Qianhai and Mr. Ding

Ding Li

Ding Li is a member of the Chinese Writers Association， a distinguished professor of Jishou University， and vice chairman of the Shenzhen Writers Association.

Mr. Qianhai

Ding Li

Flower City Publishing House

March 2024

68.00 (CNY)

This book was a key publication of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee in 2023. “Qianhai” is a very important political and economic concept in contemporary China. The author fictionalizes a complex and moving story of entrepreneurship and emotion， while pushing Qianhai to the foreground of the story. By shaping the character of Mr. Ding， it prompts readers to think about the basic laws of the development of “One Country， Two Systems，” and the decisive and guiding role of the country’s power in the development of “One Country， Two Systems，” which makes an artistic foundation and interpretation for the cooperation and integration of Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Ding Li’s novel Mr. Qianhai is exceptionally valuable. Not only is it a significant breakthrough in his personal novel writing， but it might also be seen as a major advancement in Shenzhen’s literary thought. To fully appreciate this novel， one must first understand Qianhai.

In September 2021， the state released two important historical documents: the Plan on Comprehensive Deepening of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone Reform and Opening-up and the General Plan for the Construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone. These documents once again emphasized the importance of Qianhai and Hengqin in promoting the process of “One Country， Two Systems.” Thirty years ago， the name Qianhai was hardly known. After Hong Kong’s return to the motherland， the central government actively maintained Hong Kong’s prosperity and its important role in global economic development. At the same time， it recognized the direction of Hong Kong’s economic development model. To address potential weaknesses， risks， and deep-seated contradictions in the face of momentous changes unseen in a century， a series of strategically significant arrangements and measures were implemented under the “One Country， Two Systems” framework. The construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the economic development of the Greater Bay Area are examples of how the nation uses its power to help and support Hong Kong in better cooperating with the mainland and integrating into the national development framework. This strategy aims to gain the initiative in future international competition. Historical and contemporary facts have proven that only by relying on the strong backing of the nation can Hong Kong maintain long-term prosperity and stability， ensuring a bright future for “One Country， Two Systems” and a better tomorrow for Hong Kong. It is against this backdrop that Qianhai emerged and has increasingly shown its importance. Today， as a high ground for Shenzhen’s construction of a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics， Qianhai plays a crucial role in the development of the Greater Bay Area and holds special significance for Hong Kong’s promising future.

Understanding the past and present of Qianhai reveals the novel’s richness. The story itself is not complex. Thirty years ago， an engineer named Mr. Ding， who had left his job to venture into Shenzhen， worked for a Hong Kong boss. He discovered that， despite being a key employee in the factory， his salary was far lower than that of even ordinary Hong Kong employees and workers， with a disparity of twenty times. Initially， he thought it was because he couldn’t speak Cantonese， so he made great efforts to learn it， trying to make his Mandarin sound more like the local dialect. Later， he learned from his very trusting boss that the fundamental reason for his low salary was that he wasn’t from Hong Kong. In the early days of the reform and opening-up， Hong Kong workers who came to the mainland earned higher salaries than mainland workers. Thirty years later， Mr. Ding himself became a big boss in Qianhai， but because of his Hong Kong accent， he was always mistaken for a Hong Kong businessman. He enjoyed this misunderstanding until one day， when he invested one million yuan in a young entrepreneur from Hong Kong who came to Qianhai， he came to realize that he was actually a mainlander. With this awakening of cultural identity， his accent also suddenly reverted to a mainland one. People then realized that Mr. Ding was not a “Hong Kong businessman，” and Mr. Ding no longer needed to pretend to be one.

