Spokesman Li Dongsheng for the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Sunday that 1,554 private entrepreneurs joined the CPC last year, taking up 14.4 percent of the 10,773 members from new social strata.

Private entrepreneurs used to be a symbol of capitalism and thus had long been excluded from the Party, but now they are gaining recognition for their contribution to the country's economic development.

"Like workers, farmers, intellectuals, cadres and army men ( the traditional backbone stratum of the CPC), private entrepreneurs are also builders of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Li said at a press briefing ahead of the opening of the congress.

In response to a question on the appeal of the CPC in the new era, Li said that most private entrepreneur applicants bore good intentions and could uphold the guidelines and constitution of the Party and play a vanguard role upon acquiring the membership.

"Facts proved that absorbing private entrepreneurs into the Party could help expand the popular foundation of the Party, facilitate the healthy development of non-public economy and Party building and elevating the vigor of the Party," he said.

Delegate Chen Ailian, board chairman of the Wanfeng Auto Holding Group, Asia's largest aluminum wheel producer, attributed the booming of private economy to the constant policy recalibarations of the Party and government to introduce in competition, encourage individuals to pioneer their own businesses and remove political constraints.

A joint survey released by the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and the All China Federation of Industry and Commerce in 2006 showed private entrepreneurs have expressed a strong interests in participating in the discussion and administration of state affairs. About 28.8 percent of the polled took it honor to be elected as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) or a deputy to the National People's Congress.

Yin Mingshan, board chairman of the Chongqing-based Lifan Group, a privately-owned motorcycle producer, emerged as the first private entrepreneur assuming a provincial post after being elected as deputy chairman of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC in 2003. The same year, Xu Guanju, board chairman of detergent manufacturer Chuanhua Group, was elevated as the deputy chairman of the CPPCC Zhejiang Provincial Committee.

"As a delegate from the grassroots, I am particularly concerned with the party building in private enterprises and hope the country can further facilitate the development of private economy," said Chen Ailian.

Spokesman Li Dongsheng said at the briefing that China would unswervingly hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and make it the shared dreams of all Chinese.

To reach the goal, observers say, the CPC must proceed from realities and reach out to all walks of life so as to unify national aspiration.

China's new social strata is estimated to have an aggregate population of 50 million, controlling nearly one trillion yuan of capital and half of the country's technical patents and contributing almost one-third of taxation either directly or indirectly. Besides, most of them come from non-public enterprises.

Wei Jianhua, who used 10,000 yuan to start up a chemical company in 2003, said a major spur to private economy came after late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping made the concept of economic reform prevalent in 1992. The sales revenue of Wei's company has now surpassed 100 million yuan.

In 2005, the State Council promulgated the first ever governmental documents to support and facilitate the growth of non- public economy and pledge to grant non-public enterprises equal treatment with all other enterprises. It was these documents that allow Liu Yonghao and his New Hope Group, originally a feed manufacturer, to branch into the previous off-limits of banking and securities industries to become the largest shareholder of Minsheng Bank.

After writing protection of private property into the Constitution, China's legislators passed the Property Law and Enterprise Income Tax Law this year, demonstrating the government' s determination to protect private assets.

Spurred by the bull stock markets and the country's brisk economic growth, a slew of domestic private entrepreneurs have emerged into billionaires, which further aggravated the country's yawning wealth gap.

"There is nothing wrong for private entrepreneurs to seek profits. Profits create jobs, feed people and boost consumption. A focal issue the Party should be concerned with is how to secure the fair and just distribution of wealth and how to inspire the innovative ability of the people," said Wei.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2007)