China Entrepreneur Network: Liang Wengen: China needs entrepreneurs more

Source: China Entrepreneur Network Reporter: Ma Jiying

For a long time, there have been many rumors about Liang Wengen, the "5656 people in China's private heavy industry", and the Sany Group at his helm. But as the chairman of Sany Heavy Industry, Liang Wengen rarely appears in the eyes of the media.
On November 11, in the interview room of Beijing Media Center, as one of the representatives of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Liang Wengen, who has always been mysterious, was interviewed by dozens of Chinese and foreign media, and made a concentrated response to questions such as whether Sany Group and himself would abandon business and enter politics.
First of all, there are various rumors about Sany, and Liang Wengen believes that it is not unrelated to Sany's identity as a private enterprise. "For some large state-owned enterprises, if the media wants to make negative reports out of nothing, someone will take care of it. But as for private enterprises, no one cares. Liang Wengen said. However, the main reason is the competitive environment in which Sany is located. Compared with Europe and the United States, one of the weaknesses of China's industrial development*5655 is that the competitive environment is not very mature.
But Sany did not hide its ambitions for future development. Liang hopes that in the next five years, Sany Group's international revenue will increase from the current 15% to 45-50% of sales. To this end, Sany will increase its overseas investment and regard internationalization as Sany's third venture. Ten years later, Sany Group's sales will reach 300 billion yuan.
More question marks arise over how Liang himself will choose between business and politics. Liang is a candidate for the 17th and 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and for many overseas media, the relationship between this political identity and enterprise development is somewhat difficult to understand. At the same time, whether Liang Wengen will enter the core power layer of the next government is also a hot topic of media attention.
"I will not abandon business and enter politics," Liang Wengen responded, "What China lacks is entrepreneurs."
　　

