Gui Shengyue, chief executive officer of Geely Automobile Holdings, says learning the world's latest technology through mergers and acquisitions is key to keeping Geely's continued growth. [Parker Zheng / China Daily] Most people won't dispute it's the courage and aspirations of founder Li Shufu that have helped shape the group's growth, while paying scant attention to the rigor and pragmatism of Gui Shengyue. Gui was named chief executive officer of Hong Kong-listed Geely Automobile Holdings in 2006 after having been tapped by Li in the 1990s well before Geely ventured into the auto industry. Li and Gui, who are of the same age and natives of Zhejiang province in eastern China, struck up a solid relationship despite their different backgrounds. Li had started from scratch, while Gui was recommended by Beijing to work in State-owned China Resources (Holdings) Company in Hong Kong. Gui reckons it's China Resources' standardized management and regulations that have shaped his business philosophy. Discipline and legality are important in such a large corporation. This has influenced me a lot and made me more practical. He was a key witness to Geely's Automobile's development over the years, purchasing spare parts for the group and feeding it with global market information from Hong Kong. After having worked in Hong Kong for years, Gui has grown accustomed to the local business environment. I came to Hong Kong just after graduating from university in 1986. It enabled me to get some understanding of business rivalry in a regulated market in my early years, says Gui. Geely grew rapidly and became one of China's top 500 enterprises in 2002. Its speedy expansion had put pressure on the company's cash flow because of its huge sales target and high production investment. This accelerated Geely's desire to seek opportunities by going public. With Gui's help in building the company's structure, Geely was successfully listed on Hong Kong's stock market through a back-door listing in 2005. The initial public offering eased Geely's capital pressure and created the path for it to climb onto the world arena. Having been appointed to the helm of the Hong Kong unit, Gui believes a successful leader has to be good at controlling the whole situation and capable of making critical decisions. Although critical decisions may involve risks, a leader has to conquer them, and adopting a conservative approach won't bring the results, he says. Thus, I believe, to a certain extent, all the M&As are linked to the existence of our listed company here in Hong Kong. We may not play a critical role but we do have some impact for sure. Geely's shares had been on a roll since the unit's flotation in Hong Kong and the company becoming a constituent of the Hang Seng Index early last year, ending 2017 with its share price tripled. kids wristbandssilicone braceletsbatman wristbandpersonalised festival wristbandsbracelet maker onlineminecraft bracelet bulkcustom wristbands no minimumcheap wristbands ukwristbands with a message24hr wristbandsilicone bracelets custom cheapcharity bracelets ukrainbow wristbandcreate your own wristbandfestival wristbands for sale
Members of a voluntary rescue team in Shanghai's Zhujiajiao town patrol its waterways on charge boats. [CHINA DAILY] Pedestrians and cyclists in a busy riverside town outside of Shanghai can move about with more peace of mind thanks to the efforts of a highly trained rescue team. For over a decade, the team's patrols have helped prevent accidents, especially along the Dianpu River in Zhujiajiao - a town with a history of more than 1,700 years in suburban Qingpu district. Members perform various tasks, including fighting fires, emergency water rescues, and flood prevention and typhoon preparedness, according to Chen Chunhao, director of the Zhujiajiao's conscription office, which oversees the team. The team has several dozen members, he said. Half are ex-military and the rest are college graduates under 25. All are unpaid but receive free training, and were selected through exams and stamina tests. The group is officially classed as a militia, which still operate nationwide under guidance from local authorities. They play a part in protecting national security and respond to emergencies that threaten social stability. However, such groups are only armed during training with the military. We undertake more diversified duties - mainly covering the propagation of national defense knowledge and performing daily guard duty along the river - in addition to our basic security work, said Li Linjie, the team leader. For example, we rescued a 22-year-old woman who attempted to drown herself in the river in September. In January, the team also cleared heavy snow from the streets and laid skid-resistant straw mats to protect vehicles and pedestrians. On an average day, Zhujiajiao receives more than 40,000 tourists keen to take in the town's history and watery vistas, and accidents sometimes occur with children and the elderly trying to negotiate the river's slippery banks. We're ready for every mission, Li said. Every member also speaks a second language, to help foreign tourists in town. According to its members, the team's track record of success is due to its disciplined military-style management. A full set of equipment is available to us, including rescue and patrol boats, inflatable rafts, motorcycles and firefighting tools, said Yuan Heqiang, another team leader. Members undergo regular military training and physical conditioning, as well as study water-rescue and firefighting techniques. We even began using drones last year to quicken our emergency response time, Yuan said. Experts from the Qingpu Lifesaving Association and the Qingpu Red Cross Association are regularly invited to teach the team the latest techniques in water rescue and first aid. The emergency response team has become a key guardian of peace and security in Zhujiajiao, said Colonel Li Huilin of the Qingpu district's conscription office. Over the past 11 years, the unit has coped with more than 30 major disasters and 500 crises, helping prevent property losses of more than 8 million yuan ($1.21 million), especially before and during weather emergencies. [email protected]
