InfoAnda - Richest village in China a capitalist commune

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Mladic family asking Serbia to declare him dead | | 25 May 2010
Lawyers for China premier's family deny hidden riches claim | | 28 October 2012
NZ dollar falls after weak retail data | 14 December 2010

Bahraini Shi'ite leader hints he could accept king | | 28 February 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Richest village in China a capitalist commune

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Richest village in China a capitalist commune By TINI TRAN,Associated Press Writer - Tuesday, September 29 Send IM Story Print HUAXI, China – Public loudspeakers in the central square blare the village anthem hourly: "If you want to see a miracle, come to Huaxi." Not that any reminders are needed. Down the wide, tree-lined boulevards, rows of nearly identical red-roofed villas sit side by side. Manicured lawns and two-car garages are on every block. Each family has a house and at least one car, awarded by the community. Welcome to the richest village in China. Average family assets total $150,000 in a nation where annual per capita income hovers around $2,000. The village's major enterprises in steel, iron and textiles brought in 50 billion yuan ($7.3 billion) in sales in 2008. They belong to the Huaxi Group, the first commune corporation to be listed on a Chinese stock market. Yet this corporate enclave of 30,000 people also remains essentially a commune, with land owned jointly and wealth divided among all. Huaxi, though an extreme example, is emblematic of China 60 years after the Communist Party came to power on Oct. 1, 1949. After decades of denouncing free markets and then embracing them, the country is a distinctive patchwork of capitalism with communist characteristics _ all anchored by a strong dose of practicality. That combination lies at the heart of Huaxi's success under Wu Renbao, its 82-year-old patriarch and steward. The village is feted by the Communist Party as a model for transforming its poor peasants into wealthy corporate citizens within one generation. "What is socialism? What is capitalism? We only wanted the things that are good for our people. We wanted people to get rich," Wu said during an interview in the two-story house he's lived in since the 1970s, a modest home compared to the larger, lavish ones his villagers prefer. He doesn't mention another way Huaxi reflects 21st-century China: the 30,000 migrant workers here who get a much smaller piece of the pie, a reflection of the inequality that has come with free market growth. Wu's agnostic approach to economic development _ using whatever method works to make his village rich _ resonates well in the China of today, where success is measured by wealth. It wasn't always so. Six decades ago, China was struggling to survive, a battered nation recovering from a century of foreign invasion, dynastic collapse, famine and a brutal civil war. Under revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, China lurched between industrialization drives and violent political campaigns that left tens of millions dead before he died in 1976 and his successors began their free market experiments. Deng Xiaoping, the leader who launched the reforms, called it "crossing the river by feeling the stones." His pragmatic approach produced the economic power China is today. Life expectancy has risen from 41 years in 1949 to 73 today. Incomes have soared, even as the population has more than doubled from 500 million to 1.3 billion. In 30 years, GDP per capita has grown tenfold from $200 in 1979. China is now the world's largest auto market and has more Internet and mobile phone users than anywhere else. The hamlet of Huaxi, created on 0.6 square miles (a square kilometer) of rocky land in eastern Jiangsu province, was like hundreds of poverty-stricken villages around the country. Founded in 1961, it was a hard-scrabble farming community made up of a dozen smaller settlements _ "work brigades" in communist parlance _ that banded together. Housing was primitive and paved roads were scarce. Worse, the village emerged in the midst of a disastrous famine brought on by rapid collectivization of farmland. For a decade, villagers recall, a meal with meat was a rare luxury. They followed Mao's dictums and were named a model commune. Wu, who served as the village Communist Party secretary from the start, realized that residents would never prosper as farmers. He encouraged a return to household farming, away from collectivized work, and wanted to contract out the communally managed bamboo grove. The ideas were dangerous during Mao's call to purge all remnants of capitalism during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. Younger villagers paraded Wu in the village square for being a "capitalist roader" and detained him for six