The following is an excerpt from the interview:
　　reporter: You have been waiting for 18 years to join the party, can you tell us about your relationship with the party?
　　Liang Wengen: I actually wanted to join the party a long time ago, and the journey is very long. In China, Communist Party members are idealistic people who pursue progress, and if you go outside and say that I am a Communist Party member, people will respect you more than non-Communist Party members. If a young man is a member of the Communist Party, it will be easier to find a partner. Most Communist Party members find wives who are more beautiful than non-Communist wives. Chinese girls also love Communist Party members. Why? Because communists have ideals. So I wanted to join the party at a very young age. After graduating from college, I have been tirelessly pursuing to join the party. I hope that my cause can be linked with the cause of the Chinese nation and communism. That's why I've been pursuing a party for a long time.
But unfortunately, my grades in college were not very good, and I was not able to join the party. After two years of work, I quit my job and became a self-employed and private enterprise. Before General Secretary Jiang Zemin put forward the "three represents," China's private entrepreneurs could not join the party. After the "three represents," the conditions for joining the party have been relaxed, and our stratum will be able to join the party. So I am very honored to have achieved my dream.
　　reporter: The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will discuss the list of members and alternate members of the Central Committee, what is the proportion of the difference? As a representative, what criteria do you choose when voting? What kind of people will be missed by you?
　　Liang Wengen:( proportions) I know, but I can't tell you. Because I am a member of the Communist Party, I want to keep the party's secrets. This is not available to the public at this time. If I had to choose, I would of course choose to love our party, firmly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to reform and opening up, adhere to fairness, non-corruption, and leadership with an international perspective. If I don't have these conditions, I will make a difference in him.
　　reporterA.S.: How likely do you think you are to get into the Central Committee?
　　Liang Wengen: Many media outlets have long said that I want to join the Central Committee, but I can only say that this is chasing after the wind and shadows, and it is groundless and has ulterior motives.
　　reporter: Is your name on the shortlist?
　　Liang Wengen:I don't know yet. At least I can't tell you yet. But you should be able to hear it.
　　reporter: You're not on the list, are you?
　　Liang Wengen: I can't say. I'm sure you get it. You see everybody understands, but you don't. If you think about it, when this kind of report appears, people will think that Liang Wengen asked the media to report it, because this is a good thing. Good things are planted on me, so it is an ulterior motive.
　　reporter: You said that your entry into the list of the Central Committee was groundless, and last year there was a report that you were inspected by the organization, is it also groundless?
　　Liang WengenBecause I have been a deputy to the National People's Congress for three times and a party representative for two terms, there is indeed such a thing as an organization to visit me, but this also happens often, and there is nothing special about it.
　　reporter: You are not on the list, do you hope that you or other private entrepreneurs will be on the list one day?
　　Liang Wengen: I'm definitely not going to. Because I'm retiring in 10 years. But to be honest, I hope that more private enterprises will join the Central Committee and can bring our voices to the core. This is also a symbolic expression to the world, and a higher level of recognition and support for private enterprises.
　　reporter: Can you talk about your hopes for political reform?
　　Liang Wengen: Over the past decade, we have been reforming the political system, and we hope that democracy will continue to be strengthened, and fairness and justice and the rule of law will continue to improve. There is still a certain gap between the current and the people's expectations, so we hope that the reform can be better and faster.
　　reporterAs a member of the Communist Party, when the interests of the Party conflict with the interests of the enterprise, what do you choose?
　　Liang Wengen: As a member of the Communist Party, when the interests of the Party conflict with my personal interests, I am not telling lies, and I will unswervingly take the interests of the Party as *5656. If Sany Heavy Industry is to be handed over to the Communist Party now, of course this will not happen, and I am very happy that Sany Heavy Industry will be handed over to the Communist Party of China. My life has been of the Communist Party. This is the quality and style that a Communist Party member must possess. It makes more sense for a person to serve and sacrifice for the good of the masses. It's not a lie, it's well worth it. I don't know if you can accept my point of view, this is a belief and a mission.
　　reporter: Will the shareholders agree?
　　Liang Wengen: I mean give my part. This is hypothetical, and of course there can be no such day.
　　reporter: If the party wants you to serve the wider masses and abandon business and politics, are you willing? If so, any dealing with the relationship with the business?
　　Liang Wengen: The matter of abandoning business and politics is also groundless, and China needs entrepreneurs even more. I'm not going into politics either. After graduating from university, I was assigned to work as a technician in the arsenal, and worked as a deputy director for a year, and then I worked as Sany Heavy Industry. How could I get into politics? Not at all. I think I'm doing Sany Heavy Industry very well, and I won't give up business and politics.
　　reporter: Will your influence in domestic political circles cause concern in overseas markets in the process of Sany's internationalization?
　　Liang Wengen: Actually, I don't have any political influence. Everyone, whether German or American, first loves their own nation, loves their homeland, and actively participates in the country's politics. What's wrong with loving our country and nation? If this affects the internationalization of Sany, then I would rather not be internationalized and maintain this sentiment.
When I was a deputy to the National People's Congress, I said something that was out of place, and now it seems that you may criticize me, I said at the time, in the era of globalization, the economy has no borders, but enterprises and entrepreneurs have nationality.
　　reporter: Private enterprises play an important role in China's economy, but this year's party delegates accounted for only 1% of private entrepreneurs, do you think this proportion is reasonable?
　　Liang Wengen: I wish the percentage was even larger. But there's a very good percentage. Before the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, that is, 10 years ago, we could not be party representatives. So I can now be a party representative, and I have such a high proportion of [private entrepreneurs], which is a big progress. I hope the proportion is getting bigger and bigger.
　　reporter: What does it mean in your opinion that party representatives from private enterprises have grown from scratch, from less to more?
　　Liang WengenThis fully reflects the recognition of private enterprises by mainstream values, and reflects the recognition and support of the party and the government for private entrepreneurs.
　　reporter: What advice do you have for the new leaders in terms of private enterprises?
　　Liang Wengen: I read the general secretary's report and saw that "unswervingly encourage and support the development of private enterprises", I am very relieved and happy, and our basic national policy has not changed. We hope that the new leadership will continue to reform and open up. Reform is in fact a constant readjustment of the relationship between the government and the market. The continuous deepening of reform means that the market's ability to control resources will become stronger and larger, and the degree of marketization will become higher and higher. The market's ability to allocate resources is getting stronger and stronger, opening up more markets to private enterprises, and giving them more room for development.