The first generation of entrepreneurs in modern China issued the call of the times to "save the right to profit" and "save the country through industry"
In modern China, many of the rights and interests have been seized by the Western powers, and China is subject to people everywhere, which has aroused strong dissatisfaction among the Chinese people. Therefore, china's first generation of entrepreneurs, especially those "foreign entrepreneurs", clearly regarded "saving the right to profit" and "saving the country through industry" as the purpose of starting a business.
Zheng Guanying, an early reform thinker, was an entrepreneur with national feelings. He proposed tariff protection, "What our country does not have, heavy taxes to curb the source." Guard our rights and enrich our businessmen." In 1880, Zheng Guanying, after serving as the general office of the Shanghai machine weaving layout, proposed that if the weaving layout office was not successful, it would harm the interests of the country and the nation, and it would be related to the "external exploitation of the source of profits". He therefore sought to enhance his ability to compete with foreign goods in order to "prevent outsiders from competing for profits". Zheng Guanying also believes that "most of the daily necessities in our country are imported products, and the rights of interest spill over", "the husband is strong and begins with the rich, and the rich begins with the revitalization of industry and commerce." In 1908, he also proposed: "Those who have a country who want to be outside the country urgently need to strengthen themselves, and if they want to strengthen themselves, they must first get rich; if they want to get rich, they must first revitalize industry and commerce." Zheng Guanying expressed his desire and ideas to save the right to profit and develop the industry more clearly, and paid practical actions for this.
Xu Run, a pioneer in modern industry to save the country, pointed out that the revitalization of commerce "can gradually flourish in the interests of the localities, and the interests of ours will not be outflowed." In 1873, Xu Run refused the invitation of the American Merchants Banner Chang Foreign Firm to be entrusted with the general comprador, entered the Shanghai Steamship Merchants Bureau, and began his foreign business career. Xu Run successively set up shares to establish Renhe Water Insurance Company and Jihe Water and Fire Insurance Company, which were the earliest insurance companies run by Chinese people in China. In 1886, Xu Run merged the two companies into Renjihe Insurance Co., Ltd. Therefore, this makes the insurance industry funds originally exclusively occupied by foreign investors return to the Chinese people themselves, which is conducive to the development of the national economy.
Zhang Bishi, the "king of brewing wine" and an overseas Chinese in Nanyang, refused to accept the title of Xu Jue, an official of the British and Dutch colonial governments in Nanyang at that time, and clearly stated that "the Chinese people should serve the motherland.". He advocated "recovering the right of interest through commercial warfare" and invested domestically from the mid-1990s. He proposed that "agriculture, industry, roads, and mines should be revived," so that "the state's taxes can be increased, the people's livelihood can be sufficient, and the rights of profits that have spilled over decades can be saved." In view of this, Zhang Bishi has successively founded various enterprises such as Zhangyu Grape Wine Company in China, and the industries he has created have spread all over the motherland, fully reflecting his national feelings and patriotic enthusiasm.
Zhang Jian, an industrialist of Zhuangyuan, believes that "cotton iron doctrine" is a good recipe for "industry to save the country". He clearly proposed that "to the softest cotton, to the rigid only iron", so "the revitalization of the cotton industry of the textile as the internal dimension, the expansion of mining coal and iron for the external". He advocated that as long as the cotton and iron industry is vigorously developed, the development of all walks of life can be promoted, so as to establish an independent national industrial system and resist foreign economic aggression. To this end, zhang jian began to use his hometown Tonghai area as an experimental area from 1898, and founded a huge group of large-scale enterprises spanning all industries of industry and agriculture. According to a 1922 survey, the group's total capital amounted to more than 33 million yuan. Therefore, Zhang Jian tried to start from curbing the flooding of foreign yarn in the Chinese market and gradually implemented the industrial national salvation plan, which fully reflected the patriotic feelings of national businessmen.
Lu Zuofu, the "King of Chinese Ships," advocated that to save the country through industry, "it is necessary to build a modern country and ensure that it can not die," and to realize modernization, it is necessary to "industrialize all industries." All this depends on the transportation industry, because "the navigation industry is the mother of all undertakings - the main factor, and our work in the transport industry is the cause of saving the country". To this end, he chose the transportation industry as the starting point for pioneering industries, and founded the Minsheng Industrial Company in the autumn of 1925 to drive other industries to achieve the purpose of revitalizing China.
