Why did the general secretary mention Zhang Xiao twice in three months?

In recent times, a name has spread all over the country. He is zhang jian, an industrialist and industrialist at the end of the Qing dynasty.

Within three months, General Secretary Xi Jinping twice mentioned Zhang Xiao's life deeds and praised him as "the sage and model of China's national entrepreneurs" and "a model of patriotic entrepreneurs."

Zhang Xiao was a modern politician, industrialist, and educator in the late Qing Dynasty. He founded the Dasheng Spinning Factory, pioneered the national light industry, and established the Chinese national brand. He founded more than 30 enterprises and more than 370 schools in his lifetime, making valuable contributions to the rise of China's modern national industry and the development of education.

Zhang Xuwu, the 92-year-old grandson of Zhang Xiao, defined his grandfather as follows: "Zhang Xiao was not a socialist, but there was a socialist element in the various undertakings he created. In 1978, the British scholar Flanders proposed the term social enterprise, and soon Bill, the founder of the American Ashoka Company, gave the definition of social entrepreneur, which is also studied by economists in China. The definition of social entrepreneur has three aspects: First, the ideal of lofty goals. Second, a scientific and pragmatic business model. Third, benefit sharing. ”

Lofty goals, scientific pragmatism, and shared benefits can we extract the characteristics of the times of Zhang Xiao's spirit, and what should contemporary private entrepreneurs learn from Zhang Xiao?

On the 12th, the 2020 annual forum on the "Significance of the Times of the Zhang Xiao Spirit" sponsored by the Central Socialist College, the China Vocational Education Society, the United Front Work Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, and the Nantong Municipal Party Committee was held in Beijing. Many people in the political, business and academic circles focused on the significance of the times of Zhang Xiao's spirit.

Hao Mingjin, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic National Construction Association, president of the Central Socialist College, and chairman of the China Vocational Education Society, pointed out that since the beginning of this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping has mentioned Zhang Xiao twice, calling him a "model of patriotic entrepreneurs." The theme of the forum is "New Development Pattern and Zhang Xiao Spirit", which has strong contemporary value and practical significance. It is hoped that entrepreneurs in the new era will strive to be models of patriotic service to the country, hard work and innovation, perseverance, and compliance with discipline and law, and contribute to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.

01 The "Chinese Business Road" behind the spirit of Zhang Xiao

Pan Yue, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and first vice president of the Central Socialist College, said that the spirit of Zhang Xiao is a concentrated embodiment of the Chinese business way, a fusion of home-country feelings and economic rationality, a business ethic that is reshaped between righteousness and profit, public and private, and home and country, and an open character that is deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture but at the same time has a world vision.

Although the times are different, the contemporary entrepreneurial spirit is the same as the spiritual feelings displayed in Zhang Xiao. In today's society, what should we learn from Zhang Xiao?

Wen Tiejun, a professor at Chinese Min University, said that the strategic significance of Zhang Xiao's research lies in the background of China's construction of a new development pattern of "double circulation" with the domestic large cycle as the main body, emphasizing ecology, emphasizing rural revitalization, and emphasizing structural changes in production relations, of which the most important is the private enterprise of micro-subject. The industry should aim at social enterprises and strengthen the conscious transformation of micro subjects.

Pan Yue pointed out that one of the important inspirations of the Spirit of Zhang Xiao to today's Chinese entrepreneurs is to cultivate the feelings of home and country. Chinese entrepreneurs should advance and retreat with the country, share glory and disgrace, breathe together, and share a common destiny. No matter how capital flows around the world, no matter how the commercial territory transcends the traditional national boundaries, everyone will eventually have their own motherland, the foundation of enterprises will eventually take root in the motherland, and their own destiny will eventually be integrated into the great process of national rejuvenation.

Li Zhaoqian, member of the party leading group and vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, pointed out that whether it is for officials, doing business, developing education, or enthusiastically for public welfare, What Zhang Jian has always changed is the spirit of unswervingly exploring the road to enriching the people and strengthening the country. The vast number of private entrepreneurs should establish lofty ideals, take the prosperity of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and the common prosperity as their own responsibility, and strengthen the perseverance of serving the country with industry and strengthening the country through industry.

