On January 8, 1976, ** died of illness, and the bad news caused a strong response in Hong Kong and Macao. He has not only won the hearts of the people on the mainland, but also enjoys a very high reputation overseas, especially in Hong Kong and Macao.
His noble character and gentleness have made countless overseas Chinese extremely proud. Although Pao Yugang has never met ***, he has always had a deep spiritual connection with ***.
After Bao Yugang came to Hong Kong from Shanghai in 1949, he relied on his own efforts to create the Global Shipping Group*** After years of struggle, he finally became a generation of ship kings.
Although he did not have the opportunity to meet the prime minister, he respected and admired him from the bottom of his heart, a great man who showed neither humility nor arrogance in international exchanges and brought confidence and dignity to the Chinese people.
Usually, Pao Yugang is not very interested in politics and does not watch much TV, but that night, he rarely sat in front of the TV and watched the premier's memorial service broadcast live.
When Deng Gong solemnly delivered a eulogy for Prime Minister ***, and when he read the sentence "Hard Work and Resentment", Bao Yugang was shocked all over his body and suddenly jumped up from his seat. This sentence of "hard work and resentment" deeply moved Bao Yugang.
Figure |Eulogy at the memorial service Bao Yugang recalled his life journey, from Ningbo to Hengyang, from Chongqing to Shanghai, and finally settled in Hong Kong, struggling all the way and experiencing hardships; He recalled that when he was in Chongqing and Shanghai, many of his good friends were "secret party members" of the CPC, and his words and deeds, as well as their ideals and beliefs, made him deeply admire and admire.
He respects communists like Prime Minister ***, who selflessly dedicate themselves to the country and the nation until death. "Hard work, ** Prime Minister has worked hard all his life!
Bao Yugang paced back and forth in the living room, repeating this sentence in his mouth. It has been 27 years since he left the mainland, and looking at Shenzhou, it is his time to serve the motherland. At that moment, he set his life goal: "For the interests of the country and the nation, work hard all your life!"
Bao Yugang was born in November 1918 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, the son of a merchant who did business in Hankou. Bao Yugang's background is relatively superior, and he has received a good education since he was a child.
After the Opium War, Ningbo became one of the "five trade ports", which made Ningbo form a famous "Ningbo Merchants" group with its superior natural geography and human conditions, which had a wide influence in Shanghai, Hong Kong and other places.
Since Bao Yugang's home is not far from the sea, he has had a strong interest in the sea and the merchant ships of various countries coming and going on the sea since he was a child, and even went to school at Wusong Merchant Marine College (the predecessor of Shanghai Maritime University) in Shanghai.
Perhaps at that time, he did not expect that this love of the sea and ships would become his life's work. However, Pao's experience began in the banking industry.
At that time, Shanghai was the financial center of the Far East, and the banking industry was very developed. After entering the Industrial and Mining Bank, he worked hard, shrewd and capable, knew the market well, was warm and thoughtful to customers, applied both soft and hard to various black and white forces, and responded to various situations with ease.
With his humble and unpretentious qualities and skilled business skills, Bao Yugang has won a good reputation and his position has been continuously promoted. In 1937, he was promoted to deputy manager of the Hengyang branch and was transferred to work in Chongqing.
After the war, he returned to Shanghai and served as Deputy General Manager and Business Manager of the Bank of Shanghai. At that time, Shanghai's banking industry was highly competitive, and he was proud of the fact that he had undergone three changes in general management, but his position was always secure.
An old ** records the historical changes of Shanghai. When Bao Yugang was working in the banking industry, he met someone who had a profound influence on him - Lu Xuzhang, the general manager of the vast number of China Bank.
Their meeting was purely accidental. In 1943, when Bao Yugang was serving in Hengyang, he once went to the theater with his wife to watch a play, and there was a fellow villager in Ningbo sitting next to him.
Figure |Lu Xuzhang Lu Xuzhang purchased goods for the company in Hengyang, and after the two met, because of this kinship and mutual affection, the two sides had deep feelings and close contacts.
It's just that Bao Yugang doesn't know that Lu Xuzhang has another identity in addition to the position of general manager of the vast number of China Bank: a secret member of the Communist Party of China. Lu Xuzhang is an underground party member personally led by ***, and the vast number of China Bank is also a red capital directly led by the Communist Party of China on the hidden front.
The vast China Bank was the predecessor of the famous China Resources Group, which made friends through business dealings, actively collected intelligence from the upper echelons of the Kuomintang, and covered the CCP's underground transportation through its commercial network.
Bao Yugang never imagined that such a big enterprise, such a big capitalist, and the "big brother" he was very close to would have the surname "Gong" and be directly led by ***.