In addition, there are many entrepreneurs who also advocate the development of industries to "save the poor" or "save the country". For example, mu Rongchu, the "king of cotton yarn", proposed: "The revitalization of the cotton industry is not only closely related to the livelihood of the common people, but also has a great impact on the national economy." Therefore, the revitalization of the cotton industry, that is, so to save the poor, but also to save the country", so the focus of the industry to save the country is to develop the cotton industry. For another example, Zhu Zhiyao, the founder of Baoxing Iron Ore Company, believes that "the prosperity of one mine and the establishment of one factory can feed tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of workers" and "we want the country to be strong, and we cannot do it without steel." To this end, he pioneered the domestic machine manufacturing industry. These are all vivid manifestations of patriotism in the entrepreneurial career.
Therefore, national entrepreneurs profoundly realized from the national crisis and personal experience at that time that the development of industry is closely related to the fate of the country and the nation. They tried to "save the right to profits" and firmly believed in the development of industry to save the country and achieve national independence and national prosperity. This patriotic tradition has become the primary goal and driving force for them to engage in corporate activities.
A bronze statue of Zhang Xiao in front of the Jiangnan Gongyuan in Nanjing. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Modern national entrepreneurs have vigorously improved the quality and competitiveness of national products and advocated the patriotic movement of "boycotting foreign goods and advocating domestic products."
In the face of the foreign goods that filled the market at that time, the business community launched several domestic goods campaigns. National entrepreneurs have always been the advocates of this movement, and their various ideas and measures reflect their efforts to develop the national economy and open up domestic and foreign markets from different angles.
Jinmen "domestic goods standard-bearer" Song Zejiu is the most representative. Song Zejiu believed: "If you plan to save the country, you must first save the poor." If you plan to save the poor, you must advocate industry. If you intend to promote industry, you must maintain domestic products. In 1912, Song Zejiu initiated the establishment of the Directly Affiliated Domestic Goods Maintenance Association. In the charter drafted for the association, he proposed: "This is our contact with everyone, to unite and love the country. If the national unification can be linked together, we will not worry that China is not rich or strong. During the May Fourth Movement, he actively participated in the boycott of Japanese goods. Since then, he has organized many demonstrations and distributed leaflets to boycott Japanese goods and persuade them to use domestic goods. In 1923, he renamed the Tianjin Industrial Sales Office to Tianjin National Commodity Sales Office, and clearly carried the banner of domestic goods. Song Zejiu's words and deeds of advocating domestic products have great repercussions in society.
Rong Zongjing, the founder of Rong's family business, is also a representative figure in the movement to advocate domestic products. He initiated the establishment of the Shanghai Citizens' Association to Promote Domestic Goods, in line with the boycott of Japanese goods after the May Fourth Movement. During the "May Thirtieth" Movement, Rong Zongjing resolutely boycotted Japanese goods and advocated domestic products. He published the Declaration on The Promotion of Domestic Products, which was published in major newspapers. In his manifesto, he demanded that "all colleagues within the scope of the Company shall not purchase imported products." Gou can persevere, keep with perseverance, and a few imported products will disappear from the dust of the market, and domestic products can be carried out to the fullest benefit." It can be seen that Rong Zongjing is full of patriotic spirit of revitalizing industry and developing domestic products.
At that time, Shanghai national entrepreneurs also initiated the establishment of various domestic goods groups. In the 1920s, Shanghai successively founded the Shanghai Citizens' Promotion of Domestic Goods Association, the Shanghai National Goods Group and the Shanghai Mechanism National Goods Federation. In 1930, the China Federation of Domestic Goods Factories was established. After the "918 Incident", the original domestic goods groups in Shanghai implemented a grand alliance and jointly formed the National Goods Alliance Committee. In 1932, the China Domestic Goods Production and Marketing Association was established in Shanghai. The council is composed of influential national entrepreneurs in Shanghai, with the purpose of "manufacturing and marketing of domestic goods". The establishment of these domestic goods groups and the appeal of national entrepreneurs have effectively promoted the national domestic goods movement.
