Chen Kezhen: Su Zhongli, who warmed the hearts of overseas Chinese

Author: Chen Kezhen

Su Zhongli, the current chairman of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town, Anxi County, is an overseas Chinese relative, and his grandfather is a returned overseas Chinese from Indonesia. In 1988, he was elected as the chairman of the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation, and it has been more than 30 years. He insisted on serving overseas Chinese enthusiastically, and was praised by returned overseas Chinese, their relatives, and overseas Chinese compatriots. Since the reform and opening up, overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town have donated more than 200 million yuan to set up public welfare undertakings in their hometown, and he himself has been commended by the Federation of Overseas Chinese at all levels and the All-China Federation of Overseas Chinese.

Create conditions to serve the overseas Chinese

Su Zhongli, born in 1951 in Lingtou Village, Guanqiao Town, Anxi County, joined the army in 1969, won the regiment department commendation five times in the army, and was awarded the third-class meritorious service, and after returning to his hometown after being discharged from the army in 1975, he served as a village cadre in Lingtou Village. Later, due to the needs of the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation, he was recruited to work in the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation, and was elected as the chairman of the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation in 1988, and has served for more than 30 years.

Guanqiao Town is the main hometown of overseas Chinese in Anxi County, and the number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives is relatively large. Su's grandfather had six brothers, all of whom lived in Jakarta, Indonesia in his early years. Su Zhongli's grandfather returned to China on the eve of liberation, and the rest are still doing business in Jakarta, and some of his descendants have moved to Hong Kong, Macao and other places, and the total number of the entire family has reached more than 300 people. His family loves their hometown, and in the 50s of the last century, they donated funds to participate in the construction of Guanqiao Theater and other public welfare undertakings.

When he saw that the government had set up an organization of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, implemented the policy on overseas Chinese affairs, and enthusiastically served overseas Chinese, he thought how good it would be if he had the opportunity to do the work of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese! Unexpectedly, in 1987, he really realized his wish and was hired to work for the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town, and was elected chairman of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town at the 1988 Guanqiao Town Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. Later, he was re-elected for many terms, and has become a grassroots worker of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese who has been engaged in the work of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese for more than 30 years.

After the reform and opening up, the number of overseas Chinese returning to their hometowns increased, and the Federation of Overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town warmly received them, and the overseas Chinese were very satisfied. However, after returning to their hometowns and arriving in Guanqiao Town, it is very inconvenient for overseas Chinese to return to the countryside to visit their relatives and ancestors. Therefore, Su Zhongli, who served as the chairman of the town's Federation of Overseas Chinese, thought about what the overseas Chinese thought, and when he saw that some of the Federation of Overseas Chinese had received vehicles donated by overseas Chinese, he immediately decided to ask for the overseas Chinese to donate cars in order to solve the problem of the difficulty of overseas Chinese returning to their hometowns.

For this reason, Su Zhongli thought about it, and it was easier for him to win the support of overseas Chinese who were not familiar with him, than to win over his own relatives and overseas Chinese. It happened that his cousins Su Chongwang and Su Chongqing returned to their hometown to visit relatives, and their finances were fine, so Su Zhongli explained the situation to them, got their understanding and support, and jointly donated a station wagon. After giving away the car, Su Zhongli wrote in red letters on the car that read, "Donated by overseas Chinese Su Chongwang and Su Chongqing", and Su Chongwang's brothers were satisfied with it.

With station wagons, favorable conditions have been created for the transportation of overseas Chinese. After that, the overseas Chinese wanted to return to their hometowns to visit their relatives, and when Su Zhongli learned that the overseas Chinese were going to return to their hometowns that day, he arranged for a station wagon to receive them back at Xiamen Airport and send them to their destinations. When they want to go abroad, they will be sent to pick them up and take them to Xiamen Airport. During the period when overseas Chinese return to their hometowns, the Federation of Overseas Chinese will send people to accompany them and provide thoughtful services in terms of car, accommodation, and life. Su Zhongli carefully arranged vehicles and enthusiastically served overseas Chinese, which was praised by overseas Chinese.

