On August 27th, the symposium on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative was held in Beijing. Mr. Zhang Huarong, member of the Standing Committee of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of Huajian Group Co., Ltd, attended the symposium. On August 28th, Mr. Zhang Huarong returned to Dongguan and convened a meeting to share the main ideas of the symposium on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Speaking of the symposium, Mr. Zhang Huarong told reporters that as an entrepreneur, he felt very proud of attending such a great symposium. "To attend the symposium is not only a kind of encouragement, honor and affirmation to me but also a kind of pressure and motivation to me."
Huajian Group Co., Ltd is one of the enterprises set up in Africa in the early days. On September 12th, 2013, Huajian Group Co., Ltd and the Ethiopian government signed an agreement on the program of "Huajian International Light Industry Park in Ethiopia" with a total investment of 2 billion US dollars.
On April 16th, 2015, Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia's former Prime Minister, witnessed the start of the program. Up to now, 80 million US dollars has been invested; the completed construction area has reached 180,000 square meters; 8000 local people have been employed; and the exports of Huajian Group Co., Ltd in Ethiopia has taken up 65% of Ethiopia's total footwear exports, 25% of Ethiopia's local leather procurement exports. Huajian Group Co., Ltd in Ethiopia set a good example in earning foreign exchange, increasing employment and making contributions to the development of Ethiopia's export-oriented economy.
Having decided to invest in Ethiopia, Mr. Zhang Huarong frequently traveled between China and African countries. He went to Africa 118th in four years.
At the beginning of the establishment of the factory, Huajian Group Co., Ltd particularly selected more than 200 Ethiopian employees to take training in corporate culture, expertise and management in Dongguan. Nowadays, there are more than 8000 employees in Huajian Group Co., Ltd in Ethiopia, and the corporate functions well.
Mr. Zhang Huarong said that in the future, Huajian Group Co., Ltd aimed to help 100,000 African people in Africa get a job and planned to set up "Belt and Road" vocational colleges in Dongguan, Guangzhou or Ganzhou, Jiangxi so as to cultivate talents for "Belt and Road" enterprises and African industry development.
On September 1st, 2017, to thank Mr. Zhang Huarong's contributions to Ethiopia's industry, Ethiopian government entitled him Father of Ethiopian Industry.
Mr. Zhang Huarong said that Huajian Group Co., Ltd, as a good example of "Belt and Road" enterprise, aimed to help 100,000 African people in Africa get a job by 2030. On the other hand, it would achieve efficient and civilized development, combine its development with Africa's development, promote the establishment of a community of a common destiny and win honor for the country.