Under the influence of the domestic goods movement, more national entrepreneurs have devoted themselves to the cause of domestic goods, created domestic products, and broken the monopoly of foreign countries. For example, after the outbreak of the May Fourth Movement, Fang Lixian, the founder of the China Chemical Industry Society, improved management and improved product quality, so that its Samsung brand mosquito incense and toothpaste, Guanyin powder seasoning powder, and Arrow brand soap successfully squeezed out the brands of Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. For another example, under the painstaking management of Chen Wanyun and others, Sanyou Industrial Company broke the monopoly market situation of Japanese candle wicks with Venus brand candlesticks, and triangle brand towels also squeezed Japanese towels out of China.
In the face of foreign aggression and expansion, national entrepreneurs threw themselves into the anti-imperialist patriotic movement and fully supported the defense against foreign enemies
National entrepreneurs have also made unremitting efforts to oppose foreign aggression and expansion, especially at some historical junctures, a considerable number of entrepreneurs adhere to national integrity, and even at the cost of their lives, they have thrown themselves into the anti-imperialist patriotic movement and fully supported the defense against foreign enemies.
After the May Fourth Movement, Song Zejiu demanded that the Tianjin National Commodity Sales Office immediately begin to act to support the student patriotic movement. On June 10, 1919, all the staff of the sales office took to the streets, first responding to the strike of Tianjin merchants. Soon, the Tianjin Federation of All Walks of Life was established, and he was elected as the director general of the federation. He launched and organized the Tianjin "Ten People's Salvation Group". After the "May 30 Massacre", Song Zejiu decided to draw one-tenth of the monthly profit of the goods sold and entrusted the Tianjin General Chamber of Commerce to send it to Shanghai to support the Shanghai workers' strike. At the same time, the sales office did not accept British banknotes as a sign of resistance. He issued a manifesto stating: "Pi Bang actually acted out a bloody tragedy with the small procession of the procession, and despised our country to the extreme." It can be seen that Song Zejiu does not skimp on money and money for the benefit of the country and the people, and tries his best to donate.
After the Jinan Massacre in 1928, patriotic overseas Chinese leader Chen Jiageng served as the chairman of the Shandong Disaster Relief Association, actively raised funds to relieve refugees, and launched a boycott of Japanese goods. In October 1937, he initiated the establishment of the Malaysian-Singapore Overseas Chinese Relief Committee for the Relief of Wounded Soldiers and Refugees in the Motherland, and served as its chairman. The following year, he established the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Relief Association in Singapore, and also served as its chairman. The Federation issued a declaration calling: "Enthusiastic and generous, to contribute to the country, so that the country can wash away the shame of a hundred years through our blood and sweat, and can repay the deep vengeance of the Ninth Dynasty through our human strength." He took the lead in donating donations and meticulously organizing and planning, and the federation raised more than 400 million yuan for the motherland in just over three years. In addition, he invested in pharmaceutical factories in Singapore and Chongqing to supply medicines directly to the front lines. Out of sincere patriotic enthusiasm, Chen Jiageng made outstanding contributions to the cause of the motherland's anti-Japanese struggle and salvation.
After the outbreak of the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Lu Zuofu immediately called for: "Minsheng Company should first mobilize to participate in the war!" Under his command, all the company's employees threw themselves into the arduous anti-war transportation. After the fall of Wuhan in October 1938, Yichang had a backlog of refugees and important machinery and equipment transported from the occupied areas, and it was urgent to withdraw to the rear. The company's employees were not afraid of Japanese bombing, and evacuated all refugees and materials from Yichang before the dry period of the Yangtze River came. In addition, Yan Yaoqiu, head of the Shanghai Machinery Factory, actively responded to the call of all walks of life in Shanghai to "rush to transport important industrial equipment and avoid capital opponents", and formed the Shanghai Factory Joint Relocation Committee, of which he served as the director. The committee rescued a number of sophisticated equipment and military and civilian supplies. He also decided to set up a joint office of the Shanghai Qian'e Factory in Hankou, with him as the director, to produce landmines, bombs and other military products to support the anti-Japanese front. Therefore, Lu Zuofu and Yan Yaoqiu made outstanding contributions to the anti-Japanese resistance.