As a late Qing Dynasty leader, Zhang Jian gave up his career and devoted himself to modern industry and commerce because he believed that "the fundamental salvation of the country lies in industry." This concept is not outdated to this day.

Pan Yue pointed out that in the face of the impact of economic derealization to virtual and excessive financialization, Chinese entrepreneurs should strengthen the belief of rejuvenating the country through industry and industry, continuously empower and upgrade the real economy and traditional industries, and continuously promote the deep integration of the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence and the real economy.

02 The spirit of innovation

As the first "going to the sea" in the history of the imperial examination, Zhang Jian founded China's first private enterprise, founded the first normal school in modern China, and founded the first private museum... Behind the more than 20 "China Firsts" he has created is a never-ending spirit of innovation.

For today's entrepreneurs, Pan Yue believes that in the face of the strategic requirements of innovation-driven development and the passive situation in which key technologies are subject to people, we must not only work hard and have an open vision; we must not only track the trend of technology, but also dare to achieve innovation in no man's land; we must promote the sustainable development of the local economy and industry, and we must also contribute the wisdom of Chinese entrepreneurs to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Li Zhaoqian believes that the majority of private entrepreneurs should continue to carry forward the spirit of "eating crabs", increase investment in research and development, increase the intensity of research and development, overcome the technical difficulties of "card neck", and make new contributions to the realization of the core technology in China's key areas of autonomy, safety and controllability.

It is necessary to actively participate in the co-construction of the innovation ecology, consolidate and develop the multi-party linkage of production, education and research, upstream and downstream integration and innovation, and strengthen the effect of solid chain replenishment chain and strong chain.

Zhou Haijiang, secretary of the party committee and chairman of the board of directors of Hongdou Group, who has been rooted in the real economy, said that to learn from the spirit of Zhang Xiao, we must do a good job in adhering to the three. That is, adhere to the real economy, adhere to patriotic feelings, adhere to social responsibility. Under the new development pattern, private entrepreneurs should carry forward the spirit of Zhang Xiao to create a "three-self" enterprise with independent innovation, independent brand and independent capital. Zhou Haijiang said that private enterprises can only cross the volcano of transformation by taking the road of independent innovation. He revealed that in terms of innovation ability, Hongdou Group supports products through the innovation ability of talents, and has applied for more than 300 patents in total.

03 Take the initiative to assume social responsibility

Zhang Xiao not only runs an enterprise, but also runs charity and public welfare. He also built many schools, educated civilians to take responsibility, and took the initiative and fully assumed the social responsibility of entrepreneurs. Today, social responsibility is also a core element of modern entrepreneurship.

Ma Weihua, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shenzhen International Philanthropy Institute, member of the Steering Committee of the Impact of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and former President of China Merchants Bank, believes that the combination of righteousness and profit of enterprises and active social responsibility is the embodiment of the spirit of Zhang Xiao's times. He pointed out that at present, the purpose of social entrepreneurs to run a business should not only be to make profits, but to solve social problems and then realize their ideals.

Ma Weihua said that in the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Chinese private entrepreneurs are relying on this sense of responsibility to serve the society, hear the "epidemic", rush to the disaster area, actively participate in the resumption of production, and revitalize the economy. "In this year's global recession, China's economy can maintain positive growth, which is inseparable from the social responsibility and feelings of entrepreneurs."

Ma Weihua said that in the face of "natural challenges", although the economic and investment circles try to better govern the environment and society from a variety of ways such as bottom-line investment, moral investment, and responsible investment, this does not fundamentally avoid the occurrence of problems, but should pay attention to the consistency of economic benefits and social values when each economic activity occurs. "Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs use commercial means to solve social problems, allocate public welfare resources in the way of the market, and use financial means to achieve the purpose of public welfare, achieve sustainable development, and lead a new commercial civilization."

