"Secretary Qin's words are well put. Developing the economy cannot be premised on changing the socialist nature of our country. The central government indeed has a clear stance on this issue. But does it mean that introducing more foreign capital and accelerating the development of the private sector will change our socialist nature?" Shen Zili counter-asked.
"From what I know, the private economy in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, already accounts for more than 60% of the local economy. Does that mean Wenzhou is no longer under the governance of a socialist country? Has the local party and government already degenerated?" Shen Zili did not give the other party a chance to catch their breath, further intensifying his argument. "I remember that the constitutional amendment passed at the first session of the Seventh National People's Congress two years ago clearly stated that the private economy is a supplement to the socialist public-owned economy. This clearly defines the legitimate position of the private economy in our economic system, and the constitution also clearly stipulates the protection of the development of the private economy."
"Secretary Qin also mentioned the current national policy of rectification and reorganization. I happen to have a copy of a document here, which is the State Council's recently issued 'Several Policy Provisions on Promoting the Further Healthy Development of Individual and Private Economies.' It clearly states that strengthening the management of individual and private economies during the rectification and reorganization does not mean a change in the national policy, but rather a comprehensive implementation of the policy and further improvement in management, to facilitate the long-term, stable, and healthy development of individual and private economies. This sufficiently demonstrates that the central government's policy has not changed and that it still actively supports the development of the private economy."
Shen Zili waved the document in his hand, and Lin Shunlu, the county party secretary and chairman of the county people's congress, adjusted his reading glasses and glanced at Shen Zili: "County Magistrate Shen, can I take a look at this document?"
"Of course." Shen Zili handed the photocopy of the document, which he had just received, to Lin Shunlu. This document had just been transmitted to the provincial level, and the regional level had not yet received it. Shen Zili had obtained it from his father-in-law at the suggestion of Lu Weimin.
Lin Shunlu read the document with a serious expression. After finishing, he quickly passed the photocopy to another member of the Standing Committee.
"I still hold the same view. Without developing the industrial economy to improve people's living standards, Nantang will remain trapped in a cycle of poverty. Our conditions in Nantang are not ideal. If we want to escape poverty, we must be bold and innovative in our thinking, seize the opportunity, and take the lead. Only by taking the initiative can we avoid falling behind in our future work and lay a solid foundation for future development."
Qin Haiji's face turned grim, especially when the document was passed to him. He had little interest in reading it.
The document itself was not important; what mattered was that Shen Zili had brought it up at this moment, clearly with a premeditated plan. He had anticipated that Qin Haiji would challenge the issue of the private economy and had chosen the right moment to counter with the document, delivering a powerful blow.
This move completely deflated Qin Haiji's momentum, and the atmosphere of the meeting changed instantly. As the Standing Committee members focused on the document, they forgot the main topic of the meeting.
An Dejian敏锐地察觉到了会议气氛的变化，搁下笔，抬起头来。也许是搁笔的声音略大了一些，立即让常委们的注意力重新回到了他的身上。
"Everyone has expressed their views on the proposal to establish an industrial development zone. I think the atmosphere of free discussion in our county is very good. The more controversial the issue, the more we need to clarify and explain it, so that everyone can have a deeper and clearer understanding. This will greatly benefit our future work, especially for such a significant proposal, which requires careful consideration."
An Dejian handled the situation with ease, effortlessly controlling the pace and direction of the meeting according to his intentions.
"I think County Magistrate Shen's idea hits the key point of Nantang's development. How to boost our economy and quickly enrich the people of Nantang, and how to fundamentally change the social and economic landscape of Nantang, ultimately comes down to developing the industrial economy. This is an indisputable fact. However, Secretary Qin's concerns are also valid. For a poor county like Nantang, where will the funds come from to establish an industrial development zone? The investment in infrastructure, the launch of investment attraction, and a series of other tasks are not simple matters. They require careful planning and solid implementation."
Shen Zili had to admire An Dejian's leadership skills. A simple gesture of putting down his pen made the Standing Committee members understand who was in control of the meeting. An Dejian then skillfully controlled the meeting's pace, avoiding the issue of whether foreign capital and the private economy would change the socialist economic nature, and focused on how to carry out the work.
This essentially confirmed that the project would proceed, and the work arrangements were logically determined, giving Qin Haiji a sense of being respected and making him more psychologically accepting. This was not only due to An Dejian's position as the county party secretary but also his excellent leadership skills, in which Shen Zili saw much to learn.
The county party committee's Standing Committee finally approved the two proposals to establish the Nantang County Investment Attraction Leadership Group and the Nantang County Industrial Development Zone Construction Preparation Leadership Group. However, the strong undercurrent of tension during the meeting made Shen Zili realize for the first time that standing firm in Nantang would not be as smooth as he had initially thought.
Previously, the county had established an investment attraction office, with the deputy director of the county government office serving as the director and a deputy director of the commerce bureau serving as the deputy director.
This kind of office, without dedicated personnel or a specific budget, and without performance evaluations or specific plans, was like many other temporary offices, merely adding a title and a seal. It would issue a work plan at the beginning and end of each year and produce two issues of a bulletin, which would be considered the completion of its tasks.
However, this time, the county party committee's Standing Committee emphasized the proposal to establish the investment attraction leadership group, which Shen Zili had specifically proposed. The proposal required the entire county to attach great importance to investment attraction, making it a crucial driving force for changing the social and economic landscape of Nantang. The group leader would be the county party secretary, An Dejian, with the acting county magistrate, Shen Zili, and the deputy county magistrate, Cao Gang, serving as deputy group leaders. The members would include the director of the county government office and the heads of various economic departments. The office would be headed by Mao Rong, the deputy director of the county government office.