Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

The day after the research symposium in Handong concluded, the atmosphere in the small conference room at the research team's residence was exceptionally solemn. The team leader specifically summoned Zhou Jin for a private meeting. The minutes of the symposium were spread out on the table, with Zhou Jin's remarks on land disposal and lifelong accountability circled in red and marked extensively.

"Comrade Zhou Jin, the suggestions you made at the symposium have been carefully studied by my colleagues in the research team, and they are very insightful." The team leader got straight to the point, his tone full of praise. "In particular, the lifelong accountability and the standardization of land disposal have hit the nail on the head regarding the current state-owned enterprise reform."

Zhou Jin sat up straight and listened attentively.

"I have a deep impression of the 21 policies issued by Guangdong Province in 1993 to restrict land speculation that you mentioned." The leader flipped through the documents in his hand. "Indeed, as the forefront of reform and opening up, Guangdong had already seen signs of land speculation. The central government promptly introduced policies to curb it, which precisely confirms your judgment—that with economic development and urban construction, land appreciation is an inevitable trend."

The leader's tone shifted, his expression turning serious: "Land in inland provinces may seem worthless now, but in five or ten years, as urbanization accelerates and people's living standards improve, the value of this land will increase exponentially. If we are vague during the reform of state-owned enterprises now, and hand over state-allocated land to private individuals without compensation, it will not only result in a huge loss of state-owned assets in the future, but also trigger a series of social problems such as demolition disputes and power struggles. It will be extremely difficult to recover then."

"The leader is right," Zhou Jin added at the opportune moment, her tone calm and professional. "The core of Guangdong's 21 policies is to curb land speculation and regulate the land market, which serves as a wake-up call for inland provinces. The disposal of land during the reform of state-owned enterprises is essentially a matter of preserving and increasing the value of state-owned assets. Our current establishment of regulations is not to hinder reform, but to safeguard it—clarifying land ownership and implementing lifelong accountability will not only allow reformed enterprises to operate with peace of mind, but also give the government the initiative in future urban planning, and more importantly, prevent corruption and the transfer of benefits at the root."

He further explained: "This investigation found that grassroots restructuring generally emphasizes equity over assets, especially 'hidden assets' like land, which are easily overlooked. Once problems arise, there is no way to trace responsibility, and ultimately the interests of the country and the people are harmed. Therefore, it is necessary to require all localities to submit three copies of the files, including the list of restructured factories, information on responsible persons, and land disposal plans, to the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Provincial Planning Commission for record-keeping, and to retain copies locally. Each copy must be signed and endorsed to ensure full traceability and accountability."

"Moreover," Zhou Jin added, "lifelong accountability is not just empty talk. The scope of responsibility must be clearly defined: for example, failing to require enterprises to redeem land as required, but changing the nature of land without authorization; falsely reporting land value and embezzling redemption funds; falsifying files and concealing the truth about land disposal. All of these should be included in the scope of accountability. No matter how many years have passed, as long as they are verified, they will be dealt with seriously."

The leader listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, his eyes filled with growing approval: "Your thinking is very comprehensive. You've identified the current problems, anticipated future risks, and proposed actionable solutions. This is precisely the purpose of our research—not only to identify problems, but also to come up with solutions."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the street scene of Handong outside. His tone was firm: "I have decided to compile your suggestions into a special report and submit it to the central government along with the research findings of the research team. At the same time, we will issue a 'Notice on Regulating Land Disposal and Accountability in the Reform of State-Owned Enterprises' in the name of the research team, requiring all localities to strictly implement standardized land disposal, complete file retention, and lifelong accountability in the reform process. In particular, the ownership of land must be clearly marked, and ambiguity is absolutely not allowed."

Zhou Jin felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that his suggestion was finally about to be implemented. This was not only recognition of his work, but also a safeguard of national interests, putting into practice his grandfather's teaching of "serving the country and the people."

"Thank you for your recognition, leader." Zhou Jin stood up to express her gratitude. "I believe that as long as regulations are in place and responsibilities are assigned to specific individuals, the reform of state-owned enterprises can revitalize the enterprises while safeguarding the bottom line of state-owned assets, and truly achieve the original intention of the reform."

"You deserve this." The leader patted him on the shoulder. "Young cadres should have this spirit of speaking out, seeking truth and being pragmatic, and this foresight of taking a long-term view and preventing problems before they occur. Keep up the good work, and the future is bright."

Three days later, an urgent document was sent from the research team's location in Handong to the central government, with copies sent to the planning commissions and state-owned assets supervision and administration commissions of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country. The document explicitly required:

I. All state-owned enterprise reforms must formulate separate land disposal plans, clearly defining the ownership of the land. Either the enterprise must redeem the right to use the land in accordance with regulations, and the funds must be fully turned over to the national treasury; or it must be stated that the ownership belongs to the state, and the enterprise only enjoys a limited-term right to use the land, which will be reclaimed without compensation upon expiration. Ambiguous disposal is strictly prohibited.

Second, establish a "dual filing and one retention" system for restructuring archives. The list of restructured factories, information on responsible persons, land disposal agreements, and other materials must be filed with the higher-level planning commission and the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, while the local government retains the original documents. The entire process must be open and transparent.

Third, a lifelong accountability system will be implemented for the reform of state-owned enterprises. Any violations, transfer of benefits, or falsification of documents in the land disposal process will be investigated and the relevant responsible persons will be held accountable, regardless of how much time has passed.

The document immediately generated a strong response across the country after its issuance. Many grassroots reform cadres expressed that the document provided them with clear work guidelines, solving the problem of "how to reform" and dispelling their concerns about "taking responsibility." Zhou Jin's name also became well-known to relevant central departments and local cadres in charge of reform through this document, and everyone was impressed by the foresight and wisdom of this young cadre from the General Office of the Central Committee.

Upon receiving the document, Zhao Lichun immediately convened a special meeting in Handong Province, demanding a "review" of the land disposal process for state-owned enterprise reform within the Jingzhou area. Li Dakang was tasked with leading the review of archives and supplementing regulations, while Chen Yanshi was required to rectify previous oversights within a specified period. The land issue, which he had previously overlooked, has now become a top priority in the reform work.

When Li Dakang was implementing the document, he made a point of contacting Zhou Jin again. His tone on the phone was sincere: "Comrade Zhou, your suggestion has now become a national standard. Jingzhou City has already fully launched the rectification. Thanks to your reminder back then, otherwise we would have really left behind a major hidden danger."

"This was a decision made by the central government and the research team. I only did my part," Zhou Jin responded modestly. "Handong is an old industrial base with a heavy task of restructuring. If there is anything we need to discuss later, we can communicate at any time."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jin stood by the window of his residence, gazing at the distant sky. He knew that the implementation of this document was only the first step in putting his original aspirations into practice. In the future, as reforms deepen, more new problems will arise, but as long as he adheres to principles and maintains foresight, he will certainly be able to contribute more to the country's development and the people's well-being in his position.

Meanwhile, far away in the Zhou family's old residence in Kyoto, Zhou Jianguo saw the notice forwarded by the central government in the newspaper, and a gratified smile appeared on his lips. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and silently said to himself, "Jin'er, you haven't disappointed your grandfather."