Photo of the majority of China Bank employees Bao Yugang once thought that he had never been involved in politics, but in the end he was influenced by politics and was forced to abandon the banking and finance career he originally planned to engage in for the rest of his life.
In 1948, with the People's Liberation Army on all fronts in the country, the situation of the Kuomintang authorities deteriorated day by day, and Shanghai, as a financial center, was also severely impacted, with currency depreciation, soaring prices, and panic.
Wu Guozhen, the mayor of Shanghai, had a discerning eye and selected Bao Yugang as the manager of the banking department in Shanghai, providing some help to the chaotic situation in Shanghai. However, Pao also faces challenges.
All units of the Shanghai municipal government went to him to collect his salary, and the various units took turns to "bombard" him, which made him a little overwhelmed. On one occasion, the Shanghai Municipal Police Department, which is in charge of maintaining law and order, even used a gun to coerce Bao Yugang into appropriating funds.
Bao Yugang directly got through Mayor Wu Guozhen's **, and the people in the police station were only able to get rid after being scolded by the mayor.
Bao Yugang had suffered a psychological blow and felt confused about his future. He confided in Lu Xuzhang, who, after careful consideration, suggested to Bao Yugang: "The current political situation in Shanghai is turbulent, and the business environment can no longer be maintained.
I understand that you want to make a difference in the financial world, but you are on the verge of collapse, the financial industry is in chaos, and no matter how hard you try, you can't change the situation.
You are a visionary, and I advise you to make decisive decisions and not hesitate. Bao Yugang also consulted Lu Xuzhang about his views on the Communist Party. Lu Xuzhang Due to the strict discipline of the party, only *** knows his true identity, so he must answer carefully.
He deftly steers clear of sensitive topics.
Bao Yugang nodded silently in contemplation, and at the end of 1948, Mayor Wu Guozhen received Bao Yugang's resignation on his desk. Wu Guozhen tried hard to keep him, but Bao Yugang still insisted on resigning, and in desperation, Wu Guozhen had no choice but to approve.
Just two months later, Wu Guozhen himself submitted his resignation to the Kuomintang authorities and subsequently moved to the United States. Thirty years later, when Wu Guozhen talked about this past with his friends, he also lamented that Bao Yugang was a rare talent, and he was "one of the people who used the right one" during his administration of Shanghai.
Wu Guozhen was very proud of this, and Bao Yugang was already famous all over the world at that time.
In the spring of 1949, Ng Kwok-ching arrived in Hong Kong with his family's savings, and the rapid changes in the domestic situation caused many businessmen and businesses to flock to this place of opportunity.
For Pao, he was faced with a new beginning, he decided to do shipping, but the whole family was against it. They believe that Hong Kong's shipping industry is saturated, and as an outsider, it will be very difficult to do shipping, and the cost of buying a ship is extremely high, and once it goes bankrupt, the whole family will be in trouble.
However, Pao insisted on his own ideas, and through extensive research, he learned about the doorways of the shipping industry, and actively looked for opportunities, and finally succeeded in entering the industry.
In the summer of 1955, Pao walked into the lavish office of the chairman of the Huide & Fung Company in London, hoping to buy a ship from him and enter the shipping industry. However, George Madden, a well-known business magnate, did not pay much attention to this customer from Hong Kong, and even ridiculed him for not even knowing the bow and stern of the ship.
The big British boss was ready to "knock on a bamboo pole" and showed Bao Yugang the information of a broken ship, and said that Huidefeng Company could give him a loan. However, Bao Yugang calmly rejected these conditions, pointing out that the ship had already been sold to him by many ** people, indicating that the ship was difficult to get rid of.
Pao refused to buy such a boat and did not accept loans with harsh conditions. George Madden, who had always liked to fool Chinese businessmen, was exposed in public, and he was furious.
Bao Yugang left his seat without being humble or arrogant, turned to go out, and behind him was George Madden shouting and swearing.
Photo: YK Pao in the City of London will always remember this moment of shame. He is unwavering and undeterred by his decision. He has never been so deeply aware of the fact that as a Chinese, if you want to start your own business in the shipping industry, you cannot rely on foreign funding and allowances, but only rely on your own hard work, all by your own arduous exploration and practice, to break out a new, steady and entrepreneurial road.
With the support of his family and friends, Bao Yugang finally bought an old coal-burning ship with an age of 28 years and a deadweight of 7,800 tons, and named it "Jin'an". At that time, Pao was just 37 years old, and no one knew if he would succeed in the shipping industry.
