Li Ganglao, who is 96 years old, has seen that China's automobile industry has dominated the world for many years in terms of scale, total production and sales. I think the old man should be very pleased. There is still a long way to go to promote China's transformation from a big country in the automobile industry to a strong country in the automobile industry. My generation should still work hard.
Author 丨 Zhao Ying
Edited by 丨 Dahua
Produced 丨 Automan Media
On the evening of the 9th, a message came from the mobile phone: "Li Gang, a pioneer in China's automobile industry, passed away." For me, Li Gang is not only a pioneer and predecessor of China's automobile industry, but also an approachable and knowledgeable old leader in my mind.
The generation that laid the foundation for the new Chinese automobile industry has withered away, and the past of working under their leadership has come to mind. Write this article and send Li Lao a ride!
In 1986, the first left was the author, and the fourth left was Chairman Li Gang
In 1986, the second from the left was the author, and the fifth from the left was Chairman Li Gang
In 1984, a chance encounter brought me through the door of a Chinese automobile industry company.
At that time, this institution was in its heyday as a pilot for the reform of the country's economic system. The elders of China's automobile industry are concentrated in the company, the main leaders are the pioneers and founders of China's automobile industry, and the company's staff are also elites from the automobile industry.
Since then, I have worked as an "apprentice" in the government administration of the automotive industry, spending the most precious time of my life from the age of 32 to 39.
Looking back, these 7 years were a period when China's automobile industry laid a new foundation for development in reform and opening up, and a key period for the transformation of China's automobile industry from a planned economic system to a market economic system.
Later, the development of China's automobile industry and the formation of a strategic pattern are closely related to a series of decisions in the past seven years. To this day, the commercial vehicle field in China's automotive industry is still dominated by local enterprises, which shows the correct decision-making and effectiveness of work in that period.
The leadership team headed by Rao Bin (chairman of the board of directors of China Automobile Industry Corporation) and Li Gang (general manager of China Automobile Industry Corporation) made significant progress in promoting China's automobile industry in the course of reform and opening up, and outlined a strategic pattern for China's automobile industry to meet the challenges brought about by China's accession to the WTO.
When the China Automobile Industry Corporation was established in 1982, seven reform tasks were identified:
Reform the economic management system and put an end to the history of the simple use of administrative management methods to manage enterprises;
Reform the enterprise structure and end the history of scattered, repetitive, "small and complete" small production in the automobile industry;
Reform of the mode of organization of production and end the history of monolithic production;
Reform the system that is not conducive to product development, and end the decades-long history of automobile production;
Reform the internal management system of enterprises, and end the history of enterprises only focusing on production and technology, and not paying attention to product development and sales services;
Reform the structure of automobile products and end the history of the shortage of heavy vehicles, less light vehicles and cars, less agricultural vehicles, and fewer special vehicles in the automobile industry;
Reform the transportation structure and end the history of the proportion of automobile transportation in transportation.
Today, these reform tasks outline the general direction of the reform and opening up of the automobile industry, point out the main problems existing in the mainland automobile industry and enterprises, and are far-sighted decisions.
China's automobile industry is at the forefront of opening up to the outside world and is at the forefront of the industrial field. Shanghai Volkswagen Co., Ltd., established in October 1984, and Beijing Jeep Motor Co., Ltd., established in January 1985, are the earliest and largest joint ventures in the industrial sector.
The establishment of these two joint venture companies is a new starting point for the opening up of the automobile industry to the outside world, bringing advanced manufacturing technology, advanced production management methods, and modern automobile industry development concepts to China's automobile industry; cultivating talents for the comprehensive opening up of the automobile industry; exploring experience in comprehensively integrating China's automobile industry with the international automobile industry; solving the most difficult financial problems in the development of the automobile industry under the planned economic system, and is a major achievement of reform and opening up.
This stage of technology introduction is under the control of the government and is planned.
In October 1983, Rao Bin, chairman of the Board of Directors of China Automobile Industry Corporation, proposed in the "Report on the Pilot Project of Combining Technology and Trade in the Automotive Industry": "Batch imported automobiles must implement the combination of technology and trade, import and export, and take the road of introducing technology, cooperative design and cooperative production." ”
The leaders of the State Council gave instructions on this: "The combination of technology and trade and the combination of import and export should be regarded as an important part of the structural reform, and consideration can be given to taking the metallurgical and automotive industries as a breakthrough point, piloting first, exploring experience, and gradually promoting." ”
Under the guidance of the policy of combining technology and trade, China Automobile Industry Corporation has unified foreign negotiations, introducing more than 170 technologies, and the introduced technologies basically cover the main areas of the automobile industry.