months. Still, he was determined to try his ideas. He set up a small hardware factory in 1969, hiding its existence from higher government officials when they visited. "The factory was a secret. If the leaders came to visit, we called all the workers to go out to the fields. But when they left, we would go back to work," Wu said, chuckling in remembrance. "On the outside, we criticized capitalism but on the inside, we were doing it." "At the time, it was a fight. They called me the enemy. Why? Because I did capitalism," he said. "But I wanted local people to become prosperous so I was not afraid to take risks." Known to villagers and his children alike as "Lao Shuji," or Old Secretary, Wu has a genial, grandfatherly demeanor that belies a hardheaded steeliness. He shook off questions about which ideology he followed to accomplish his modern-day rags-to-riches story. "Communism has its good points. Capitalism also has good things so we can learn from that. I'm not afraid of capitalism. I'm afraid of only choosing one way," he said. By the time China officially warmed up to entrepreneurship and private enterprise in the late 1970s, Huaxi was ahead of the game. It used its factory revenues as capital to expand and set up more companies. From those humble origins, Huaxi's peasant industrialists have exceeded their wildest dreams. "When I was young, we never even had three meals a day. I had too many brothers and sisters. My dream was simply to get an office job because I hated farming," said Zhu Zhongliang, 48, now a senior manager at the local steel factory. He lives with his wife and one grown daughter in a 5,000-square-foot (460-square-meter), two-story, red-brick home, complete with big-screen TV and marble floors. "We all drive our own car to work every day _ my daughter, my wife and I," said Zhu, whose family owns a Honda Accord, a Toyota Corolla and a domestic Dongfeng sedan. "Our relatives are kind of jealous of us when we drive to visit them during Spring Festival. They envy us for the fortune brought by Huaxi." Blue tin-roofed factories, with belching smokestacks, line an industrial section of the village. The prosperity is visibly striking, not only for its lavishness relative to surrounding areas but also for its uniformity. The 400 original households are entitled to a 4,300- to 6,500-square-foot (400- to 600-square-meter) "European-style" villa, along with one car. Residents get a basic salary, but the bulk of their pay comes in annual bonuses, of which they are required to invest 80 percent in company stock. In a throwback to Mao's days, all residents receive free health care, education and pensions _ something many other Chinese have lost in the transition to capitalism. Wu, who has retired as the local Community Party secretary in favor of his youngest son, enthusiastically touts his vision for a "new socialist countryside." Huaxi holds regular training sessions for village officials from across China. With 57 percent of the population _ about 737 million people _ living in the countryside, Wu believes China's leaders need to refocus their attention on rural areas. Most of China's growth has come in the cities. Wu, whose home office is plastered with photos of Mao, believes the founder of Communist China would have supported Wu's choices once he saw they worked. He constantly spouts an axiom associated with the reformer Deng: "Seek truth from facts." Yet Huaxi's claim to egalitarian fairness masks great disparities between residents and the migrants who increasingly make up the factory work force in the village, as well as the rest of the country, says Wang Fei-ling, a professor of international affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Huaxi reflects a Chinese society that is fracturing into haves and have-nots, he said. "If Huaxi is a model, it also suggests something troubling in the ways the Chinese economy is developing," said Wang, who has studied Huaxi's development. "It's like when you go to Beijing or Shanghai, you see that locals enjoy the fruits of China's success much more than hardworking outsiders. It's similar to the glamorous Olympic stadiums that were all constructed by migrant workers, who then left town before the Games began." Like elsewhere in China, migrants are drawn to Huaxi because they can't find work at home. "I wish I could be a resident, but I can't so I don't even bother to dream about it," said 27-year-old Liu, a steel worker from central Anhui province who moved here a year ago. He would only give his family name. "At least I have a job so life is better here." He's not the only one who believes that. Busloads of tourists arrive every day, all curious to catch a glimpse of a village that has attained such visible success. The visitors gawk as they troop through one of 10 distinctive pagoda-shaped high-rises at the center of the village, taking in the surreal view from the balcony on the top floor. Afterward, in a giant auditorium modeled after the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, they listen as Wu holds court, sharing jokes and giving a few words of wisdom in a thick local accent that requires a young, red-gowned translator beside him. That's followed by a musical performance, which includes actors portraying visitors from around the world praising Huaxi. One, dressed as an American tourist, belts out the final verses, ending with: "If this is socialism, we want it too." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Lalberte buoyant ahead of space launch AP - Tuesday, September 29 China, Japan, SKorea to discuss NKorea, wider ties AP - Tuesday, September 29 China, Japan, S.Korea foreign ministers meet AFP - Tuesday, September 29 China PM to visit N.Korea next week: official AFP - Tuesday, September 29 Australian parents jailed for death of their baby AP - Tuesday, September 29 News Search Top Stories Yen hits eight-month dollar peak Frankfurt stocks rise after Merkel win Madoff family to be sued over missing billions Deripaska's company owes bank $432 mln Bonus-less Hungary sees plunging car sales More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Madoff family to be sued over missing billions Scientists make paralysed rats run again Deripaska's company owes bank $432 mln Bonus-less Hungary sees plunging car sales Gulf single currency should be phased: Kuwait More Most Viewed » Ozone hole smaller in 2009 than 2008: WMO Remains of Jesus-era synagogue found in Israel Nanoparticles could pose threat to humans: scientists Implanted tooth helps blind US woman recover sight More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Search Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Monday, 28 September 2009
Under pressure for nukes, Iran test fires missiles
Merkel wins, Germans opt for center-right coalition | International |
Iran state telecoms firm privatised in eight-bln-dollar deal
Four dead as Afghan minister survives bomb attack: police
Palestinians warn Israel after Jerusalem clash
India minister says had candid talks with Pakistani | International |
Colombian rebels say will free two of 24 hostages | International |
Iraqis make most of violence lull to wed in style
Yemen's Qaeda wing seeks donations in Saudi Arabia | International |
Iran vows to stick with low-level nuclear enrichment
Chavez proposes Africa-South America mining firm | International |
China to display upgraded missiles in Oct 1 parade | International |
US says climate bill might not pass in time
Florida man severely burned during fight
Top Afghan official threatens to quit after attack
Study says China quake a once in 4,000 years event
What's true cost of a Starbucks latte, author asks
Volunteers key to success of Thai vaccine trials
Searching for the 'real' America, political-style
China to display upgraded missiles in October 1 parade
Ben & Jerry's, GE work on greener freezers for US
Here come the brides: Polygamy club woos Malaysia
US deadline to close Guantanamo 'tough': Gates
Tight security at Julia Roberts film set in India
Pakistan blasts show Taliban's ability to strike
Gates shows no signs of leaving Pentagon
Buddhists: Police, mob force monks from monastery
US diplomat to press for NKorea talks
Bill Clinton: No thoughts of public office return
More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Movie-maker Polanski arrested in Switzerland
Bardot's legacy on display as she set to turn 75
India's new galleries look to beat recession blues
Lyric Opera opens season with glowing "Tosca"
Swiss arrest Polanski on US request in sex case
Cloudy retains box office lead with Surrogates in second | Entertainment |
Bardot's legacy on display as she set to turn 75 | Entertainment |
Iran test-fires middle-range missiles: report
China Unicom to buy back stake from SK Telecom
Germany's Merkel looks to rocky new term
Merkel aims for quick coalition deal with FDP | International |
Madoff family to be sued over missing billions
German officials to probe Twitter election leaks
Deripaska's company owes bank $432 mln
Bonus-less Hungary sees plunging car sales
U.S. commander offers troop options for Afghanistan | International |
Xinjiang authorities ban online separatist talk: state media
Gulf single currency should be phased: Kuwait
Iran test-fires Shahab 3 missile: state TV | International |
Qaeda's Zawahri praises slain figure in new message | International |
Iraq frees detainees linked to British hostages
Honduras vows to close Brazil embassy, cracks down | International |
Asylum influx a fresh threat to Australia PM Rudd | International |
Chinese PM to visit North Korea amid nuclear standoff | International |
U.S. commander offers troop options for Afghanistan
Mobile usage a rare highlight in music biz | Technology |
Jack Black and Ozzy Osbourne star in metal video game | Technology |