Overseas Chinese Xiao Wanjin grew up overseas, I don't know where his ancestral hometown is, when he first returned to his hometown to find his roots, he came to the Overseas Chinese Federation of Guanqiao Town, Chairman Su Zhongli warmly received him, helped him understand the situation, and accompanied him to Guanqiao Town to find his roots in the inner village surnamed Xiao. was fortunate enough to find his relatives in his ancestral hometown in time, which made Xiao Wanjin very moved. Soon after, Xiao Wanjin led his family of 10 people from three generations to return to his hometown, and donated more than 1 million yuan to build a primary school building and a cement road leading to the village.

Liao Yangzong, an overseas Chinese in Shangyuan Village, Guanqiao Town, donated more than 1.3 million yuan to build a bridge across Lanxi in his hometown in order to facilitate the travel of his relatives in his hometown. After Su Zhongli learned about it, he reported to the town government, and after coordination and resolution, the bridge could be opened to traffic.

Enthusiastic for overseas Chinese "three hearts call one heart"

Wang Jinxiang, an overseas Chinese from Shangying Village, Chengxiang Town, and his relatives learned that Guanqiao Middle School in Guanqiao Town had difficulties in building a school building, so they donated millions of yuan to build the Guanqiao Middle School building, and in the name of his wife Liang Jinfeng, donated to build the Liang Jinfeng Education Foundation Building and established the Liang Jinfeng Education Fund. The schools donated by overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town include Shangyuan Primary School, Chiling Primary School, Xinting Primary School, Biyi Primary School, Guanqiao Minghuo Center Kindergarten, etc., all of which have devoted the efforts of overseas Chinese to support the development of education.

For more than 30 years, Su Zhongli has adhered to the party's principles and policies on overseas Chinese affairs, enthusiastically served overseas Chinese, adhered to the method of "going out, inviting in", and went to Southeast Asia and Hong Kong dozens of times for friendship and exchanges, making old friends and making new friends. In his work, he achieves "three hearts and one heart", that is, to understand the hearts of overseas Chinese, treat overseas Chinese sincerely, serve enthusiastically, arouse the love of overseas Chinese, and donate funds to his hometown to set up public welfare undertakings.

Su Zhongli led the Overseas Chinese Federation of the town to guide overseas Chinese to participate in the construction of their hometown, invest in their hometown, donate to public welfare undertakings, and contribute to the economic and social development of their hometown. Since the reform and opening up, the overseas Chinese in the town have donated more than 200 million yuan to public welfare undertakings in their hometowns, contributing to the development of education, health and transportation in their hometowns.

The Overseas Chinese Federation of Guanqiao Town treats overseas Chinese sincerely and enthusiastically to safeguard the interests of overseas Chinese. During the "Cultural Revolution", Mr. Zhong was very dissatisfied with the destruction of the grave of Mr. and Mrs. Depei, an overseas Chinese national, the pond in front of the ancestral house was filled, and the soil behind the house was dug up. On many occasions, the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese sent people to gain an in-depth understanding of the situation and report to the town and county leaders, so that the problem could be satisfactorily resolved. Mr. Zhong's philosophers were deeply moved and inspired to love their hometown, and successively donated to build primary and secondary school buildings, hospital buildings, highways and bridges, with a total donation of more than 60 million yuan.

Lin Jiangshui, an overseas Chinese from Lianmei Village, was bedridden for recuperation due to a stroke in old age, and Wu Meipei, then president of Guanqiao Hospital, who was also the vice chairman of the county Federation of Overseas Chinese, learned about it during an overseas visit and immediately visited him to give treatment. Later he returned to his hometown. Wu Meipei of the Federation of Overseas Chinese enthusiastically took him to Guanqiao Hospital for treatment. The Federation of Overseas Chinese also often sent people to visit him, which deeply moved him and stimulated his enthusiasm for running a school, that is, after donating to Guanqiao Hospital to build a hospital, he donated tens of millions of yuan to build a school, and his hometown named the school "Jiangshui School" after him. His father and son donated more than 30 million yuan to public welfare undertakings.

The Federation of Overseas Chinese in Guanqiao Town insists on serving overseas Chinese, understanding the hearts of overseas Chinese, treating overseas Chinese with sincerity and enthusiasm, which arouses the love of overseas Chinese for their hometown. Wu Meipei, who is also the vice chairman of the county federation of overseas Chinese, is the president of Guanqiao Hospital, has visited overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia many times, and enthusiastically served overseas Chinese, who have donated more than 30 million yuan over the years to support Guanqiao Hospital to build a hospital and purchase medical equipment and equipment, making the hospital a first-class township-level hospital in the province.

