Volume 3: Ascending High to Gaze Far 60. Representative Proposals (Part 1)

In the blink of an eye, it was late 2011, and I had been serving as general manager for nearly a year. Throughout this year, although I had tried my best to brainstorm ways to improve our business operations, my reform and adjustment plans could not be fully implemented as I envisioned, thus limiting their impact. Predictably, the company's sales and profits inevitably declined in tandem over the past year, with the margin of decrease further widening to over two percentage points. Anxiety gnawed at my heart, accompanied by a profound sense of helplessness.

That day, I was discussing further adjustments to our product structure with Zhu Lishan when Chairman Shi called me to his office.

Upon arriving, I learned that the State-Owned Assets system had been allocated a quota for a provincial people's congress deputy. Perhaps because the government's primary focus this year was on the rectification of chemical enterprises, or due to other reasons, the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission ultimately decided to award this provincial deputy quota to the Oriental Chemical Company. For our company, this was a first. Becoming a provincial people's congress deputy was a tremendous political honor.

Ordinarily, as the candidate for such an important qualification, Chairman Shi would naturally be the most suitable choice. However, Chairman Shi had long served as a member of the provincial Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and regulations dictated that he could no longer serve simultaneously as a people's congress deputy. Chairman Shi announced his intention to nominate me as a candidate for the provincial people's congress deputy.

Hearing Chairman Shi's words, I was both startled and overjoyed, yet I dared not let it show on my face. Acting as if I were entirely unaware of the rule prohibiting CPPCC members from serving as people's congress deputies, I said to him, "I still feel that you, Chairman, would be a much more appropriate representative for our factory."

"I am already a CPPCC member and can no longer serve as a people's congress deputy," he replied.

"Then could you resign from the CPPCC to serve as a people's congress deputy?" While one might argue there was no real difference between a people's congress deputy and a CPPCC member, most people still considered the former to carry greater weight.

"How could anyone just resign from the CPPCC like that!" Chairman Shi laughed. His laughter made me feel somewhat embarrassed, as if my innermost thoughts had been seen right through, making me look utterly hypocritical. Fortunately, Chairman Shi did not mind and continued, "You are well-suited to be a candidate for the people's congress deputy. After all, you are now the general manager and a principal leader; furthermore, you are young and in greater need of such an opportunity."

I was deeply moved by Chairman Shi's words. He considered everything for my benefit, whereas I had harbored too many calculations in his presence.

Thus, my name was submitted as a candidate for the provincial people's congress deputy. The qualification was swiftly approved, and subsequently, I was elected as a provincial people's congress deputy without a single suspense.

After being elected as a provincial people's congress deputy, I began pondering what kind of proposal I should submit at the "Two Sessions" of Huajiang Province early next year. Normally, deputies were expected to submit proposals, but if there were no pressing issues to address, skipping it was permissible. For me, however, this was a rare opportunity, and I was determined to seize it and strive to craft a proposal of some substance.

After much deliberation, I knew I certainly could not propose matters concerning the Oriental Chemical Company; these issues had not yet reached a level that required resolution by the Huajiang Provincial Government.

After turning it over in my mind, I decided I ought to seek Chairman Shi's opinion. Although I was the deputy, he was, after all, the top leader of the company. If he had anything he wished to propose, I could submit it on his behalf. Moreover, given his wealth of experience, he might just have some brilliant ideas.

Yet, when I went to seek his advice, he simply said he had no particular opinions of his own and that since I was the deputy, I should make my own decisions.

Upon careful reflection, I realized that since I could not approach the matter from the company's perspective alone, nor could I detach myself from matters related to my profession, the only viable path was to proceed from the vantage point of the chemical industry as a whole, looking at the rectification of the chemical sector by the state and Huajiang Province to find my inspiration. Following discussions and exchanges with friends in the chemical industry, the general direction of my proposal began to take shape: I prepared to put forward a suggestion for establishing a chemical industrial park in Huajiang Province.

With the direction established, I purposefully and extensively gathered information. After conducting a preliminary analysis, I made field trips to locations in Huajiang Province suitable for establishing a chemical park. Through friends, I communicated with local government leaders and concluded that Yongkang County in Huajiang Province was ideally suited for such an undertaking.

As it happened, I was fairly familiar with County Magistrate Lin of Yongkang County. When I discussed the idea with him, he expressed strong agreement. However, he noted that they had conducted feasibility studies on this very issue a few years prior, but the difficulties had proven too great, causing the initiative to stall. He added that if I were to put forward this proposal, both he and County Party Secretary Zhang would warmly welcome it.

Having thoroughly grasped the situation from all sides, I began drafting the "Proposal on Suggesting the Establishment of a Specialized Chemical Industrial Park in Huajiang Province."

The proposal primarily focused on analyzing several aspects: the necessity of establishing a specialized chemical industrial park in Huajiang Province, recommended sites and planning schemes for the park, and the management of the park.

Regarding the necessity of establishing a specialized chemical industrial park in Huajiang Province, my analysis spanned several points:

First, establishing a chemical park is the prevailing trend in the development of the chemical industry. Chemical industrial parks are the product of the modern chemical industry's adaptation to resource or raw material transitions, conforming to development trends characterized by large-scale operations, intensiveness, optimization, internationalized management, and maximum efficiency. Developed countries abroad began constructing chemical industrial belts right after the end of World War II, which propelled post-war economic recovery and takeoff.

Second, national environmental protection policies and the mandates for rectifying the chemical industry necessitate it.

Third, some specialized chemical parks have already been built in China's coastal and economically developed regions.

Fourth, the current status and landscape of Huajiang Province's chemical industry dictate the mandatory establishment of a specialized chemical park. Huajiang Province is a major chemical-producing province, but its chemical enterprises are scattered. Most face environmental pressures and find unified management difficult. Furthermore, their impact on multiple regions within the province causes certain inconveniences to local development, rendering adjustment and rectification urgently necessary.

Regarding the site selection and planning recommendations for the chemical park, I suggested locating it in Yongkang County. This was primarily based on the fact that Yongkang County already housed the largest concentration of chemical enterprises in the province, serving as a provincial chemical industry base for many years. Its transportation and natural conditions were also well-suited for a chemical park.

The proposal suggested that all chemical plants in the main urban area of Jiangning City, Huajiang Province, be gradually relocated entirely to the Yongkang Chemical Park over a span of three to five years. Chemical enterprises in other regions facing environmental pressures should likewise be gradually moved into the park. The planned area of the chemical park must fully account for existing enterprises requiring relocation while also reserving a certain amount of space for future growth.

The proposal further recommended establishing a project access system and standards, particularly requiring environmental protection to meet prescribed benchmarks. Both relocated and newly entering chemical enterprises would need to meet these relevant criteria, and any relocated enterprises failing to meet standards initially would be required to complete rectification before entry.

In terms of management, the proposal advised strengthening oversight and unified management of enterprises within the chemical park—particularly regarding production safety, environmental protection, and administrative supervision—while progressively establishing and improving information-based management levels. At the same time, lessons and experiences from other problematic chemical parks should be absorbed and heeded.