Overseas Chinese help and prosper together. Zhejiang’s “Thousands of Overseas Chinese Groups (Enterprises) Help Thousands of Villages” has paired up with a total of 1,054 companies.
On September 19, an event titled “Overseas Chinese Assistance for Common Prosperity,” along with the “Thousand Overseas Chinese Groups Helping a Thousand Villages” initiative, was held in Qingtian County, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province. To date, the “Thousand Overseas Chinese Groups Helping a Thousand Villages” program has built partnerships with 1,054 organizations, contributing an impressive 6.98 billion yuan. Furthermore, the “Overseas Chinese Workstations” have facilitated orders totaling 22.06 billion yuan and distributed 4.25 billion yuan in processing fees. They have also established 278 “Overseas Chinese Homes” in rural areas.
Given Zhejiang’s abundant overseas Chinese resources, this initiative demonstrates how the overseas Chinese community is embracing social responsibility, significantly aiding in farmers’ incomes and rural development.
We had the opportunity to speak with various leaders and participants at the event to understand the impact of these initiatives. For instance, in Jiaxing XiuZhou, the Zhejiang Meizhao Seed Industry Co., Ltd. launched a “Common Prosperity Workshop,” which created over 500 job openings for farmers, leading to an additional income of more than 2 million yuan. In Qingtian, local leaders have encouraged overseas Chinese to engage in direct and multi-faceted support efforts, successfully pairing 101 overseas Chinese groups with 103 administrative villages and assisting over 1,000 low-income households, contributing upwards of 15 million yuan in various support funds. Meanwhile, in Ruian, Wenzhou, community initiatives resulted in the construction of six cultural projects, which cost more than 23 million yuan.
During the event, Hu Huirui, a member and vice-chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, reflected on the past three years of collaboration between the Zhejiang Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the Federation. He underscored the necessity of aligning local governance goals with the mission of promoting common prosperity through industry investment, enabling the return of overseas Chinese talent, and fostering public donations. Initiatives like the “Thousand Overseas Chinese Help Thousand Villages,” “Overseas Chinese Workstations,” and “Rural Overseas Chinese Homes” have been pivotal in driving industrial upgrades, generating job opportunities, and enhancing the overall well-being of residents, exemplifying the powerful influence of “Zhejiang Overseas Chinese” in the quest for common prosperity.
Looking to the future, Yang Jinkun, a senior inspector from the Zhejiang Provincial United Front Work Department, outlined three critical strategies: cultivating a consensus on reforms to uplift the “Overseas Chinese Assistance for Common Prosperity” mission; prioritizing actionable development measures to tackle emerging challenges; and harnessing collective efforts to establish a new model of “co-building and sharing.”
The event also showcased representatives from various organizations, including the Wenzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Lishui Federation, Hangzhou Lin’an Federation, and more, who shared innovative experiences and results associated with the “Overseas Chinese Assistance for Common Prosperity.” A ceremony was held to honor the second batch of Zhejiang Provincial “Rural Overseas Chinese Homes” and the annual three-star “Overseas Chinese Workstations” for 2023.
Additionally, Qingtian County conducted a signing ceremony for “Overseas Chinese Assistance for Common Prosperity” projects, finalizing 12 projects worth a total investment of 2.45 billion yuan, along with four paired assistance projects totaling 6.4 million yuan, benefiting sectors such as manufacturing, agricultural processing, and services.
In closing the event, Xu Guangwen, a member of the Lishui Municipal Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, emphasized its importance as a vital platform for sharing experiences and promoting effective, innovative enhancements in the “Overseas Chinese Assistance for Common Prosperity” efforts. He expressed optimism that participants would gain valuable insights, progress through collaboration, and elevate each other’s practices, collectively advancing the mission of “Overseas Chinese Assistance for Common Prosperity” to new heights and achieving remarkable outcomes.
