Who Represents The Future of China's Economy?

BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The 10th China Entrepreneur Summit 2011, the most influential annual grand business conference in China, will be convened ceremoniously at China World Summit Wing (Beijing) on December 10-11, 2011. Several dozens of Chinese leading entrepreneurs, thousands of industrial elites, prestigious academics and government officials will join hands to attend the summit. Together they will present a feast of thinking to the business circle.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111205/CN16775 )

This Summit, themed "2012: Institutional Evolution & Market Integrity", and jointly sponsored by China Entrepreneur Magazine and China Entrepreneur Club, will unfold discussion around the hottest topics in the current business circle.

"The evolutionary road of China's business system is still fraught with twists and turns, the road to restore market dignity is still full of difficulties." When talking about the theme of this year's annual summit, He Zhenhong, Director of China Entrepreneur magazine said, "We must condemn the improper behaviors of some enterprises for lack of credibility, brutal tramples of business rules and contract spirit; on the other hand, we must also realize the system behind various violations of business ethics. The most typical are the repeated cases of anti-market behaviors such as excessive intervention by public power and 'the state advances and the private sector retreats'." In the upcoming year of 2012, the business circle still cherishes full anticipation toward the prospects of optimizing the market system and respecting the market's dignity.

Director He Zhenhong also communicated separately with well-known Chinese entrepreneurs upon the theme of this summit, including Mr. Liu Chuanzhi, Chairman of Legend Holdings Ltd, Mr. Zhang Ruimin, Board Chairman and CEO of Haier Group, Mr. Li Dongsheng, Chairman of TCL Holdings Co. Ltd, Mr. Jin Zhiguo, President of Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd., Mr. Zhang Yaqin, Chairman of Microsoft China R&D Group and Mr. Wang Wenjing, President of UFIDA Software Co., Ltd.

Most entrepreneurs acknowledge that China's market economy has generated a great economic force, but some institutional defects of this economic system have also imposed more and more challenges for China's social and economic development. In order to solve this problem, entrepreneurs need to exploit the system to maximize income and improve their competitiveness, while the government should take substantial actions to optimize institutional effectiveness and enhance market integrity.

According to the Organizing Committee of the annual summit, this round of the Summit will center on the theme to organize over a dozen forums, salons and luncheon parties, during which discussions will unfold over macro, medium and micro topics on the business frontline, including, "2012: Restore Market Dignity", "Rebalance Global Economy: China Opportunity", "Reasonable Growth and Corporate Strategy", "Consumption Revolution: Grasp the Driving Force in Domestic Demand", "Manufacture Industry Besieged by High Cost: From Price Competition to Value Competition", "The Future of Real Estate Industry: No More Glory?", "Gold Rush in the Mobile Internet", "E-Commerce Impact Wave", "Enterprise Inheritance: The Way of Relay", "Financing Strategies Under Tight Monetary Policy", "The Age of Local Leadership for Multinational Corporations", "New Globalization in the Turbulent Global Market: Opportunity and Pitfall", "'Crisis Management' in Micro Age", "Venture Enterprise and Investors: Long-term Partnership" and "Cultivation of Leadership In an Organization". During each forum, top domestic enterprise leaders will be invited to make in-depth discussions and interact with the attending guests.

In 2002, shouldering the historical mission of "making Chinese business more respectable", China Entrepreneur Summit was kicked off; today it is witnessing its tenth anniversary. The Summit is dedicated to promoting the connection between government and enterprises and facilitating the integration between local and global business wisdom. Over the past decade, with the increasing globalization of the Chinese economy and the continual advance in its global economic standing, the Summit has discussed key topics, including, "The Chinese Path for New Business Civilization", "Business Ethics in the Globalized Age", "Chinese Year Mark in the Global Business Circle" and "Business Force that Determines the Future". After a decade-long endeavor and ten years of persistence, the China Entrepreneur Summit has become a high-end platform for leading entrepreneurs, senior government officials and academic celebrities to meet one another and pioneer business trends. It has also evolved into an annual top class business gathering to converge entrepreneurial spirit and display entrepreneur image and individuality, for which it has earned unanimous attention and acknowledgement from business circles.

During this summit, on December 11th, a prize-awarding ceremony will also be held for the "Top 25 Most Influential Entrepreneurs" in 2011. In 2010, 25 entrepreneurs, including Mr. Yang Yuanqing (president of Lenovo Group), Mr. Ning Gaoning (president of COFCO) and Mr. Liang Wengen (president of SANY Group), were awarded this honorable title. As the most influential list of corporate leaders in China, the list is widely acknowledged by business circles since its launch in 2003. Each year all award-receiving entrepreneurs would personally show up at the awards ceremony to receive the prize.

