Xiao Zhuoji is an economist who has worked hard all his life

Xiao Zhuoji, a well-known economist and professor at the School of Economics of Peking University. Photo courtesy of Xiao Zhuoji's family

Name: Xiao Zhuoji

Gender: Male

Age: 84 years old

Occupation: Professor, School of Economics, Peking University

Cause of death: Death

Deeds: Famous economist, author of "Marx Biography", "Engels Biography", "China's Economic System Reform and Economic Construction", "Introduction to China's Economy" and other works.

Wanshou temple road's daughter's home is the place where Xiao Zhuoji last lived.

When the weather is good, the family will use a wheelchair to push him out of the community to breathe, and then go farther away to the nearby Zizhuyuan Park.

"We all know him, and when he sees acquaintances or uniformed security guards, he tries to reach out and say hello." The security guard of the community recalled that when he first met Xiao Zhuoji three years ago, someone told him in front of his distant back, "This is the person who advocates agricultural tax reduction."

He is 84 years old and has been at the forefront of his life. During the "Cultural Revolution", after reading many of Man's works in the more than one year after losing his freedom, he adhered to the position of market economy during the trough of "reform"; after illness, he still paid attention to the current economy by writing and other means. In decades of education, students have achieved fame, he said, "it is not a famous teacher who produces a high apprentice, but a high apprentice who becomes a famous teacher."

Read to find Marx's residence

In Xiao Yang's memory, his father Xiao Zhuoji had been writing on the case.

He wrote quickly, always in one go, the font was clean, tidy, handsome, and the source of each quotation would be fully identified. When I write happily, I will stop and read it aloud.

On the stove behind it sat a silver aluminum pot with several pieces of sweet potatoes roasted around it. The handwriting stiffened, and Xiao Zhuoji got up and went to the stove to roast the fire for a while. Sometimes he picked up the roasted sweet potatoes and sighed as he ate them: "Now we have sweet potatoes to eat, and when Marx wrote Capital, he was so poor that he sometimes couldn't even eat. ”

Marxism has accompanied the economist for more than 60 years.

In September 1953, Xiao Zhuoji was admitted to the Department of Planned Economics of the National People's Congress. "He wanted to be a diplomat, but he later felt that economics could promote social progress." Student Bao Yanlei preached.

Since the 1950s, the complete works of Marne have been published in China. For every volume published, Xiao Zhuoji ran to the Xinhua Bookstore in Wangfujing to buy a copy. "Save up and buy it, and read it with relish." Xiao Yang said.

During the Cultural Revolution, Xiao Zhuoji was imprisoned in a student dormitory on the 37th floor of Peking University as a storage warehouse. Man's writings were the only books he could read, and he crouched down on a table less than a meter away, read several of Man's works, and wrote more than ten books, nearly two million words of reading notes.

In 1998, at the age of 65, Xiao Zhuoji went to Europe at his own expense to follow in Marx's footsteps. 10 days and 8 countries, from Trier, the birthplace of Marx, to the University of Bonn, to Brussels, where revolutionary activities were first carried out, to the British Museum in London, where he often worked, to Marx's tomb in Highgate Cemetery on the northern outskirts of London.

Pan Aihua, a student who accompanied the inspection, remembered clearly that during the trip, the tour guide informed Marx that one of Marx's former residences had been demolished, and the persistent teacher turned back and found the house where Marx had lived briefly in a garage by reading the scenes recorded in the books.

"The Mission of a Generation of Economists"

"China's reform and opening up is an unprecedented change, and it is very exciting to be in it." Shaw has mentioned.

During the "confrontation" between reform and conservatism, his views have repeatedly aroused heated discussion and criticism. In 1980, Xiao Zhuoji published an article entitled "Education is also a production sector", and in 1981, he put forward the "theory of separation of the two powers of state-owned enterprises". In the controversy over the "surname capital and surname society", he also mentioned that "the planned commodity economy is essentially a commodity economy." In 1992, he also proposed to take the socialist market economy as the overall goal of reform, and criticized the epidemic of business phobia, market phobia, and capital fear.

