Prof. Zheng Liping, the city's Party Secretary and a Harward MPA/Mason alumnus, gave a lecture "Seeking Development Through Institutional Innovation - A Case From China's Remote-mountainous City, Yunfu" to students of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies on Apr 24.

Yunfu is the first city in China to introduce an innovative medical insurance system to its rural residents, and also a forerunner to launch institutional innovation for crashing corruption and for expanding grass roots democracy. The city, established in 1994 and only 13 years old, had made eye-catching growths in various fields over the past decade. And the "brain" for all these innovations of city management is Prof. Zheng Liping, the city's Party Secretary and a Harward MPA/Mason alumnus.

Last month, Prof Zheng made a presentation in World Bank on Yunfu's development through institutional innovation, winning many positive responses. Last night, Prof Zheng gave the same presentation to the students of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, who filled up the school's grand hall half an hour before the presentation.

"I want to listen to a city leader talking about his city's development. It is the first time for me to attend a leader's lecture." a student said.

"A Harward alumnus talks about putting the management theories into practice, I am excited!" another student said.

In the presentation, Zheng detailed the city's effort in the past decade on bettering its business climate and public service through a series of government institutional innovation with the aim to build a clean, honest and efficient government.

Anti-corruption was a main content, Prof. Zheng listed the city's ten innovative reforms for preventing and crashing corruptions, these reforms covered tax, performance evaluation, state-owned property transaction, government purchase, etc. Yunfu's anti-corruption determination and efforts won GDUFS students' long time applause.

Besides, he gave much emphasis on the government's work in reducing poverty through offering vocational training to local residents, initiating medical insurance campaign, education, environment protection, reissuing property certificate and pushing grass root democracy.

Prof. Zheng said that he respected Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who led Singapore to achieve earth-shaking development, and borrowed some of his strategy for Yunfu's development plan. In the past ten years, the young Yunfu had spared no effort to seek infrastructure, social and economic improvement, and now the city is in the "early stage" to attend the globalization and the drive will accelerate in the future. The city has advantage in locations and cheap labour, bettered social and government service, it welcomes domestic and oversea investors. 

Prof. Zheng finished his lecture by showing one of his ink paintings. His lecture won long time applause.

Yunfu's Industry
Source reveals, over 60% of the city's GDP is contributed by private economy, which mainly are stone, cement and cooking appliance manufacturers. Emerson is the first Fortune-500 company to set up a factory in the city, producing rechargers for notebooks and cell phones. After the factory set up, 60 related accessory factories emerged and the electronic appliance industry in Yunfu saw a boom.

Side Story:
Besides work, Prof. Zheng was keen on creating traditional ink paintings, playing tennis and swimming. He told the reporter his "motto" - Seize the time, keep learning, have sports, well prepare your body and mind for challenges in life.

Talking about his family, he is very proud of his daughter, Zheng Yu, who won an international piano competition in Italy last year.

More about Prof. Zheng
Liping Zheng, born in Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, studies mechanics and received BS from South China University of Technology, majored in economics and corporate governance and got MBA from Dr. Sun Yatsen's University in Guangzhou, went on further his studies in public administration in the U.S.A. and became a MPA of KSG at Harvard, and crowned his academic pursuit with reaches on economics and obtained his Ph. D. from Nankai University in Tianjin.

Mr. Zheng has to his credit a great number of his books, treatises, translations, paintings and critiques on fine arts, covering a spectrum of subjects and issues. He is now Party Secretary of Yunfu in western Guangdong.

Editor: Wing