China.com Beijing, September 5 (Reporter Zhang Ningrui, Li Peigang Zhang Jing) At the 11th National Congress of Returned Overseas Chinese and Relatives of Overseas Chinese held recently, Yao Lijun, a representative of returned overseas Chinese and chairman and chief technology officer of Ningbo Jiangfeng Electronic Materials Co., Ltd., was interviewed by China.com. Yao Lijun said, "Our generation has the responsibility and mission to make 'Made in China' not only cheap shoes and socks, the key is to have a few more Chinese business cards in the high-end manufacturing field." We must dare to compete with the world's counterparts in the high-tech field, add glory to 'Made in China', and let 'Made in China' serve the world." ”
Yao Lijun won the honorary title of "Outstanding Person Nomination Award in China's Overseas Chinese Circle" Photo by Li Peigang, reporter of China.com
China.com: When did you go abroad, and under what circumstances did you choose to return to China?
Yao Lijun: I am a bachelor's, master's and doctoral student at Harbin Institute of Technology, majoring in metal materials and heat treatment. In 1994, when I was about to finish my Ph.D., I received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Culture, and I decided to go abroad for a second Ph.D. After graduating, he worked in the Japanese factory of an American multinational corporation, where he worked from engineer to chief executive of the production base. During my time working in Japan, I realized that the United States had already sanctioned Japan in some high-tech fields, which also strengthened my belief that we Chinese have to do something in the field of high-end materials, and we can do it.
In 2005, we returned to China and founded Jiangfeng Electronics Co., Ltd., mainly engaged in the supply of raw materials for semiconductor chip manufacturing worldwide.
In 2017, the company was listed on the A-share market, and now, our products account for more than a quarter of the global market share, and the market share in the field of semiconductor chip raw materials is already the second in the world. Our ultra-high purity metal targets fill the gap in this field in China, end the history of relying on imports of products, and achieve mass supply in the world's leading technology, breaking the monopoly pattern of multinational companies in the United States and Japan. We have successfully participated in the international market competition in the field of electronic materials.
China.com: It is not easy to start a business, the threshold for entrepreneurship in the high-tech field is higher, what problems have you encountered?
Yao Lijun: In the early days of returning to China to start a business, the overall situation in China was indeed very difficult, the entire semiconductor industry, there were almost no mature high-end talents, no decent equipment, no brand, lack of materials, less funds, as far as we knew at that time, in a sense, there were almost no Chinese companies in the chip industry chain.
The factory I work in Japan already has a very good international market, and I myself have accumulated trust in the industry circle, so some foreign friends took the initiative to follow me to China to start a business, and I attracted a few "returnees" doctors, and the first key members of the company's founding were formed.
China.com: People have, what about funds?
Yao Lijun: There was a very short shortage of funds, and no investors were willing to invest in us, and at that time the funds were keen to invest in some enterprises on the Internet. No way, I smashed almost all my belongings into it, and borrowed tens of millions from friends and relatives.
I remember that in 2008, there was a heavy snowfall in Yuyao, which overwhelmed all the trees. During that snowy Spring Festival, I drove an old car, ran around in the snow, borrowed money everywhere, because I couldn't pay my New Year's salary, and I had to pay the supplier's money, which was really difficult at that time.
Yao Lijun (right) is being interviewed by a reporter from China.com Photo by China.com reporter Li Peigang
China.com: Looking back now, was the lack of money the biggest difficulty back then?
Yao Lijun: Not yet, the most difficult thing is that at that time (in the field of chip materials) Chinese companies did not buy Chinese-made things. We carried the products to Chinese customers and hit a wall everywhere. This is also inevitable, because mainstream products are imported in the semiconductor chip market. Later, the first to recognize our products was the Japanese company, and later exported to Taiwan, Japan and Taiwan customers recognized, the Korean market, Southeast Asian market also opened, after that, our products can be sold in the Chinese mainland market.
China.com: It sounds like the company's start-up stage, the domestic production in this field is basically blank, how to solve your equipment in this case?
Yao Lijun: All the equipment is created from scratch, almost all of them are designed by us, which is also very difficult. For 18 years, we have been developing new processes, improving and developing new equipment every year. Today, we have engaged in thousands (sets) of high-end equipment, and now, foreign counterparts come to me to see our equipment, and they are also very envious.
China.com: On such a difficult entrepreneurial road, what forces have allowed you to continue to move forward?
Yao Lijun: Difficulties can forge heroes. At the beginning of our business, we made it clear that we are not making some money, we have a mission and responsibility, we must win glory for "Made in China", give "Made in China" new connotations, we want to let the world know that "Made in China" is not only cheap shoes and socks, the key is to have a few more of our Chinese business cards in the field of high-end manufacturing. My positioning for myself is: do this thing well in this life, make up for this technical shortcomings for our country, and my life will be worth it.
I often tell employees that your work represents the quality of "Made in China", you must be strict with yourself, we determine what kind of team we are from the corporate strategy, just like the Red Army climbed snowy mountains and crossed meadows, there is a spirit that inspires us.
China.com: Overseas Chinese returned to China to start a business, has the local government given you some support and help?
Yao Lijun: Zhejiang is a good place to start a business, and the local government is very honest and has done one stick after another, giving me and many enterprises policy support for continuity, and providing great help to the development of enterprises.
There is also the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, which also helps us a lot to return overseas Chinese. If you think about it, when we first returned to China, we had to integrate into the domestic society, faced a lot of difficulties, had no friends, no sales channels, and could not connect with the organization. At this time, the overseas Chinese federation organization took the initiative to embrace you. The platform of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese is very inclusive and delicate, we feel the warmth of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and with the help of many friendship and exchange activities of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, we have met a lot of friends and learned a lot of wonderful ideas and concepts, which is really a good platform.
China.com: Compared with 18 years ago, your own business has developed tremendously, and the overall environment in China has also changed dramatically. What do you think about the future?
Yao Lijun: After so many years of reform and exploration, China has found a Chinese solution that suits China's national conditions, and today China can carry the dreams of many people.
From the perspective of overseas Chinese work, I think we should pay more attention to the new generation of overseas Chinese, three years of the epidemic, they rarely come back to communicate, so we don't know how far China has developed, what changes have occurred, and we must more closely link the new generation of overseas Chinese with the development of the motherland, on the one hand, let overseas Chinese participate in and share China's development opportunities, on the other hand, also spread the real Chinese story to the world through overseas Chinese.