"Lao Xiao always clearly emphasized the importance of the market economic system, emphasizing that in the relationship between the government and the market, the government should play a role, but it cannot exclude the market mechanism." Recalling the more than 60 years of acquaintance with Xiao Zhuoji, Peking University colleague Liu Fangyu was most impressed by the past when he, Together with Li Yining and Xiao Zhuoji, he struggled side by side with the "Left" and "adhered to the market economy" during the low tide of reform.

"Dad has always said that there is no turning back when opening the bow, and it is inevitable that reform will encounter difficulties and twists and turns. Many years later, China's economy will surely take a big leap forward. Xiao Duan recalled.

Xiao Yang also said that many of his father's breakthrough views were criticized and criticized in the early days of reform, but he never wavered. "He said that as an economist, he was very fortunate to be able to experience and devote himself to the torrent of reform and opening up."

Xiao Zhuoji also comforted Meng Xiaosu, a student who was criticized for advocating a market economy in his paper: "A generation has the task and mission of a generation, and the research task of our generation of economists may be until now, and you will open up new horizons!" ”

In the spring of 1992, during his inspection of the south, Deng Xiaoping proposed: Seize the favorable opportunity and speed up the pace of reform. In 1993, the Third Plenary Session of the Fourteenth Central Committee clearly proposed to establish a socialist market economic system.

"He gave lectures to a number of enterprises in a row, and he was very happy to promote the market economy." HaiWen, a student in the class of 77, recalls meeting a teacher at a conference in Hainan.

"People live to fight"

"Dad said economists should take root in the soil, understand and solve problems from it." Xiao Duan remembered that once when his father went to a remote rural area to investigate, a farmer asked: "You are Xiao Zhuoji, a teacher at Peking University, I always watch you give lectures on TV, and the lectures are really good." He was very touched after listening to it, and felt that it was very meaningful for him to go and investigate. ”

The photos of Xiao Zhuoji's 80th birthday commemorative album show that his footprints have traveled all over Hong Kong and Taiwan, Britain, France, Germany, the United States, South Korea and Japan, visiting stock exchanges, giving reports, and giving lectures. He went deep into the rural areas of Zalantun City and the rural areas of the Hulunbuir League, and also discussed economic development strategies and participated in economic conferences in Many Places in Ankang, Shaanxi.

He always had a full schedule and full of energy, and set a record of traveling to many places in 5 days: Beijing flew to Shenzhen on June 13; daya Bay inspection on the 14th; attended the symposium on the 15th and flew to Nanning in the afternoon; attended the property rights trading seminar on the 16th and spoke, flying to Guangzhou that night; rushing to Foshan on the 17th to speak at the joint-stock company symposium; and flying back to Beijing on the 18th.

While the pace is fast, Xiao Zhuoji maintains high efficiency. Xiao Yang recalled that at the economist forum held every two months, his father could clearly summarize the main academic views of each speaker and point out the consensus and differences of the seminar.

At one meeting, because of traffic jams, he went straight to the afternoon briefing after the meeting and spoke empty-handed for four hours. "There was a lot of data in the lecture, and the students came back to check it, and there was no mistake." Xiao Yang recalled that later some students couldn't help but ask: "Teacher Xiao, why are you so godly?" ”

"It's all inseparable from his diligence. He always said that time is limited, and people have to fight desperately to live. When he got home, he always grabbed the newspaper and read it, and he was in a hurry to eat. In Xiao Yang's memory, his father spent most of his time in efficient work, "He seems to have an alarm clock in his head, sometimes he takes a break at noon, and after 20 minutes he can automatically wake up and work energetically." ”

In 2004, Xiao Zhuoji suddenly suffered a cerebral thrombosis, and relatives and friends advised him to recuperate. Liu Fangyu's wife also told him to take more care of his body. "He nodded, 'Aaaah, be well, pay attention,' but he was still busy every day."

"Natural home and country"

In 2007, Xiao Zhuoji had to slow down.

The second stroke, the right half of the body lost consciousness, lost the ability to express language. Fortunately, his mind and mind are still clear.

Bao Yanlei often went to visit his teachers, sometimes he read the newspaper with a magnifying glass, sometimes he watched tv news, and more than a dozen newspapers became a channel for Xiao Zhuoji to understand and keep up with the outside world.

