YUYAO, China, Nov. 1, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

In the ever-changing and complex times, how can businesses achieve sustainable development? On October 30, an event focused on empowering business operations and development through Chinese traditional philosophy was held in Yuyao, located in the eastern province of Zhejiang, China. The event aimed to shed light on the path forward for businesses and even social development in the midst of changing circumstances.
 
Yuyao is a city that may not be familiar to many foreigners, but as Christmas approaches, when countless people gather with loved ones and indulge in various delicacies under the warm and enchanting glow of a dazzling array of festive lights, Yuyao has possibly made its own contribution to this annual moment of happiness.
 
Those soft and sparkling Christmas lights, and even the air fryers, air ovens, grills, and other kitchen appliances used to prepare delicious meals at home, have a good chance of being produced in Yuyao.
 
In addition to being the location of the world's largest and earliest discovered rice fields, as well as the site of the Hemudu archaeological ruins with a history of around 7,000 years, Yuyao is also a strong player in foreign trade.
 
According to the Yuyao Municipal People's Government, from January to August, the total value of foreign trade imports and exports reached 71.16 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.7 percent. Among them, exports amounted to 54.82 billion yuan, up 8.5 percent over the same period one year ago, while imports reached 16.34 billion yuan, spiking 23.8 percent year on year.
 
As one of China's three major export bases for household appliances, Yuyao continuously sends affordable and high-quality Chinese-made products such as vacuum cleaners and irons overseas, serving at consumers' homes around the world.
 
The confidence of Yuyao's products embracing the world is closely tied to its developed county-level economy. As one of China's top 100 counties in terms of county-level economy, Yuyao boasts a GDP of over 150 billion yuan. With its strong industrial economic foundation and continuous industrial upgrading, it has consistently ranked among the top tier of the country's top 100 industrial counties.
 
The vitality of Yuyao's county-level economy and its going-global push stem from its numerous and diverse private enterprises. With over 180,000 market entities and more than 50,000 private enterprises, the city has nurtured a common corporate culture among local firms that values expanding connectivity and high product quality.
 
Inside the workshop of Ningbo Dechang Electrical Machinery Made Co., Ltd., it's a common sight to see workers skillfully operate control panels and mechanical arms swing in unison, with new products being produced in an orderly manner to meet overseas orders. 
 
The company, formerly a PCB hardware factory, primarily produced vacuum cleaner circuit boards and hardware components. Since 2012, the company has seized the opportunity of Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. transferring its complete machine orders and gradually transitioned to supplying complete vacuum cleaners. It has successfully established itself as a leader in the vacuum cleaner manufacturing industry.
 
"With our technological advantages in the electric motor field, our company has made deep inroads into the small household appliances and automotive components sectors," said Fang Suping, deputy general manager of sales at the company.
 
The company has established a business layout driven by both traditional small appliance manufacturing and intelligent automotive component manufacturing, with a product range includes floor cleaning appliances, environmental home appliances, personal care appliances, and more.
 
Last year, the company's annual sales reached 2.775 billion yuan, surging 43.19 percent year on year and achieving high international recognition and market influence in markets such as the United States and Europe, Fang said.
 
This entrepreneurial spirit of daring to think and daring to do has deep cultural roots in Yuyao, as it is the hometown of Wang Yangming, a renowned Chinese Confucian philosopher alongside Confucius and Mencius. In addition to his enduring contribution to Chinese and even global philosophy, this Ming Dynasty official also played a role in suppressing rebellions and establishing prefectures and counties. He is revered by later generations as the "perfect man of all time."
 
This Ming Dynasty thinker, philosopher, politician, military strategist, and educator had a profound influence on Yuyao and even China as a whole. His teachings represent the essence of Chinese traditional culture and serve as one of the starting points for enhancing cultural self-confidence among the Chinese people.
 
The values advocated by Wang Yangming, such as "integration of knowledge and practice" and "cultivation of the conscience," have shaped a culture of integrity and simplicity.
 
These ideas have nurtured a society that encourages ambitious aspirations and active implementation. These values have also inspired innovative social governance models and products, such as the "moral bank," and have become an inexhaustible source of spiritual motivation for Yuyao as it continuously strives for higher goals and achieves higher-quality development.
 
The event on October 30 seeks to promote the inheritance and innovation of Wang Yangming's philosophy in contemporary society, integrating it with business practices to maximize its impact.
 
Today, Yuyao is leveraging the development of major platforms such as the Sino-Italian Ningbo Ecological Park, Zhejiang Yuyao Entrepreneurship Park, Intelligent Optoelectronics Town, Robot Valley, Yuyao Economic Development Zone, and Yuyao Industrial Park to accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading.
 
The practical achievements of the "integration of knowledge and practice" culture are manifest in the Yuyao's intelligent manufacturing sector, which is becoming more sophisticated, intelligent, and environmentally friendly, and helping Yuyao further expand its global reach and benefit the world.
 
Source: Yuyao Municipal People's Government

--BERNAMA