The top three award winners of 2011 come up as a big surprise in comparison with the situation a few years ago. Mr. Yang Yuanqing, ranked 14th the year before last and 10th last year, took the first prize this year. This was the first time for Mr. Yang to take the lead after he has been on the list for 8 consecutive years. Both Mr. Liu Chuanzhi and Mr. Yang Yuanqing were listed among the "Top 25 Most Influential Entrepreneurs" in 2003 when the list first came out. However, Mr. Liu Chuanzhi had already achieved great prominence back then and Mr. Yang Yuanqing was not so successful and sophisticated as Mr. Liu Chuanzhi. After several twists and turns, Mr. Liu Chuanzhi finally handed over the Legend to Mr. Yang Yuanqing. Legend has surpassed Dell to be the world's second largest PC supplier in 2011 and Mr. Yang Yuanqing, by leading Legend's internationalization, cleared all doubts and proved himself as a successful leader. Mr. Zhao Min, president of Adfaith Management Consulting Inc. thus praised Mr. Yang Yuanqing: "He accomplished his tasks with ease among shocking conflicts between eastern culture and western culture, making people across the world applaud for the way of survival of the first corporate leader leading 'made-in-china' to the world."

Ning Gaoning shifted from the third place last year to second this year. In 2011, COFCO acquired Tully Sugar (an Australian company) and the vineyards in Bordeaux, France and extended its full industrial chain overseas. COFCO is an "evergreen" of the list and its big A&M has attracted a great deal of attention. As Chinese people get concerned about food safety, Mr. Ning's persistence in full industrial chain undoubtedly demonstrated his visionary leadership, and therefore the first prize of visionary leadership award is presented to him by our honorary judging committee.

People may know but may not be familiar with the third prize winner Mr. Liang Wengen, reputed as the "King of China Engineering Machinery". Although it was the first time for Mr. Liang to get listed this year, it surprised people that he went straight to No.3. As heavy industry is witnessing a retarded growth affected by the economic recession of this year, what qualifies Mr. Liang to be awarded this honor? If we see through the source of his influence, we can identify the magic effect of fortune and power on the minds of Chinese people. In the same year, Mr. Liang was ranked the richest person in China by Forbes. After that, rumors spread widely that he was to enter politics and took a high position. "The richest man entering the political circle" is always extraordinary and of great significance to the media, public or the honorary judging committee. Just as Zhang Yuli, President of Nankai University, said, "Mr. Liang Wengen's shifting to politics not only reflects the change of personal identity but also represents the status change of Chinese private entrepreneurs."

To common people, those listed entrepreneurs seem to possess outstanding gifts or talent. People will say that they play their cards right or they have extraordinary high talent. Therefore, Mr. Ma Yun and Mr. Li Yanhong have become a myth. Our list of the "Top 25 Most Influential Entrepreneurs" is to tell people never to forget the ancient saying: "A hero is nothing but a product of his time". As some industries were severely affected by the sudden change of macro economic environment in the second half of this year, the ranking of entrepreneurs from the same industries fluctuated accordingly.

China's economy had achieved a significant growth throughout 2010, but the year 2011 seems to have turned the momentum down. The sudden change of the macro economic environment in the second half of this year brings unpromising prospects to entrepreneurs of many different industries and the "going through winter" theory is getting popular again.

Speaking from the "Top 25 Most Influential Entrepreneurs", the most dramatic change is happening in the automobile industry, where Mr. Li Shufu, ranked No.2 last year, fell to No. 10 this year, and Mr. Wang Chuanfu, ranked No.16 last year, unluckily fell off the list this year.

The British poet Shelley said "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?", but we shall say that spring and winter come side by side. 4 leading entrepreneurs from the internet industry got onto the list this year and they all ranked high above No.8. Except for Mr. Ma Yun, whose ranking decreased for some disputed issues, the ranking of entrepreneurs from the internet industry increased significantly, among which the ranking of Mr. Li Yanhong from Baidu increased by 4 positions and that of Mr. Cao Guowei from Sina and Mr. Ma Huateng from Tencent both increased by more than 10 positions. The ranking of entrepreneurs from the internet industry witnessed an unprecedented advance and the future will become more and more firm in taking sides with these entrepreneurs. (Reported by Liu Jiao and Zhao Hui)

SOURCE China Entrepreneur Magazine