Since the reform and opening up, the balance of various public welfare undertakings donated by overseas Chinese in the town has reached more than 200 million yuan, ranking in the forefront of all townships and towns in the county, and has made contributions to the construction of Anxi New Overseas Chinese Township.

Strive for funds to build a club for the Federation of Overseas Chinese

The original three houses of the Overseas Chinese Federation in Guanqiao Town in the theater have an area of 50 square meters and no facilities such as toilets. After the reform and opening up, the number of overseas Chinese returning to their hometowns has increased, and there are many inconveniences. In order to meet the needs of the work and better serve the overseas Chinese, according to the suggestions of returned overseas Chinese, overseas Chinese relatives and overseas Chinese, the town Federation of Overseas Chinese applied for the construction of the Federation of Overseas Chinese, which was valued and supported by the town government, and the land was allocated to support the construction.

To build the Federation of Overseas Chinese, funding has become the biggest problem. In order to solve the problem of construction funds, Su Zhongli, under the leadership of the town leaders, went to various places to solicit the opinions of overseas Chinese. In 1993, he first went to Indonesia to visit Su Zhongli's relatives, and then they contacted his fellow overseas Chinese to introduce the situation in his hometown.

Su Zhongli and the town leaders went overseas and Hong Kong again to contact the overseas Chinese compatriots in Guanqiao and Hong Kong, and introduced to them the situation of preparing for the establishment of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in their hometowns, which also received their support, and finally solved the problem of insufficient funds for the establishment of the Federation of Overseas Chinese.

Su Zhongli considered that the Township Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese is a grassroots community organization, and the office expenses and staff salaries are not included in the government's budget appropriation items, and the construction of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese must consider that the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese has a fixed income to ensure that the Federation can survive for a long time.

Overseas Chinese and Hong Kong compatriots are enthusiastic about the cause of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in their hometowns, and have donated more than 1.3 million yuan to build a three-story building of the Federation of Overseas Chinese, which integrates office, reception, catering and accommodation. The Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese has spacious offices and reception places, and its annual income from guest rooms, catering contracting, and store rent is more than 120,000 yuan, so that the Federation has basically reached the "five standards" and has truly become a home for returned overseas Chinese and their relatives and overseas Chinese.

With the efforts of Su Zhongli, the Guanqiao Town Federation of Overseas Chinese has complete facilities and rich activities, uniting the hearts of overseas Chinese, gathering overseas Chinese wisdom, giving full play to the strength of overseas Chinese, and constantly creating a new situation in the work of the Federation of Overseas Chinese, which has been well received by all sectors of society and affirmed by superior leaders. In 2009, the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation was named the title of "Home of Overseas Chinese Friends" by the Provincial Federation of Overseas Chinese. In 2016, it was awarded the title of "Home of Overseas Chinese" by the Provincial Federation of Overseas Chinese.

For more than 30 years, Su Zhongli has led the members of the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation to unite as one, conscientiously do a good job in various tasks, and have made outstanding achievements, and have been affirmed and commended by superiors many times. In 2004, he was awarded the title of Advanced Worker of the Federation of Overseas Chinese by the Anxi County Party Committee and the County Government: in 2005, he was awarded the title of Advanced Individual in the Provincial Key Overseas Chinese Investigation by the Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, and in the same year, he was awarded the title of Advanced Individual in the Work of the Federation of Overseas Chinese by the Quanzhou Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government.

In November 2013, Su Zhongli led the Guanqiao Town Federation of Overseas Chinese to achieve remarkable results, and was also awarded the honorary title of Advanced Individual in the Work of the National Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese by the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. Since 1994, he has been a member of the 7th to 11th Anxi County Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for 23 years. The achievements of the Federation of Overseas Chinese in the town are remarkable, and the books "China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese", "Fujian Overseas Chinese Daily" and "The Light of Anqiao" have successively published the article "'Three Hearts Call One Heart' to Build a New Overseas Chinese Township" of the Guanqiao Town Overseas Chinese Federation. Recently, Su Zhongli has organized an exhibition of the achievements of the Guanqiao Town Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese over the years in the form of pictures and texts to reflect the achievements of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.