It is worth mentioning that at that time, a group of national entrepreneurs who resolutely resisted the enemy and bravely dedicated themselves emerged. For example, Xiang Songmao, the founder of The Great Pharmacy in Shanghai Wuzhou, joined the Anti-Japanese Salvation Congress after the "918 Incident", organized a volunteer army in the factory, appointed himself as a battalion commander, and trained staff to prepare for the imperial insult. After the outbreak of the Songhu War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it still insisted on multi-production of military supplies to meet the needs of the War of Resistance. Later, in order to rescue the workers, Xiang Songmao was arrested by the Japanese army, but he still resisted unyieldingly and was killed by the Japanese invading army in Shanghai at the age of 52. For another example, Fang Lixian was also a national industrialist who was martyred in a heroic way. In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he twice ran a hospital for wounded soldiers, which was deeply hated by the Japanese army. After the fall of Shanghai, the enemy sent hypocrites to intimidate and induce him, and Xu took the post of minister of industry, but he categorically refused. In 1940, at the age of 47, Fang Lixian was murdered by the Japanese.
Therefore, in the face of foreign aggression and expansion, in the face of the threat of the enemy, the national entrepreneurs are not afraid, actively participate in the anti-imperialist patriotic movement, denounce their acts of aggression, and do their best to support the defense against foreign enemies. This fully demonstrates the consistent patriotic feelings of national entrepreneurs.
On September 24, 1939, Lu Zuofu delivered a speech at the test ceremony of the improved wooden ship of the Hankou Navigation Bureau. Photo: China Civilization Network
Patriotism has become the core trait of entrepreneurship in the new era
In the later stages of the War of Liberation, the Defeat of the Kuomintang Government was decided, so it sabotaged the national capital enterprises and forced the transfer of funds or materials. To this end, many entrepreneurs resolutely decided to stay behind, preserve enterprises, and actively devote themselves to the construction of new China, closely linking the development of enterprises with the fate of the country.
In 1948, Zhou Shutao, general manager of Qixin Yang Gray Company, and Li Zhanchen, general manager of Jiuda Salt Industry Company, disregarded their personal safety and questioned the Kuomintang government's forced move of Tianjin enterprises to the south. Li Zhanchen said: "Appreciate the policies of the Communist Party and protect and support national industry and commerce. Zhou Shuhan said: "With decades of practice of operation and life, we cannot but pin the hope of national rejuvenation and national prosperity on the birth of a new regime and a new country." "Their resolute attitude has infected some undecided businessmen. Zhou Shuhan was successively elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the First National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the first non-party vice mayor of Tianjin. During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Zhou Shutao led the company to donate 3 aircraft and 11 anti-aircraft guns. Li Zhanchen also participated in the new CPPCC and was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a member of the Central People's Government. In 1950, Li Chanchen successively served as vice chairman of the Tianjin Branch of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and commander-in-chief of the Tianjin Municipal Industrial and Commercial Circles' Demonstration to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and Defend the Homeland. On behalf of the industrial and commercial circles in Tianjin, he telephoned Chairman Mao and expressed his determination to "fight to the end to accomplish the sacred task of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea and defending the family and the country." He took the lead in donating huge sums of money to buy aircraft cannons, which was praised by Chairman Mao.com. Their patriotic actions have had a far-reaching impact on the national business community.
Rong Desheng, another founder of Rong Enterprise Group, resolutely said: "Not only will we never leave Shanghai, but we will never leave our hometown, and I hope that everyone will never leave the country or go elsewhere." He also rushed back to Wuxi from Shanghai to stop the Shenxin Third Factory from dismantling 20,000 ingots and shipping them overseas. He encouraged his children to "actively produce, work hard for the motherland, overcome difficulties, and strive for improvement." In September 1949, he was elected a member of the First National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 1950, he also served as a member of the East China Military and Political Committee and deputy director of the People's Administrative Office of Southern Jiangsu.
Rong Yiren, the second-generation entrepreneur of the Rong family and general manager of Shanghai Shenxin Textile Company, is also determined to side with the new regime. After the liberation of Shanghai, he decided to let his family stay in Shanghai and told the company to "start construction tomorrow." In 1954, he took the lead in the socialist transformation of capitalist industry and commerce, and frankly said: "What has been lost is some of my personal income from exploitation", but "what I have gained is a socialist country in which everyone is rich, prosperous and strong." He also accepted the heavy trust of Comrade Deng Xiaoping and learned from Western experience to establish the China International Trust and Investment Corporation to develop the economy. With the formal approval of the State Council, the company was formally established in October 1979, with Rong Yiren as chairman and general manager, becoming a window for China's opening up to the outside world.
