Nearly one in every three private entrepreneurs wants to play a political role as the private sector continues to fuel the country's economic growth, says a recent survey. 

The private sector accounts for 65 percent of China's GDP and contributes over 80 percent of its economic growth, says the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC).

The study was a joint effort by the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China, the All-China Association for Private Business Studies, and the ACFIC.

Though the survey shows that about 70.8 percent of the entrepreneurs consider business to be their top priority, there are those who hope to be elected members of the People's Congress or the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at various levels. The National People's Congress is the highest legislature and the CPPCC, a political advisory body.

Though the study reflects the rising desire of private citizens to engage in politics, it also shows their disappointment with the ranks or posts they are able hold. In fact, they can only assume low-ranking posts in political or economic organizations, and their influence at best can be fairly small. Moreover, such posts are concentrated in economic rather than political organizations.

The study discovered that former government officials, managerial personnel of state-owned enterprises and technical professionals make up 67.4 percent of the private business owners, up from 33.8 percent in 2004. In contrast, the ratio of workers, farmers, and service-trade personnel turned entrepreneurs dropped from 57.9 percent to 26.7 percent.

Party members comprised 32.2 percent of the private owners who registered their businesses after 2001.

The majority of the private business owners with Party affiliations previously worked for the Party or government organizations at some point in time, with many of them serving as directors or managers of state-owned or collectively owned enterprises.

The conclusion is that the make-up of private business ownership is becoming elite-oriented, says Bao Yujun, director of the All-China Association for Private Business Studies, which explains why the new generation of entrepreneurs yearns for recognition and understanding from society.

(China Daily February 26, 2007)