Li Zhaoqian believes that Zhang Xiao used business to cultivate his studies, and the wealth he obtained in his life was in the service of society. While leading enterprises to provide high-quality products and services, the majority of private entrepreneurs should further enhance the feelings of home and country, assume social responsibility, carry forward the role of helping the rich before getting rich, actively participate in the rural revitalization action of "ten thousand enterprises helping ten thousand villages", actively participate in the glorious cause and public welfare charity, and reflect their own life value in participating in the new development pattern and promoting common prosperity.

Pan Yue pointed out that in the face of the differentiation of the class structure, entrepreneurs should participate in the construction of a harmonious economic governance order and labor relations; in the face of the difference between the rich and the poor and social problems, they should devote themselves to public welfare and charity to support the social bottom line; in the face of the reality of unbalanced development, they should consciously promote green development and help implement the national strategy of regional economic integration; in the face of the needs of national governance modernization, they should participate in the construction of a social governance community, and write "social responsibility" on the Chinese land and the world stage.

04 The times call for Zhang Xiao

Zhang Xiao lived in an era of simultaneous internal and external troubles, the collision of Chinese and Western cultures, and the sharp transformation of society, and he rose up in the face of difficulties to break through in desperate circumstances, rise up in adversity, and promote the development process of China's national industry, which is even more valuable today.

Huang Weidong, chairman of the Nantong Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told the People's Political Consultative Conference Daily reporter, "On November 12, when General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected the Nantong Museum, I supplemented my explanation as a researcher of Zhang Xiao, and General Secretary Xi Jinping said: 'I remember this place in my heart, and I came to see it today. General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the 'Exhibition of Zhang Xiao's Life and Achievements' very seriously, and inquired in detail about the inscriptions on Zhang Xiao's portrait, Zhang Xiao's experience in office, the schools he ran, industries, social charity, and chambers of commerce. ”

General Secretary Xi Jinping said that Zhang Jian should be a person who has been educated by traditional Chinese education after understanding that Zhang Jian did not have experience in the West, and from this point, it can be seen that people who are educated by traditional Chinese education can also have a world vision, and today we emphasize "hard work and rejuvenation", Zhang Xiao is a typical and representative of hard work and rejuvenation, and is the ancestor and model of China's national entrepreneurs.

When visiting the charity section, General Secretary Xi Jinping said that Zhang Xiao did a lot of charity in that year, did a good job, gave people roses, and left incense in his hands, which is the important significance of charity. Zhang Xiao was a responsible and socially responsible entrepreneur at that time, and we allow some people to get rich first, and entrepreneurs, after accumulating wealth, saw the wise and thought together, consciously and voluntarily assumed social responsibility.

During the visit (exhibition), General Secretary Xi Jinping said that zhang Xiao's patriotic feelings, innovative spirit, integrity and people-oriented consciousness displayed in the industrial salvation of the country are what we entrepreneurs should learn from today.

Before leaving the museum, General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed us that we must run the "patriotic education base" of the museum in Nantong well, so that entrepreneurs and young people across the country can be educated and enhance their sense of social responsibility.

Huang Weidong also specifically told reporters that the Entrepreneur Day set up in Nantong was the opening day of the Dasheng Spinning Factory founded by Zhang Xiao that year - May 23.

Looking back at a person and remembering a spirit is to adhere to a way forward, but also the strength to forge ahead. A hundred years ago, Zhang Xiao carried the idea of "industry to save the country", broke the economic encirclement and suppression of western powers, founded a series of economic entities such as textiles, machinery, agricultural reclamation, logistics, finance, etc. in Nantong, set up schools, hospitals, nursing homes and many other social undertakings, and at the same time put forward the idea of "co-economy with the world", recruited talents, and made Nantong a national model county at that time, which was praised by the academic circles as "the first city in modern China".

Author: Liu Yan

Column Editor-in-Chief: Gu Wanquan Text Editor: Li Linwei Title Image Source: Visual China Photo Editor: Su Wei

Source: Author: People's Political Consultative Conference Daily Liu Yan