Exclusive interview: "Hunan Adviser" Liu Siwei
2016-11-23
Liu Siwei was very busy.
He is 70 years old but never stopped. He insisted on field research for many years and was an infrequent economics professor inside and outside Hunan Province persisting in primary investigation in city and countryside for medium and long term. He had rich experiences, put forward forthright admonition. Many of his investigations and surveys were emphasized by the government, so he was called as an adviser in western Hunan.
Going from grass-roots of western Hunan, Liu Siwei worked in western Hunan for 16 years. He was very simple and said that "he never thought about transferring out". He worked as a secretary at the organ for the first 8 years, and worked on economics teaching in school for later 8 years, and he only thought about subject innovation and breakthrough wholeheartedly. In 1978, he contacted with teachers from his alma mater - Renmin University of China, and started his economics road based on taking rural market research in the minority nationality region as the starting point.
He grasped the rope of "market investigation in the minority region" and climbed up slowly, and the economic research method of grass-roots research initially formed by him had been used until now.
Now he had been working as the counsellor of the People's Government of Hunan Province for three terms, and was a "gold-lettered signboard" of HNUC, doctoral supervisor of Central South University, member of China Democratic League, leader of various research groups, authoritative economist, educator and government brain truster.
Although his post and level were changed now, the direction adhered to and focused on by him was never changed - "as local economist, propose some ideas, thinking and suggestions for economic development of Hunan Province, and grasp the changing situation by virtue of field research".
"Hunan adviser" was on the road of going through thatched cottage, farmland, workshop and jungle.
"Hunan adviser" had insisted on the primary investigation for many years
Question: The suggestions made by you are speaking the truth in many cases. Many of your investigations and suggestions are adopted by the government. What do you think of being called as "Hunan adviser"?
Liu Siwei: As the counsellor of provincial government, I must actively become a competent brain truster, which is my responsibility and business and that's what I did. As the brain truster or the adviser, you shall not only praise the government, what's more important is to propose some prospective advices at a crucial time regardless of whether or not being accepted by the leaders at that moment.
For example, I was the first one proposing "building the economic zone around Dongting Lake" in 1996, although this wish is realized after many years, I am also happy about it. In 1983, I proposed "building tourism belt of western Hunan scenery based on centering on Zhangjiajie", in 2003, I proposed "town merger", and then town reform last year was based on "merging big town, eliminating small town" - all of these are realized one by one.
Question: As everyone knows that you have insisted on field investigation for many years, and gained consistent appraisal from economic circles at the same time. What do you think of the method and attitude of conducting the primary investigation?
Liu Siwei: I deem that such appraisal is related to the experience of working in western Hunan for 16 years. On August 17, 1970, I reported my arrival at the unit for the first day after graduating from university, and I accompanied the local officials to carry out investigation on foot at Yongshun County on the third day. We traveled by tractor or on foot and ate pepper as food and slept on the desk of local primary school at night due to no place for sleeping at that time. I had a rough time at that time, which is good for my whole life.
Since starting to work in 1970s, I have never interrupted such investigation. I am 70 years old this year, I went to Dongkou County, Longhui County and Xinshao County, Shaoyang City for investigating rural e-commerce and poverty relief, and I went to Yongzhou and Jiangyong for investigation in April and had a face-to-face interview with female migrant workers coming back to homework for working on e-commerce. I went to investigate tea base in Anhua County and investigate production line at the workshop in April. I went to the countryside of Taojiang County and Nanxian County for investigating e-commerce when the temperature was 39℃ in July.
Question: You're 70 years old, and still carry out investigation on the hottest summer days, many people want to ask: Why not take a rest? What are the greatest significances and advantages of such primary investigation?
Liu Siwei: Plenty of primary basic investigations are the basis for me to research as well as make a policy suggestion. I think investigation and research are to know more about frontline situation of the countryside and avoid blah and subjective fabricating, which makes me adhere to telling the truth; Secondly, it's more reliable if gaining primary data other than data directly provided by others. Thirdly, it can inspect whether the viewpoint proposed by me is consistent with the reality, and test whether my economics survey and research direction is right or not.
"Fight as long as one has a breath in one's body"
Question: Now you are working on teaching, and I know that your students think you are "the best teacher". How many points do you give to your class?
