For the first time in more than half a century, private
entrepreneurs have joined the candidates for "National Model
Workers", the top honor for China's labor class.
Around 30 private entrepreneurs from all over the country are
included in a list of 2,977 nominees for this year's "National
Model and Advanced Workers" award, released online this week for
"public comments and supervision".
The nationwide selection of the model workers, conducted by the
State Council, the Chinese cabinet, has been held since 1950, and
once every five years since 1989. It was intended to pick out
exemplary figures from the country's huge working population of
about 750 million to inspire public morale for the socialist
construction.
Celebrations of model workers traditionally depict the like of
tireless and highly-productive workers and farmers, or
conscientious public service providers such as toilet cleaners, bus
conductors and plumbers. Scientists with outstanding
accomplishments and sports stars "earning glory for the motherland"
on international occasions like the Olympic Games are also the
contenders for the award.
Private entrepreneurs, however, who were once regarded as people
making profits from other's labor, known as "members of the
exploiting class", were denied access to the selection.
Despite the fact that a few provinces and cities had made
private entrepreneurs "model workers" at local levels in recent
years, the door of the national selection had kept closed to the
country's new-riches till this February, when the selection rules
were formally changed to make them "eligible nominees".
"We made the policy change in line with the spirit of the 16th
National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC)," said Yin
Weimin, vice director of the Judging Panel for Model and Advanced
Workers under the State Council. "We want to encourage people from
all social sectors to make contributions to the country."
The 16th CPC National Congress, held in Beijing in November
2002, defined the "non-public sector" as "an important component
part of the socialist market economy", and underlined the
importance to "encourage, support and guide" its development.
Official statistics show that in 2003, China's private business
sector contributed one third of the country's gross domestic
product (GDP), or 3.5 trillion yuan (US$423 billion). In 1979, the
private sector only accounted for less than 1 percent of the
GDP.
"For our prominent contributions to the country, we deserve the
recognition both from the government and the society," said Xu
Lianjie, board chairman of Heng'an Group based in east China's
Fujian Province, when knowing his nomination. Xu's company claimed
of paying 200 million yuan (US$24 million) annually to the
government in taxes.
A senior official with the Model Workers Judging Panel who
declined to be named disclosed that the nominated private
entrepreneurs were picked according to their "tax-paying and
law-abiding records", as well as their "contributions to social
welfare undertakings".
Liu Yonghao, board chairman of the Sichuan-based New Hope Group
who was once dubbed "China's richest person" by Forbes
Fortune, also made the candidates' list for having helped
4.59 million people out of poverty over the past decade by
sponsoring nearly 10,000 projects in the country's poorest western
and central areas.
Though private entrepreneurs have only occupied about one
percent of this year's national model worker nominees, their
presence still provokes some debate.
"The title of 'model worker' should only be given to ordinary
laborers, who are quite different from business owners," said Wu
Yaping, a professor of trade union study with the Beijing-based
China Institute of Industrial Relations.
But Xiao Zhuoji, a noted professor of economics with the
prestigious Beijing University, argued that "private business
owners are not only investors, they also labor in their management
work".
"Private entrepreneurs are fully entitled to the honor because
they help promote the development of society with their efforts,"
added Xiao.
Li Hua, a lawmaker of the National People's Congress, the top
Chinese legislature, from northwest China's Shaanxi Province,
described the nomination of the private entrepreneurs "a reflection
of China's political and social progress" and "a natural outcome of
the rapid expansion of private businesses".
According to officials with the Model Workers Judging Panel,
they decided to release the nomination information nationwide, the
first time in the selection history, to "listen to the public
opinion in as wide a range as possible".
(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2005)