On the morning of 29 April 2021, the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) organised a group interview for Chinese and foreign journalists. Five representatives of “new era” worker members of the CPC took questions on issues related to ethics, model workers, promoting the value of work, and the pursuit of fine workmanship. Zhu Shijie, a workshop supervisor at the Ningbo Beilun Third Container Terminal (part of the Zhejiang Seaport Group) was the first to share his story.

He introduced his work, and the "China Speed" he created with his teammates.

The key to lifting containers from a control station is accuracy; in that way, it is just like shooting a gun.

“I am responsible for the operation of the crane, bringing it down at an altitude of 49 meters and controlling the alignment. There are four conical locks on the crane that need to fit the four lock holes, 6 X 12 cm, at the four top corners of the container. The operator must prevent the crane from being affected by wind and waves in order to achieve accurate placement.”

“Sometimes the situation requires one to lift two side-by-side containers at the same time using all eight locks. Having 23 years of experience on this job, I invented a method, named after myself, that allows us to lift two containers in about one minute. It is also called  "China Speed", and leads the world.” 

Zhu Shijie sharing his story.

According to Zhu Shijie, his intention in joining the CPC, to learn skills and become an excellent operator, has continued to encourage his growth.

"The Party branch to which I belonged was then setting up a team to tackle the key issue of efficiency for the only trunk line to Europe. The team was to be made up of model workers who were also Party members, and wishing to join it,  I applied to join the party in 2003, and became a CPC member in 2009. "

Today, as a great craftsman, he leads his class and team in skills enhancement and innovation, with all members both competing against and assisting each other with the ultimate aim of constructing a world-class port.

Over the years, despite China’s efforts to leap from quantity to quality in manufacturing, problems have remained. On the one hand, there is strong demand for technical skills; on the other hand, despite a lack of work, many young people are reluctant to undertake technical training. As a national model worker, what is Zhu Shijie’s opinion on this issue? What advice does he have for young people? In answer, he shared his personal experience. "I graduated from a vocational technical school. My path to success was, in a spirit of craftsmanship, to concentrate on doing my work well every day. Over the past 20 years, due to my dedication, I have made achievements and gained expertise, which have led to me being able to establish a studio in my name and become a senior technician subsidised by the State Council. "

Many other members of his team have high levels of technical skill, including two national technical experts and six national technical experts in transportation.

Zhu Shijie said that he hopes his and his team’s experiences can help guide young people. "As long as a young person has mastered a skill, he or she need not fear unemployment anywhere in the country, or even the world. Following a career path in a spirit of craftsmanship and care in one’s daily work helps one to become a useful person! "

He also said that, "As a crane operator at Zhoushan port in Ningbo, I feel very honoured to speak on behalf of Party-member workers throughout the country on such an important occasion for Chinese and foreign journalists. It is not only a great honour, but a great responsibility as well. "

Zhu Shijie enrolled in the undergraduate Administration programme at the Ningbo Branch of the Open University of China (OUC) in autumn 2010. He then began to study Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation in spring 2018, after having graduated from the Administration programme. He has shown great willingness to learn and diligence in research, and has been named an outstanding OUC graduate and outstanding Ningbo-branch alumnus.

This interview, the 1st of its kind of outstanding CPC members by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, took place on May Day eve, and showed respect for labour and the importance of labourers.

By OUC News Network (compiled reports from Ningbo OU and http://www.cnnb.com.cn/)