Three Chinese men have separately applied to register the name of Zheng Jiuwan, a village official and a model Communist Party of China (CPC) member, as a trademark for farm produce and other products.

The three, from Shandong and Zhejiang provinces in east China, had submitted their applications to the Trademark Bureau of the General Administration for Industry and Commerce of China (GAICC), said Zhou Baoguo, a trademark official with the Industry and Commerce Bureau of Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province, where Zheng's home village is located.

The Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee named Zheng as a national model CPC member in June, calling on all Party members to learn from Zheng's spirit of selflessness, being just in dealing with villagers' affairs and serving the villagers with heart and soul.

Zheng was also named a "Pioneer of the Times" by Zhejiang Province.

One of the three, Jin Tao, head of the Liaoyuan Intellectual Property Right Affairs Office based in Wenzhou city of Zhejiang, said, "I hope I can successfully register Zheng's name as a trademark and present it as special gift to Zheng to express my admiration."

Jin submitted his application in March and the GAICC began dealing with it in July. "I never thought that others had already applied, and they all sought a trademark for farm produce and sideline products."

The other two applicants, one from Yuhang District of Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province, and Dezhou, a city in Shandong Province, were unavailable for comment.

Zheng said, "If my name can be registered as a trademark, which will bring benefits to local people of my hometown, I won't object."

Zhang Yinghua, an associate professor with the Media and International Culture College of Zhejiang University, said, "Applying Zheng's name as a trademark shows how outstanding CPC members are still admired and adored by the general public.

Zheng, 55, became the secretary of the Jiugang Village Committee of the CPC in 1987.

Jiugang, a remote mountainous village, lags far behind other economically developed villages in Zhejiang Province.

Under the leadership of Zheng, the village's per capita annual income rose to the 2,000 yuan (US$250) last year from 600 yuan (US$75) nearly 20 years ago when he first took the post of secretary of the village CPC committee.

However, the per capita income of 2,000 yuan was less than half of the per capita income of Zhejiang Province for last year.

Zheng became seriously ill last October and has undergone two operations. He is recovering gradually at his home and still serves as the leading Party official of the village.

Villagers raised more than 60,000 yuan (US$7,500) to pay his medical charges.

"We would do all we can to help Zheng, even if all the villagers have to beg for money," one villager said.

Liu Xianhao, a 75-year-old villager, described Zheng as "selfless". "He cares for fellow villagers wholeheartedly and deals with our affairs justly."

Liu said Zheng contributed his own money to promote the development of village economy and improve the living standards of villagers.

"We hope Zheng will recover as soon as possible," said Liu.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2006)