In November 1950, the famous entrepreneur Wang Guangying launched and organized more than 40,000 people in Tianjin's industrial and commercial circles to hold anti-American patriotic demonstrations, and organized the industrial and commercial circles to subscribe to the national bonds of salvation and donate a large number of war and daily necessities. Comrade Mao Zedong highly praised this patriotic act, saying in a telegram drafted to the industrial and commercial circles in Tianjin: "You have clearly understood the reactionary nature of the US imperialists' aggression against China and Korea," "resolutely stood on the patriotic stand of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea and defending the homeland, and held a just demonstration on November 30, which is welcome." After the reform and opening up, Wang Guangying led Everbright Group to start with trade, open the way for industry, introduce overseas capital, technology and equipment, and build a bridge between China and the West.
Therefore, before the founding of New China, a large number of entrepreneurs not only chose to share the fate with the new regime, but also tried to preserve the enterprises intact, and resumed work and production as soon as possible, playing an important role in maintaining social stability. Soon, they also actively participated in the construction of new China, and many of them also held important leading positions in the party and the state, taking on the responsibility of serving the country and sharing worries for the country in their respective posts, once again showing the patriotic tradition of national entrepreneurs.
Since the beginning of reform and opening up, a large number of patriotic entrepreneurs have emerged in China. Through dedicated operation and pioneering and innovation, they have created brands, achieved good economic benefits, paid profits and taxes to the country, created great material wealth for society, and strengthened national strength. At the same time, they also led enterprises to go abroad, thus enhancing the international competitiveness of Chinese enterprises. These enterprises that go abroad also have a strong sense of responsibility for maintaining the good image of the motherland. For example, Ren Zhengfei, president of Huawei, led the company to strive to be strong, take the road of independent innovation, and develop from an unknown private technology enterprise to the world's top 500 and the world's largest manufacturer of communication equipment, become a large taxpayer of China's private enterprises, and establish a good image of "Made in China". Moreover, many entrepreneurs have actively contributed generously to charitable and public welfare undertakings such as education, poverty alleviation, earthquake relief and relief, which has established a good public image of enterprises and improved the overall welfare level of society.
At the press conference on the list of "100 Outstanding Private Entrepreneurs in the 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up" held by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce in October 2018, many outstanding entrepreneurs clearly expressed their patriotic feelings. Zong Qinghou, chairman of Wahaha Group, said: "Continue to work hard, actively feed back the society, make new and greater contributions to the country's economic construction and social development, and to the early realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Chen Dongsheng, chairman of Taikang Insurance Group, proposed: "Run the enterprise well, create wealth and employment for the society, create taxes for the country, and contribute to the people and public welfare charity; become a model and model for society, and become the eternal positive energy of society." On July 22, 2020, Zong Qinghou, Xu Guanju, Nan Cunhui, Li Shufu and other six well-known Zhejiang businessmen proposed: "Uphold patriotic feelings, always listen to the party and follow the party, take the industry to rejuvenate the country and serve the country with industry as the motto", "be a high-quality and responsible 'quality Zhejiang businessman'". Therefore, this fully reflects that patriotism has become the core characteristic of entrepreneurship in the new era.
To sum up, in modern times, a large number of outstanding entrepreneurs have poured patriotic feelings into the practical actions of serving the country, and have made outstanding contributions to China's extrication from poverty and backwardness and its rise. Therefore, patriotism has become a glorious tradition that china's outstanding entrepreneurs have consistently adhered to since modern times, and has become a distinct background for entrepreneurial spirit, and has strong characteristics of the times. Facts have also proved that in order for the private economy to achieve greater development, entrepreneurs must always carry forward the patriotic and glorious tradition. Only by closely integrating the development of enterprises with the prosperity of the country, the prosperity of the nation and the happiness of the people, "those who benefit the country love it, and those who harm the country are evil" can they be widely recognized and supported by all sectors of society, and enterprises can go further.
Source: People's Forum magazine in mid-September
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