As soon as he saw the students, he used a pen to write and draw on the paper. "It's mainly economic and social topics, from international trade and industrial development to poverty disparities." Bao Yanlei said that the teacher has maintained a keen concern for China's economy and has never been depressed by physical inconvenience.

Due to health reasons, Xiao Zhuoji, who was a member of the CPPCC National Committee, could not attend the meeting, but he still insisted on forwarding the proposal to the relevant departments. During his illness, he wrote to the central leadership to advise on China's economic problems.

"Some of the proposals and suggestions he prepared for more than a year, and read a lot of data and data analysis." Bao Yanlei remembered that the teacher would list the outline of the required materials, and he would borrow books, newspapers and magazines from the library according to the outline, and download the materials and papers from the Internet for reading and reference.

Ma Jianfeng, a postdoctoral fellow at Xiao Zhuoji, said that the teacher talked about "China's economy and capital market." He recalled that he once mentioned that The size of China's capital market ranked second in the world. As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his hand being squeezed heavily, and he saw a glint in the teacher's eyes.

"Although I can't express it, I can clearly feel his excitement." Ma Jianfeng said that the economists of the teacher's generation have a natural sense of home and country and are sincerely excited about the progress of the country.

At the first, second, and fourth sessions of the Tenth NATIONAL Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Xiao Zhuoji made successive reports, proposing to significantly reduce agricultural taxes, increase input in agriculture, and raise the income rate of peasants and the standards for poverty alleviation in rural areas. He believes that the peasants' contributions to reform and opening up and the losses they have suffered should be compensated.

Famous teachers and high disciples

Bao Yanlei would always think of the scene of taking classes at Xiao Zhuoji's house.

He was a closed disciple of Xiao Zhuoji, and when he was studying for a doctorate, the teacher chose the place of class at home due to his poor health. "He insisted on going to class every two weeks, all day long." Xiao Yang said.

Xiao Zhuoji always went downstairs early to buy bread and snacks, and soaked the students with Tieguanyin. The students sat down on the couches and dining chairs, and the day's lessons began. At noon, he took the students to the nearby roast duck restaurant to eat out of his own pocket, and the students who could not finish eating packed and brought them back to the dormitory.

Hai Wen, a 77-level economics student, was impressed by the teacher's open mind. At that time, the reform began, and traditional economics faced a realistic challenge: is the recruitment of urban self-employed people an exploitation? How to understand surplus value, market economy? He often discusses with his students the changing Chinese economic and social system.

Wen Jin, a classmate of Haiwen, still remembers an interesting incident when he was studying. "Once the "Capital" exam was an oral test, and after I answered, Teacher Xiao said: 'You only answered three, not comprehensive, but you used equal words, so it was also right'!"

Xiao Zhuoji also did not hesitate to promote and care for young scholars.

Ouyang Rihui, vice president of the China Internet Economy Research Institute of the Central University of Finance and Economics, recalled that in 2005, he prepared to publish a graduation thesis on the theme of the futures market. Thinking that Xiao Zhuoji was a famous artist, he plucked up the courage to hope to find him to write a preface.

Ouyang Rihui deliberately brought a draft preface for Xiao Zhuoji to choose. "He could have signed the preface directly or written it with reference, but he refused, accepting only the manuscript."

More than ten days later, Xiao Zhuoji took out a copy of six or seven thick pieces of composition grid paper, with neat and clean handwriting. "In order for me to see clearly, he transcribed it three times and went downstairs to print out a copy." Ouyang Rihui was grateful for the rigor of the older generation of intellectuals, and pulled out an envelope containing 3,000 yuan as a "polishing fee".

Teacher Xiao immediately asked me, what is this? He said a little angrily, this is the 107th preface I wrote, never charge money, I see that your paper is well written and recommended before writing. If it's not worth writing, I don't write for the money. ”

In his decades of teaching career, many of Xiao Zhuoji's students have achieved fame in the political, commercial and enterprise circles. "My father once said that people say that famous teachers come out of high disciples, and I said no, it should be high disciples who are famous teachers, and you must surpass teachers." Xiao Yang recalled.

This edition is written by Beijing News reporter Hou Runfang and Wang Jun

For more detailed news, please visit the Beijing News network www.bjnews.com.cn