More than half million kids get bad drug reactions
China PM to visit NKorea from Oct 4-6: state media
Unicom to sell iPhones in China from October | Technology |
Out of fields, into class for migrant kids
Gates: Mistake to set Afghan withdrawal timelines
Philippines cannot cope with flood disaster: govt
General complains about US bureaucracy
China-Japan-SKorea to discuss NKorea, wider ties
Dollar falls below 89 yen to eight-month low
Polanski's lawyers vow to fight Switzerland detention
Pakistan, India end talks without breakthrough
Meeting US deadline to close Guantanamo 'tough': Gates
Oil spill shutters part of Houston Ship Channel
US seeks 'unified' call on NKorea nuclear talks: envoy
Mexican taco cart wins NYC's street vendor award
Yen jumps to 9-month high after Fujii comments
Korea Hot Stocks
SKorea plans budget boost to bolster growth
Pacific islands seek "outdated" fish pact change
Hong Kong financial secretary suffers heart attack
Taiwan dollar down on funds, exporters support
Seoul shares fall;Samsung Imaging up on merger hope
S.Korea proposes smaller 2010 budget plan
China celebrates 60th birthday, Hollywood style
IMF study gives high marks to its crisis support
South Korea proposes smaller 2010 budget vs 2009
Filmmaker Roman Polanski's arrest to spark extradition fight | Entertainment |
Cloudy again leads struggling box office | Entertainment |
Harrelson, Murray bring flair to Zombieland | Entertainment |
Trauma stands out among new fall TV shows | Entertainment |
USA confirms mass Criminal Intent departures | Entertainment |
The Hole a 3D horror movie with a lesson | Entertainment |
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom get married
Jack Black and Ozzy Osbourne star in metal video game | Entertainment |
Mobile usage a rare highlight in music biz | Entertainment |
Will cable roughhousing extract a price?
Paranormal Activity has cult potential | Entertainment |
'Joneses' director keeps up with marketing tactics
"Trauma" stands out among new fall TV shows
Harrelson, Murray bring flair to 'Zombieland'
Bardot makes birthday plea to Loren to give up fur
China celebrates 60th birthday, Hollywood style
Polanski's arrest could be his path to freedom
Jackson sneak peek screenings sell out in 2 hours
Yen hits eight-month dollar peak
China Unicom to launch iPhone in October
Iraq roadside bomb kills six after striking minibus
Frankfurt stocks rise after Merkel win
Iran test-fires missiles ahead of major talks
Unicom to sell Apple iPhones in China from October
Defiant Iran test-fires long-range missiles
NATO believes Karzai will win vote: report
Iran test-fires long-range missile: Press TV
Manila hit over aid delay after storm kills 140 | International |
Iran denies atomic plant violates international law
Polls cast pall over Britain's ruling Labor | International |
Iraq bomb attacks end Ramadan lull | International |
Pakistani tribal leader among 5 dead in blast | International |
Battle for key farm vote rages ahead of Greek poll | International |
Pope says fall of communism proved man needs God | International |
Malaysia religious court orders caning for woman | International |
Apple passes 2 billion app downloads | Technology |
No malfunction before SC medical helicopter crash
Australian parents jailed for death of their baby
NKorea's new constitution mentions human rights
Opera urges EU exec not to rush Microsoft case | Technology |
Court-martial in NC soldier's death to begin
Latinos bank on bilingual census form to aid count
Richest village in China a capitalist commune
A glance at moose populations in selected states
Massive flooding leaves 140 dead in Philippines
EU seeks to turn down MP3s music player volumes | Technology |
Afghan gov't: Insurgents kill 12 civilians
Singer: Slayings off limits to horrorcore rappers
Filipino actor saves real-life damsel in distress
People playing the odds on health care over costs
AP NewsAlert
Snowe is the woman with clout on health care
China confirms Premier Wen to visit North Korea
Myanmar's Suu Kyi seeks to meet Western diplomats
Pakistani stocks end 2.6 pct lower; rupee firms
Yen jumps to 9-month high amid Fujii comments
FACTBOX-Pakistan's economy and monetary policy
FACTBOX-Five risks to watch in Pakistan
S.Korea to cut commission, fee rates on fund sales
Japan stocks tumble as yen surges versus dollar
Beijing selling 1st yuan bonds in Hong Kong
China approves building of coastal nuclear plant
Japan plans to let women keep maiden names
Polanski to fight extradition after Zurich arrest
Polanski to fight extradition after Zurich arrest | Entertainment |
USA confirms mass "Criminal Intent" departures
Jack Black and Ozzy Osbourne star in metal video game
Mobile usage a rare highlight in music biz
"Paranormal Activity" has cult potential
"The Hole" a 3D horror movie with a lesson
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01