Through the character of Mr. Ding， the novel Mr. Qianhai authentically reflects the changes in the relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland over the past three to four decades. As the saying goes， “fate changes with time.” Back then， Hong Kong’s economic advantages were much stronger than those of the mainland， and Hong Kong people were filled with a sense of superiority， even considering their accent to be more prestigious. Mainland people， no matter how capable， were like elementary students in the face of Hong Kong’s economic prowess and the superiority of Hong Kong people. However， decades later， China has become the world’s second-largest economy and a major manufacturing power， steadily advancing towards becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is progressing inspiringly. Shenzhen has also been built into a modern metropolis comparable to any international city in the world， playing a pivotal and leading role in the country’s Greater Bay Area development. This development has also led to a fundamental adjustment in the cultural relationship between the mainland and Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong’s sense of superiority may still exist， the confidence of mainland people is more pronounced. This is not just a matter of fate， but of “l(fā)ivelihood.” Over these decades， the mainland’s policies have been favorable， and the people， through their hard work， have created a better life for themselves， continuously enhancing their sense of gain， happiness， and security. In contrast， although Hong Kong appears economically prosperous， its livelihood issues have not been well resolved， and the share of economic development benefits for the general populace has become increasingly thin. There has even been ideological confusion， leading to social unrest， economic fatigue， and a loss of the status and importance it once had. The historical and inevitable adjustment in relationships it results in is evident.

By shaping the character of Mr. Ding， Mr. Qianhai delves into deeper ideological connotations， prompting us to consider the basic laws of the development of “One Country， Two Systems” and the decisive and guiding role of the nation’s power in its development. It is now clear that relying solely on Hong Kong’s political system cannot solve its livelihood issues or mitigate the risks and crises in its future development. National leadership and support are essential to ensure Hong Kong’s prosperity， stability， and the well-being of its people， thereby advancing “One Country， Two Systems.” The construction of the “Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone” is a proactive effort by the state within the framework of “One Country， Two Systems，” creating conditions to help Hong Kong expand its development space and bring long-term prosperity and stability. This is an excellent opportunity for the development of the Greater Bay Area as well as for Hong Kong. The plot where Mr. Ding invests one million yuan in a young entrepreneur from Hong Kong timely conveys the message of this era. The growth of cultural confidence in Mr. Ding is not only rooted in his intellectual character but also in the confidence of the nation and the era. Consequently， the novel’s problem-oriented consciousness is prominently highlighted， and its thematic ideas are broad and deep.

The character of Mr. Ding leaves a lasting impression. He is an elite in the engineering field， very intelligent， with a strong desire to change his fate. He occupied high-level positions in the factory earlier than others， realized the need to learn from Hong Kong people sooner， and learned how to use Hong Kong people’s way of thinking to start a business and engage in commerce earlier than others. Although he had to change his accent and be mistaken for a Hong Konger， he was fully aware that all this was a necessary process. On the eve of Qianhai’s strategic rise， he had already exchanged 10% of his shares for the old factory land from his Hong Kong boss. After enduring hardships for a while， he finally welcomed the large-scale economic development of Qianhai. The land he held greatly appreciated， and he transformed from an employee to a big boss. His entrepreneurial path became increasingly smooth. And the wealth miracle happened just like that. This shows that his ability to seize development opportunities and his cleverness are in no way inferior to Hong Kong people. In some sense， he saw further， more accurately， and grasped more firmly than the Hong Kong people. One might consider that it is the profound and enduring Chinese culture that gave him foresight， wisdom， and strength. The answer is undoubtedly yes.

The Hong Kong characters in the novel are actually all very good people. The boss appreciates talent， knows how to make good use of people， and is genuinely kind to Mr. Ding. When he spoke about the salary and treatment of Hong Kong people， he did not condescend to Mr. Ding nor did he mean to humiliate him. The high-level executive， Miss Lin， although unattractive， is kind-hearted and not at all arrogant， embodying a dedicated corporate manager. Master worker Xu， who came from Hong Kong， is an exceptionally good person. He knew full well that the mainland engineers he trained would replace him， yet he selflessly taught them all his skills. It was from Master Xu that Mr. Ding realized that Hong Kongers like Master Xu deserve to earn twenty times the salary of mainlanders. The novel aims to tell us that the people of Hong Kong and the mainland are all excellent children and descendants of the Chinese nation， creating their own beautiful lives. But why did severe problems emerge in Hong Kong? This question is worth deep reflection.

Typically， novels do not bear the responsibility of delving to the bottom of issues. However， Ding Li’s novel， by cleverly placing the protagonist and Qianhai together， engages in contemplation and thought. The novel reaching this point touches upon the real crux of the matter and captures the pulse of the era.

September 27， 2022