A symposium on private enterprises presided over by President Xi Jinping was held in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People at 9:30 a.m. of November 1. “Hello everyone! We are convening this symposium today, mainly to listen to your opinions and suggestions on the economic development situation and the development of the private economy.” The opening remarks of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee went straight to the point, which won a warm applause from the delegates.

General Secretary Xi Jinping personally proposed and presided over the symposium on private enterprises, which reflected the consistent attention, concern and support of the Party Central Committee to the private enterprises. Here came many party and state leaders and the relevant persons in charge as well as more than 50 representatives of private entrepreneurs. The high standard of the meeting showed the importance of the symposium.

“This meeting is convened to draw upon all useful opinions, proceed with confidence and make concerted efforts in order to maintain and enhance the good momentum of China’s private economy development.” The General Secretary’s candid words and pragmatic attitude inspired the representatives of private entrepreneurs to express their feelings, speak the truth and put forward the sound suggestions.

As one of the 10 representative private entrepreneurs to make speeches, Lu Weiding sat in the opposite side of the General Secretary for reporting. The subject of his speech was “Accelerating the achievement of high-quality development”. In the face of the General Secretary’s affable smile, Lu Weiding said, “As a manufacturing company, Wanxiang was 49 years old this year, the manufacturing and technology had realized global operations and global markets. In 1999, the company began to invest in clean energy, the start/stop battery and energy storage are world-leading. So far, it has developed the only Chinese car that is made in the US and sold in Europe and America. Now, ‘Wanxiang Innovation & Energy-gathering City’ has been identified as the prior zone and landmark project for the construction of Zhejiang Greater Bay Area by provincial party committee and provincial government, the investment of which is RMB 200 billion Yuan. Two projects have started this year and Wanxiang will ‘strive to build a city in ten years’”. Lu Weiding expressed that at present the biggest challenge for the private enterprises lay in the private enterprises themselves. “I will always think about Wanxiang and keep my mind free of distractions. and let Wanxiang go deeper and higher with feet on the ground along the path of internationalization.” “40 years ago, the private enterprises suddenly rose as a new force, and now with the better environment, more methods and thick foundation, there is no reason not to do better.” He also put forward suggestions on listing a number of major technological innovation projects of private enterprises in the “14th Five-Year Plan” and how to solve the problems of double taxation of the foreign dividends that come back of private enterprises.

After Lu Weiding’s report, the General Secretary had a cordial interaction with him. Xi asked, “Who is the current chairman of the board of directors?” Lu Weiding replied, “I am the president now, and the chairman of the board of directors is my father. As the respect and memorial for Comrade Lu Guanqiu, the founder of Wanxiang, he will be our eternal chairman of the board of directors.” The General Secretary then asked, “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” Lu Weiding answered, “I have three elder sisters.” The careful and meticulous care of the General Secretary touched every Wanxiang people. The General Secretary asked about the Wanxiang’s development in the United States and its agriculture development. He praised that the founder of Wanxiang— Lu Guanqiu was one of the earliest entrepreneurs, the pioneer of reform of private enterprises. Wanxiang has been flourishing up to now, and it is outstanding and typical. General Secretary Xi concluded that the reasons for Lu Guanqiu’s success were as follows: firstly, he was concentrated and well grasped the main business; secondly, he always kept pace with the times and explored at the frontier; thirdly, he was consistent with the Party Central Committee, and for the projects that the party committees and governments at all levels advocated, he always actively made it; and at last, he did well in training the offspring. The General Secretary said, “You see you can be called the ‘second generation of the entrepreneur’!”

These remarks made people laughed out and the atmosphere was more relaxing and active.

After the meeting, the General Secretary shook hands with the participating private entrepreneurs. When he came to Lu Weiding, they held their hands tightly together. Lu Weiding said with excitement, "Hello, General Secretary! Thank you for your encouragement.” The General Secretary said to him, “Very good! You could lead Wanxiang to develop well and keep its sustained development!” Lu Weiding promised, “Okay! I will work hard to make it keep growing!”

After the speech of the private entrepreneurs, the General Secretary made an important speech, in which he affirmed the important position and role of the private economy in our country, analyzed the difficulties and problems encountered at present, and he stressed that the country would unswervingly support the development of the non-public sector and support the private enterprises to develop towards a broader stage by giving “the shot in the arm” for the long-term development of the private economy, “making a prescription” for solving the difficulties of private economic development, and making all the private enterprises “reassured”.

Lu Weiding said that the speech of the General Secretary was down-to-earth and exciting in an interview with CCTV after the meeting. He personally told us that China’s support for the development of the private enterprises had not been changed since the reform and opening-up, Instead, greater encouragement and clearer status have been given to the private enterprises. We private enterprises should focus on the development of enterprises. Lu Weiding said that he was full of confidence in China’s future. The further development of Chinese private enterprises lies in their own improvement of the private enterprises. The key for Wanxiang’s development is to develop as the routine, but not just adhere to the routine and to win a victory through unusual means, to do things according to our abilities, to achieve goals by taking advantage of the situation, and well build Wanxiang Innovation & Energy-gathering City.

That night, when reading the relevant news published by People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Zhejiang News etc. on the Internet, and especially seeing the General Secretary’s summary and comments on the founder of Wanxiang, Lu Guanqiu, Wanxiang people were so excited that they couldn’t help sharing the good news with everyone they knew. Even many people were sitting in front of the television, waiting for the “Network News Broadcast”. When seeing president Lu Weiding appeared before cameras and the Wanxiang intelligent workshop established with the standard of “industry 4.0”, a feeling of pride rose in their hearts. Kind attention together with great honor were our wheels of progress. We would make concerted efforts, inherit the entrepreneurial spirit of the older generation, sail through wind and waves and take “striving to build a city in ten year” as the theme to continue to carry on “profits increased tenfold in ten years”. We would be worthy of the expectation, the mission and the great new era!