Among them, the introduction of vehicle manufacturing technology include Steyr heavy-duty series models, IVECO light series models, as well as Germany's Santana, Audi, Golf cars and France's Citroën, Peugeot cars, etc., a total of 21 items; the key auto parts technology introduced are Cummins N and B series engines in the United States, as well as ZF transmissions in Germany and carburetors and electronic automotive instruments in Japan, a total of 88 items.
This is another comprehensive introduction after the comprehensive introduction of automobile technology from the former Soviet Union in the 1950s, laying the foundation for the mainland automobile industry to develop independently and cope with the challenges after joining the WTO in a comprehensive and open environment.
It should be noted that the government management department of China's automobile industry has never proposed a so-called "market for technology" strategy or policy. In the 1980s, China's auto industry administration only proposed a negotiation strategy for the introduction of technology and trade.
At that time, through the "combination of technology and trade", the use of much-needed domestic auto products as chips, the introduction of Japan's Isuzu motor manufacturing technology, etc., but at that time, the Chinese auto market was not very open.
At that time, the strategic concept of the leaders of the automobile industry was: the products in the joint venture, the first generation of the introduction; the second generation of cooperative development; the third generation of independent development. The company's leadership team never fantasized about obtaining vehicle development technology from multinational companies. It was in the conference room that the author heard Chairman Rao Bin and General Manager Li Gang expound these views.
It is worth mentioning in particular that in the early 1980s, the government management departments and enterprises of China's automobile industry invited experts from developed countries to China to consult on the development strategy, policies and technological development of the automobile industry.
For example, China National Automobile Corporation has invited experts such as MacDonald, former president of Ford Motor Company of the United States, to consult on the development strategy of China's automobile industry; and cooperated with Toyota and Nissan Motor Company of Japan to conduct "Research on the Development Strategy of China's Automobile Industry".
These studies have enabled government management departments and enterprises to broaden their horizons, recognize the laws of the development of the world automobile industry, and contribute to the planning and development of China's automobile industry.
Chinese automobile companies invited foreign experts to Come to China for consultation, and Mr. Li personally listened to their opinions and exchanged views with them. He always carefully reads, studies, and gives instructions on the advice we collate.
In September 1985, the National Congress of the Communist Party of China adopted the "Proposal of the CENTRAL Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the Seventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development", which pointed out: "According to the requirements of speeding up the construction of transportation, it is necessary to regard the automobile manufacturing industry as an important pillar industry, strive for a relatively large development, and at the same time develop the locomotive, ship and aircraft manufacturing industries."
After the China Automobile Industry Corporation saw the draft of the "Proposal of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the Seventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development", Mr. Li immediately organized a discussion and gave positive feedback, and only then did he write this sentence of great importance to the development of the automobile industry in the "Proposal".
The author boldly summarizes the achievements of the leadership team of Rao Bin and Li Gang: promoting the level and structure of commercial vehicles in the mainland has been greatly changed and improved, which has opened the prelude to the development of cars and made a strategic layout for the great development of the automobile industry; has made great contributions to promoting the automobile industry to become a pillar industry; and has dared to explore in the process of opening up to the outside world, so that foreign capital can be used by us, and has explored the diversified development path of China's automobile industry.
In completing the above work, Mr. Li personally experienced and made important contributions.
For example, due to the shortage of domestic oil supply in China at that time, the relevant departments proposed the policy of "saving fuel and sealing cars", which had a great impact on the development of the automobile industry. Mr. Li personally organized the investigation and wrote out relevant materials to promote a change in policy.
For another example, with the support of Mr. Li, China Automobile Industry Corporation has organized strategic seminars attended by government departments, research institutes and large enterprises for many times, making public opinion and strategic preparations for the development of the automobile industry.
Mr. Li has a broad vision, emancipates his mind, and has the courage to learn from the advanced experience and practices of the international automobile industry. I've heard him talk about how to learn from the 4S model of car sales in developed countries.
