From our archives

Nov 25, 1983

Lu Xun's brother elected democratic party's chairman

Zhou Jianren, brother of China's best-known modern writer Lu Xun, was re-elected chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, one of the Chinese mainland's eight democratic parties, in Beijing on Nov 23.

Authors Ye Shengtao and Xie Bingxin, publisher Xu Boxin, calligrapher Zhao Puchu, educators Wu Yifan and Wu Ruo'an and Chen Shunli were elected vice-chairmen.

Of the association's 15,000 members nationwide, 9,000 were recruited in the past four years. A five-member executive bureau was formed to perform its routine duties.

Federation picks youngest member

The All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce recently elected a deputy manager of a collective enterprise as the youngest member of the executive committee.

Zhang Qiaofeng, 33, the youngest of the 291 members of the executive committee, serves in a company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, which was founded by 17 retired industrialists and businessmen in 1980.

When Zhang entered the company in 1980, many young people were reluctant to work at collective-enterprises because of low salary. Zhang's company handles consignments for shipment, and now has 97 workers. It has earned a net profit of more than 500,000 yuan since 1980.

Discussion improves business

A discussion that drew a total of 110,000 shop assistants in Wuhan, Hubei province has brought a new outlook to many commercial service departments.

More than 100 shop assistants from 40 vegetable shops went to other shops as customers and said they experienced poor service. For example, a shop assistant of Hejialong Vegetable shop, went to buy eggs at another one. Three assistants at the shop were chatting and ignored her.

At the discussion, many shop assistants said it would help them improve their service.

(China Daily 11/26/2008 page9)