Liu Siwei: I have given many classes for these years, but now every time when I give a class, I will prepare lessons again and collect the newest materials to explain the problem. In fact, giving a class is to not teach the repeated content but carry out continuous innovation.
All previous students give an appraisal for me and they say not listening to my class is a pity. I'm glad to hear such feedback.
What impressed me most is the student congestion in the classroom when giving some special lectures. For example, I once gave a lecture about American Financial Crisis, my class started at 7:00 p.m., but students started to occupy seats at 6:00 a.m. When I arrived at the classroom, the whole classroom was full of students - the students were standing on all the empty places, and even the doorway was crowded and watertight, and it's winter at that time. I was most pleased to see that scene.
Question: Are you always in a state of continuously accepting and learning something new now?
Liu Siwei: Yes, now I continuously accept something new and continue to learn. I said to some teachers in our university: You shall take learning as a lifelong pursuit and regard scientific research and learning as a life-style, and then you can keep pace with the era and advance with the times. Fight as long as one has a breath in one's body.
Now I browse the webpage on every night to watch the newest information on politics and economy.
Question: How is your current scheduling and working condition?
Liu Siwei: Now I work for more than 8 hours every day, and my current working concept is also "day + night" and "five + two", sometimes I get up to write something at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. and it is too early to understand by you.
"It's not difficult for people to do something right, but it's hard for people to do something right all their lives."
Question: You have stayed in western Hunan for 16 years after graduation from Renmin University of China. You always maintain morale and keep optimistic, no matter how hard the environment is and regardless of many setbacks and inequities. How can you keep such eternal optimistic spirit?
Liu Siwei: I was deeply influenced by old revolutionaries from childhood. Chairman Mao said: Confidently believing that man can live up to three hundred years old and so can swim an accumulated length of three thousand miles. The old saying goes: "as heaven is moving vigorously, gentlemen should strive constantly to become stronger", which has a great effect on me and is very important in the Confucianism.
In 1983, People's Government of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture evaluated me as "Advanced Worker of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture" and rewarded a radio and a certificate with the national emblem printed on it to me. Although the above certificate indicates my smallest honor now, I also think it is very important and it represents the honor granted by the nation to me and it encouraged me when I was more than 30 years old. It's the reason why I don't interrupt my scientific research until now.
Question: You research economy and currency, you, so to speak, "deal with money all your life", but you have said that many things cannot be measured with money.
Liu Siwei: Yes. I have many opportunities of making a fortune, promotion and job-hopping, but I give them up. I think people cannot live for money. Firstly, money isn't equal to happiness. Secondly, money isn't equal to career. Thirdly, money isn't equal to your value pursuit.
A person, a unit as well as a school must have some spirits to be inherited. I remember Chairman Mao said: It's not difficult for people to do something right, but it's hard for people to do something right all their lives, and what's the most difficult is that to benefit young men, revolution and other people. Such words impressed me deeply. I think I want to insist on "the most difficult thing".
Question: You insist on visiting high school Chinese teacher Mr. Li Yuanluo every year, and you choose to teach at HNUC due to gratitude for receiving help and encouragement by a superior for 31 years. Now many young teachers and students also thank your selfless help a lot. The ties of friendship from you is very warm.
Liu Siwei: I take one sentence from Tao Te Ching as my guide: With all the sharpness of the Way of Heaven, it injures not; with all the doing in the way of the sage, he does not strive. I fulfill such motto from the founder of Taoism - Laozi with my behavior. In my mind, something supports me, and these kernal spirits have been supporting me until now.
Now he had been working as the counsellor of the People's Government of Hunan Province for three terms, and was a "gold-lettered signboard" of HNUC, doctoral supervisor of Central South University, member of China Democratic League, leader of various research groups, authoritative economist, educator and government brain truster.
Although his post and level were changed now, the direction adhered to and focused on by him was never changed - "as local economist, propose some ideas, thinking and suggestions for economic development of Hunan Province, and grasp the changing situation by virtue of field research".
"Hunan adviser" was on the road of going through thatched cottage, farmland, workshop and jungle.
Excerpt from: Lilianghunan Wechat Official Publishment