In the fifties of the last century, a Norwegian supertanker transported oil from the Persian Gulf to Europe, and once generated a staggering revenue of 5 million dollars. Short-term charters are used by those in the shipping industry in various countries, which allow them to receive funds quickly and increase their freight rates at any time.
However, Pao Yugang adopted a different strategy, and he leased the "Jinan" to a Japanese company for a long period of one year, and the rent was not affected by freight rate fluctuations, and was much lower than the market price at that time.
Pao's move caused a stir in the shipping industry, with people questioning his wisdom and courage. However, Pao Yugang didn't care about this. His previous work in the banking industry has given him a solid style, and he recognises the benefits of long-term leasing: while there are no windfall profits, there are no risks.
What's more, he can use this stable income as collateral to apply for a loan from the bank, and use the bank's financial resources to speed up the purchase and shipbuilding of ships, so as to form his own fleet faster.
Just a year after the "Jin'an" set sail, he added six more ships. Bao Yugang, who was ridiculed as a "fool" by people, opened up a new path through down-to-earth entrepreneurship.
In 1956, a Chinese named Pao Yugang walked into the HSBC bank in Hong Kong to ask for a loan of $750,000. However, HSBC, which is known for its steadyness, has never been interested in backing the ship-buying business, believing it to be too risky.
After listening to Bao Yugang's statement and suggestion, Sandas, the chief accounting officer of HSBC, deliberately made things difficult for him and put forward a condition: Mr. Bao, you can take out a loan, but you must provide a letter of credit issued by a Japanese chartering company.
Sandas believes that the Japanese company will never issue a credit certificate to the little-known Pao Yugang. However, Pao did not give up because of this. He immediately flew to Japan and impressed the general manager of the Japanese charter company with his sincere attitude, careful calculations and lucrative profits.
A few days later, a credit certificate appeared on Sandas's desk. For the first time, HSBC extended a loan directly to a Chinese. And this Chinese, who was not welcomed at the time, took the position of vice chairman of HSBC 15 years later and became the first Chinese on the bank's board of directors.
In the 20 years of hard work, Pao's "Global Shipping Company" has endured the severe test of two oil crises and the closure of the Suez Canal, and has achieved unprecedented success.
At its peak, the company had 202 ships with a total deadweight of 20.53 million tons, and Bao Yugang was also known as the "king of the world". His achievements have earned him wide recognition in the international community, and he has been knighted not only by the Queen of England, but also by many heads of state, including the King of Belgium, Panama**, Brazil** and the Emperor of Japan.
It is worth mentioning that Pao Yugang also received a special invitation from Reagan of the United States at the inauguration ceremony in 1981 and became one of the two Hong Kong VIPs.
Although Pao Yugang and foreign dignitaries have obtained British citizenship, Pao Yugang is deeply attached to the motherland, and he has always hoped to contribute to China's prosperity in the right way, method and time.
When **People** first issued public bonds, he voluntarily bought hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. The import and export company he founded has sent people to the mainland many times to liaise and help the country import urgently needed steel, cotton, medicine and other scarce materials.
Of course, the biggest influence on him during this period was Lu Xuzhang. In 1949, Lu Xuzhang, the "big brother" he had always admired and the general manager of the China Bank, suddenly appeared on the list of leaders of the Communist Party of Shanghai, and he suddenly realized that Lu Xuzhang was a serious red capitalist, and the company he ran was also a veritable red enterprise.
It is necessary to make money, but patriotism is even more important. Pao Yugang agrees very much, although he has become a British citizen, he still regards China as his homeland and looks forward to the country becoming strong.
However, until the end of the 70s, due to the situation on the mainland of the motherland, Bao Yugang was unable to realize his desire to serve the country. But he never gave up his chance.
Picture: Bao Yugang passed away during a visit, and he had no chance to meet him, and his heart was full of pain. He respects people who have done their best and died like this, and he can't forget the heart and integrity of his predecessors and his ashes scattered on the land of the motherland after his death.
Deng Gong's "hard work" at the memorial service deeply touched him, and he thought that this was not only a portrayal of his life, but also his own life goal.
Later, he was pleasantly surprised by the great changes in Chinese mainland, and he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. In November 1978, a telegram signed by Liu Chengzhi was sent to Hong Kong.
Subsequently, Bao Yugang and his wife returned to the mainland of the motherland after many years of absence.
Figure |Shortly after meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Bao, Pao decided to donate $20 million, of which $10 million would be used to build a modern hotel in Beijing; Another $10 million was used to set up a library at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
For many years, China has insisted on not accepting foreign aid. However, after the reform and opening up, foreign investment is needed in all aspects. As a result, Pao's $20 million donation has attracted widespread attention.
