Deng Xiaoping's Shenzhen Tour

Statue of DengXiaoping in Shenzhen, Guangdong

Part II

The building of the National Trade Plaza towers into the sky. That is the pride of the Shenzhen people. The builders of Shenzhen have set the record of putting up a "three-storied building a day", which becomes the symbol of the "Shenzhen tempo". Those Chinese and foreigners who have been in Shenzhen invariably ascended the revolving restaurant at the top of the building and looked far into the landscape of Shenzhen city.

In the revolving restaurant on the 53rd floor, Comrade Xiaoping overlooked the whole city of Shenzhen. He was very happy at the sight of a flourishing situation featuring row upon row of high-rises.

After sitting down, he first had a look at the general planning chart of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Then, Li Hao reported to Comrade Xiaoping about Shenzhen's reform, opening up and economic construction. Li Hao said Shenzhen's economic construction proceeded very rapidly, and people's living standards had been greatly raised, with per-capita income standing at 600 yuan in 1984 and 2,000 yuan now in 1992. Great headway had been made in the reform and opening up endeavor. He added: "in the previous few years we have recorded simultaneous material and cultural development in Shenzhen. The local people are firm and unshakable and are full of confidence in the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

After listening to the report, Comrade Deng and the provincial and municipal responsible members had lengthy talks.

Comrade Xiaoping fully affirmed the achievements gained in Shenzhen's reform, opening up and construction. Then, he pointed to the need to adhere to the line, principles and policies instituted since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in December 1978. The key to this lay in adhering to the "one center" (the central task of economic construction) and two basic points" (adherence to the four cardinal principles and implementation of reform and the open policy). Failing to adhere to socialism, to carry out reform and opening up, to develop economy and to improve people's livelihood can only lead up to a blind alley. The basic line governs one hundred years and must not be shaken.

Comrade Xiaoping said: we should persist in taking on two tasks--one is to carry out reform and opening up, the other is to clamp down on various criminal activities. And we must attach equal importance to both.

Comrade Xiaoping also referred to the need for China to maintain stability: Leading cadres and Party members should tackle the construction of a clean and honest government as a major task; pay attention to the training of a young generation of successors, and other important issues.

In the course of conversation, Comrade Xiaoping stressed the need to do more practical and useful things, and avoid indulgence in empty talks. He said: it won't do to hold too many meetings and write lengthy articles. At this point, the grand old man pointed to a block of high-rise buildings outside the window, saying that Shenzhen's rapid development was the result of doing solid work, not the outcome of delivering speeches or writing articles.

Comrade Xiaoping was in high spirits and a strong mood for talking. In the revolving restaurant of the National Trade Plaza, this grand old man had been talking for over 30 minutes, which gave profound education and encouragement to those present. People were overjoyed at the good health and strong vigor of Comrade Xiaoping.

Part III

After leaving the National Trade Plaza, Comrade Xiaoping went to the Shenzhen Shinco Laser Company on a visit.

Shinco Laser Company, a high-tech enterprise operating with advanced production technology imported from the Dutch Philips Company, is the only firm producing laser disc, video disc and light disc. Party, State and army leaders including Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Wang Zhen, Tian Jiyun and Liu Huaqing had come one after another to inspect the company.

When the car arrived at the company, Ye Huaming, board chairman of the company, and others rushed forward to have warm handshakes with Comrade Xiaoping.

Someone says Ye Huaming is a son of General Ye Ting.

Holding Ye's hands, Comrade Xiaoping asked cordially: "Are you the second son?"

"No, I'm the fourth", Ye Huaming answered with four of his fingers stretching out.

"Oh! We haven't seen each other for nearly 40 years," said Comrade Xiaoping feelingly.

"Yes, I was still a child at that time, now I'm over 50."

"Where is your younger brother Ye Zhengguang working?" Comrade Xiaoping showed great concern for the descendents of revolutionaries.

Ye Huaming said, "in Hainan Island."

It turned out that after General Ye Ting unfortunately died in an aviation accident in 1946, Ye Huaming left Yan'an in May that year untill 1953, between 1952 and 1960, Ye Zhengguang lived in the home of Marshal Nie Rongzhen. Comrade Xiaoping kept constant contacts with Nie, so he saw the two brothers at that time.

In the company's guesthouse, Comrade Xiaoping listened to the introduction about the company's situation. Shinco Laser Company was formally put into production on October 12 last year, making China the fourth country, after the Netherlands, Japan and the United States, that can produce laser video and gramophone discs. The company has an annual production capacity of 5 million laser gramophone and 1.5 million video discs and 50,000 laser video tape and gramophone record players each.

Then he watched the demonstration of the characteristics, sound effect, function and retrieval capability of laser video discs with great interest. When he watched the documentary film titled "Our Elder Sister Deng (Yingchao)", he said to Xie Fei, secretary of the Guangdong provincial Party committee, "I'm 88 years old this year, Comrade Deng Yingchao and I were born in the same year of 1904. I was born in August, and she was half a year older than me."

Comrade Xiaoping was born on August 22, 1904 in Paifang Village, Xiexing Township, Guang'an County of Sichuan Province.

Comrade Xiaoping went on to say, "Comrade Deng Yingchao is a native of Henan Province." His daughter Deng Nan said, "No, she is a native of Guangxi". Comrade Xiaoping corrected her, saying, "her ancestral home was Henan. Guangxi was the place where she was born and grew up." Comrade Xiaoping was very familiar with Elder Sister Deng.

Amateur singer Zhao Min, a Sichuan native of the company, sang a Karaoke song, "In the Hopeful Field" for Comrade Xiaoping who spoke highly of the voice and sound effect of the singer.

When he walked through the 30-meter-long passage leading from the guesthouse to the video disks workshop, many workers and staff members standing by the passage accorded Comrade Xiaoping a warm welcome.

Comrade Xiaoping asked, "How old are these employees?"

Ye Huaming answered, "most of them are aged between 25 and 30, recruited from various parts of the country, most of them are scientific and technical personnel."

Hearing this, Comrade Xiaoping said happily, "Very good, high-tech projects should be entrusted to the young people, and our hope is pinned on them."

When Ye Huaming said his workshop had to produce some laser video disks for foreign films every year, Comrade Xiaoping asked, "How is the question of copyright solved?"

Ye Huaming answered, "We purchased the copyright from the foreign film company in accordance with international rules."

Comrade Xiaoping was satisfied with this, "It should be done so and related international rules on intellectual property rights should be abided by."

While walking alongside the company's responsible member, Comrade Xiaoping asked questions, such as whether the company had to import raw materials, whether China currently can produce such materials, and whether product quality can be guaranteed, the company official answered the questions one by one.

Before leaving the workshop, Comrade Xiaoping asked about the company's production targets for the year. Ye Huaming said, "This year we will produce 500,000 laser video discs, 250 laser video films, breaking down equally into Chinese and foreign films, these include science and education films and some Karaoke films, with gross output value exceeding 300 million yuan and 80 million yuan of profits". Comrade Xiaoping happily said, that's good, I hope you will strive to attain this goal.

Comrade Xiaoping first went to Shinco Laser Company on a visit, which greatly inspired the company's employees. Ye Huaming, board chairman of the company, said to the reporter, "I've grown up under the care and support of veteran comrades inside the Party, I'm particularly happy when I see Comrade Xiaoping being in good health. I'm determined to do my work better during Shenzhen's second 10-year construction, so as to live up to the earnest expectations of Comrade Xiaoping."