However, Mr. Li put the independent research and development of China's automobile industry in a very important position, and has his own unique views on the independent research and development of automobiles, especially the independent research and development of cars.
Even after his retirement, he has maintained a consistent focus on independent research and development.
To this end, he once wrote to Premier Zhu Rongji, systematically expressing his views and suggestions on independent research and development of China's automobile industry. He believes that the introduction of foreign capital and technology through reform and opening up is important, but there is no way out by following multinational automobile companies.
Once, at an expert meeting held by An International Engineering Consulting Corporation in China, I met Mr. Li (later chairman of the board). He is in his nineties, still in good spirits and clear in his thinking. Knowing that I was studying the automotive industry's independent research and development project, he immediately asked me to send the results to his mailbox.
After careful reading, he said to me in WeChat: "The problem is more carefully studied, but it lacks methods and policy suggestions to solve the problem." ”
I am ashamed that Mr. Li is right, as a scholar, I only focus on clarifying problems in my research, and I have not considered policy recommendations for many years.
Li was always a high-caliber student at Southwest United University, and had been to the Soviet Union in the early days of FAW's formation, and was very knowledgeable, good in English and Russian. The relevant departments often provide him directly with valuable foreign language materials. He is always interested in the latest developments in the international automotive industry, and always puts forward new insights in reform.
During his tenure as the director of FAW, Mr. Li led a team to Toyota to systematically learn Toyota's management and manufacturing methods, and after returning to China, they systematically summarized the learning gains, which had a great impact on the production and management methods of China's automobile industry and China's industry.
Once, another comrade and I wrote an article entitled "Some Opinions on the Reform of Chinese Automobile Companies" and took the liberty of submitting it to General Manager Li for review. The article suggests that Chinese auto companies should pay attention to strategic research, adapt to the challenges brought about by market economic reform, and change the way of working (CHINA AUTOMOBILE Company has a strong government atmosphere).
Unexpectedly, Mr. Li quickly issued instructions: print and distribute the whole company. This opinion written by Comrades Zhao Ying and Zhao Xiaobing is very valuable, and I hope that the comrades of the whole company will learn from them and put forward opinions for the development of the company. (to the effect)
Li is always a deputy ministerial-level cadre and an alternate member of the Central Committee, and I am deeply moved to attach so much importance to the opinions of two ordinary cadres.
Another time, I read a book written by a Western scholar on the operation of the market economy, and felt that some of these views were very enlightening for thinking about the problems faced by Chinese automobile companies at that time, so I took the liberty of recommending them to Mr. Li.
Mr. Li took the book and read it with great interest. Later, I discussed the book's point of view. In today's big state enterprises, this is unimaginable.
Li is always an engineer and factory director, and has strict requirements for the company's important reports, always looks very seriously, and pays attention to important technical details. He would come to our office with a draft report to discuss, and we would sometimes not be able to answer, so we had to consult other experts.
Once, he wrote in a draft report: "a mess of hemp", which means that the thinking is not clear and the logic is not clear. We saw the instructions, enjoyed it for a while, and then revised it carefully.
Mr. Li is strict, but approachable. The company held a meeting a little farther away from the beijing city, and when he returned to the city, Li always asked if anyone had hitchhiked. The place where I live is relatively close to the company, so sometimes I take Li Zong's car home, I am a little restrained on the road, but Li Zong talks to me about the development of the automobile industry.
The past is as it is in front of you...
Compared with other auto industry predecessors, Li Ganglao, who is 96 years old, has seen that China's auto industry has dominated the world for many years in terms of scale, total production and sales. I think the old man should be very pleased. There is still a long way to go to promote China's transformation from a big country in the automobile industry to a strong country in the automobile industry. My generation should still work hard.
With this article, I would like to express my condolences to Elder Li!
On January 28, 2016, "Autobot" and the "old Autobot" in Beijing joined the New Year friendship, and the participants took a group photo (the fourth from the left in the row is Li Gang)
On January 28, 2016, Li Gang took a group photo with his wife
On April 25, 2016, at the 6th "Autobot Night", Li Gang (left) and He Guangyuan (former Minister of Machinery Industry) were together
On April 25, 2016, at the 6th "Automan Night", Li Gang won the "Lifetime Honor Award for Chinese Autobots"
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