The report was delivered to Deng Gong's desk. Deng Gong decisively decided: I personally accept this donation. After learning the news, Bao Yugang was overjoyed, he came to the Great Hall of the People, handed the check to Deng Gong with both hands: "This is a little heart that our Bao family father and son do their best for the country."
During the talks, Bao Yugang and his son had in-depth exchanges with ***. Bao Yugang was deeply impressed by the impression of inspecting the shipyards in Shanghai and Dalian, and he said that China's shipbuilding industry has abundant human resources, and as long as it is properly managed, it is entirely possible to reach the world's leading level.
He is willing to cooperate with the mainland in shipbuilding, shipping, chartering and other aspects. Bao Yugang said firmly: "No matter where I go to **, I am Chinese." The strength of my motherland has made me more dignified overseas.
In order to support China's export of imported technology shipbuilding and export ships, Bao Yugang established a joint venture with the mainland to establish an "international joint ship investment" You must know that Bao Yugang never participated in cooperative operations in the past, even if the Greek ship king Onassis personally came to the door to ask for a meeting, he was politely refused.
However, for the sake of the development of China's shipbuilding industry, Pao Yugang did not hesitate to take action, which caused a shock in Hong Kong and the world ship market at that time.
Pictured: After Bao Yugang returned to the motherland, there was surprising news. He still ordered six new ships worth $100 million from China even though the fleet was nearly saturated.
This shrewd ship king directly invested 100 million US dollars to let China build ships, so that the world once again admired him. Everyone knows that behind this is his deep patriotism.
The ships he ordered were launched one after another, and he also used his influence in the international community to invite former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Japanese Prime Minister Masahiro Ohira, Mrs. Marcos of the Philippines, and Dulce of Brazil to China to preside over the launching ceremony of the new ship.
Bao Yugang explained with a smile: "Inviting ladies with influence and status to come is good for the development of China's foreign relations." ”
Photo Pao Yugang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher In the international shipping industry, the emergence of China's giant ship is a major event. Painted with the "W" mark of Universal Group, these giant ships sailed across the four oceans and docked at terminals around the world, making a living advertisement for China's shipbuilding industry and attracting countries from all over the world to place orders in China.
China's shipbuilding industry can have today's development and become a globally recognized shipbuilding power and a shipbuilding power, and Bao Yugang has made great contributions. Pao Yugang was not only a patriot, but also a visionary entrepreneur.
He did not revel in the crown of "King of Ships", but paid attention to the latest news in the world's politics, economy, and finance day after day, in order to constantly adjust the direction of career development.
He foresaw the imminent decline of the international shipping industry, so he took the lead in transformation, acquired a number of real estate and aviation enterprise groups, and became a top entrepreneur with all-round development of sea, land and air.
"World Ship King" is just the beginning, and his career will be even more brilliant.
Bao Yugang loves the motherland, and with the development of his career, he has always missed his hometown Ningbo. In 1984, he returned to Ningbo for the first time after a long absence, excited about the Beilun Port under development.
Although he travels the world, he is very excited by the excellent conditions of Beilun Port. He decided to invest in his hometown, donating buildings, building roads, and imparting business management experience.
Pao Yugang advocated that urban development should be reduced in layers and decentralized. With his feedback, the Ningbo Development Coordination Group was established, and later Ningbo became a "city with separate planning".
He is very satisfied and happy with this decision, and he, the "Ningbo Ambassador" in the world, has done more and more excellent work.
Bao Yugang, a native of Ningbo, a Chinese patriotic businessman, has made great contributions to his hometown, the motherland and even the return of Hong Kong with practical actions. He donated 50 million yuan to set up a university, build a Zhaolong school, set up a Zhaolong library, and built a Zhaolong Hotel in Beijing.
During the Sino-British negotiations, he was the only non-governmental person to attend Margaret Thatcher's welcoming ceremony, helping the Chinese and British leaders to discuss the future of Hong Kong. He also acquired the veteran British-funded association Defeng, defended Hong Kong's economic and political stability with practical actions, and served as the deputy director of the Drafting Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, resolutely supporting "one country, two systems."
On September 23, 1991, Pao Yugang died of a sudden attack of respiratory disease. The bad news came and shocked the world. Although the "Boat King" is gone, his touching patriotic feelings have become a kind of spiritual wealth that has been passed down from generation to generation.
The senior employees of the global shipping company have heard Pao Yugang affectionately describe a wish: "I always hope to make money in business, but in doing business with China, I have a basic belief: not to make a penny in China!"
We are all Chinese, so let's take some practical actions to support the country's modernization! This is the best reward for the nurturing grace of the homeland. ”