2016 Lingnan New Year Forum (Shenzhen) Analyzes China's Future Economic Growth
On January 23, the 2016 Lingnan New Year Forum (Shenzhen) was held in Chanxueyan Building of the SYSU Shenzhen campus. Attendees of the forum who gave speeches include the famous economist Mr. ZouZhizhuang, a Professor at Princeton and President of the Board of Trustees of Lingnan(University) College; Ms. Dong Xiaoying, Associate Professor of Guanghua School of Management, Beijing University; and Mr. Liang Guozhong, President and CEO of the CiccJia (Beijing) Investment Fund Management co., Ltd.The forum was hosted by Prof. Xu Xinzhong, Dean of Lingnan (University) College. About 200 alumni including several board directors and Lingnan administrators attended the forum.
In the opening session, Dean Xu Xinzhong gave a brief introduction of the three keynote speakers and showed warm welcome to alumni. He declared that in the era in which“Internet plus” has enteredall walks of life, trans-boundary operations and integration have stimulatedindustry. Digitization and intellectualization will drivedeep-rooted change andinnovation.The prosperous development of technology breeds new growth points, and the market should have faithin the 13th Five –Year Plan, Dean Xu said.
Professor Zou Zhizhuang delivered a speech on entrepreneurship and the economic environment. He analyzed China’s macroeconomic policy, its economic environment and education system, and his experiences conducting academic research. He emphasized that entrepreneurs are a driving force behindeconomic development. The key to the success of entrepreneursdepends onthree factors, he said: talent, effort and continuous learning. As an entrepreneur, one must have certain talents, Prof. Zou said. For instance, Li Ka-shing from Hongkong, Wang Yung-Ching from Taiwan, and Prof. Zou’s own father, Zou Dian-bang, all of whom became famous entrepreneurs despite never attending college. In addition, one needs perseverance and hard work to achieve success and make the most of one’s talents, Zou said. Finally, one should continuously receive new training on management and innovative thinking, Zou added. He also analyzed the basic elements of success of an enterprise. For instance, in order to achieve the highest efficiency and maximize profits, one must understand the business’s purpose, notice the needs of its market and customers, provide employees with good benefits, and fulfill responsibilities for the shareholders.
Associate professor Dong Xiaoying delivered a speech on the Internet plus strategy, focusing on its connection to Germany’s Industry 4.0. She pointed out that the growth of the internet has brought about Industry 4.0, and she shared several insights related to the effects of Internet plus. First, she said that the entity economy is the basis of the economy, and that Chinese manufacturing enterprises should firmly believeinthe permanent value of outstanding products. Second, consumer-based internet companies should play a constructive role in China’s transformation and the upgrading of the manufacturing industry, she said. Third, while promoting radical innovation,Dong saidChinese companiesshould focus more on progressive innovation. Fourth, Dong recommended giving full play to the unique advantages of the Chinese market.
Mr. Liang Guozhong’s speech was about equity investment. He started from a macro perspective on China, and indicated that China’s economy is going through three phases: economic growth shifting phase, structural adjustment phase, and previous stimulus policy digestion phase. The information technology evolution is underway and the world is entering into the mobile internet era. He summarized major periods in China’s development, including the policy-driven trade era of the 1980s, the cost-driven factory era of the 1990s, the resource-driven era of the first 10 years of the 21st century, and today’stechnology- and innovation-driven economy. He said the equity investment ofthe new economic era will usher in a golden opportunity for development. Internet plus, the health industry, thecultural and creative industries and Industry 4.0are expected to grow much faster than the overall economic growth rate, while producinga much higher level of profit than other industries.
After the speeches, attendeesaskedthe guests many questions. The three speakers discussed with the audience ata theoretical level, but also analyzed the realities of the economy and put forward theirjudgments and visions of the future.
This year’s Lingnan New Year Forum (Shenzhen) was the third annual forum to be held in Shenzhen. It not only brings new learning opportunities for the students in Shenzhen, but also further expands the brand influence of Lingnan in Shenzhen. Lingnan New Year Forum serves asa valuableplatform for the exchange of ideas.
