Private enterprises based in east China's economic powerhouse Zhejiang Province have for decades served as a major force for advancing the high-quality development though technological innovation.
Speaking of Zhejiang, the province is known for a mysterious set of number - 67889 - encapsulating the pivotal role of the private economy in Zhejiang.
Data showed that in 2023, the private sector contributed over 60 percent of the province's total GDP, more than 70 percent of its tax revenue, over 80 percent of its foreign trade exports, 80-plus percent of newly created jobs, and more than 90 percent of the market entities.
In addition, the number of Zhejiang's companies has remained the highest in China's list of top 500 private enterprises for 25 consecutive years.
"This photograph was taken by the microscope beside me, which can capture images with an astonishing precision of one two-thousandth of a human hair's width. We have participated in the lens manufacturing for China lunar probe missions of Chang'e-2, Chang'e-3, and Chang'e-4 , effectively equipping these lunar probes with 'bright eyes' to aid in capturing detailed images of the moon's surface," said Cui Zhiying, head of the research institute of an optics manufacturing company in Ningbo City.
Meanwhile, Li Maoju, general manager of a leading rope manufacturing company from Taizhou City, showed China Central Television (CCTV) reporter the first polyester mooring cable domestically produced in China.
"This is our R and D laboratory, now doing the cable tension fatigue test. Over the past 10 years, we have developed and produced China's first domestically made polyester mooring cable, achieving a significant breakthrough in national marine equipment technologies from 0 to 1. The breaking tensile strength of a single cable exceeds 2,300 tons, and 16 of these cables can securely anchor an offshore oil and gas platform weighing up to 100,000 tons with an area equivalent to two football fields, making it firmly fixated in the deep sea like a solid anchor," Li said.
At the same time, a private firm from Zhejiang's Wenzhou City made remarkable progress in turning construction waste into useful materials.
"This inorganic eco-stone was transformed from shield tunneling slurry by using our innovative technology. Previously, the shield slurry generated during urban tunnel and subway construction could only be disposed of through burial or dumping, with no means for recycling and resue. Yet, after conducting thousands of experiments, our technical team has achieved a significant breakthrough this year, successfully converting shield slurry into inorganic eco-stone, or say turning waste into treasure. Tests have proven that this inorganic eco-stone can replace natural stone and be used in urban construction. Moreover, the cost per cubic meter is reduced by 30 percent compared with that of natural stone," said project manager Shao Zhang.
Shao also noted that his technical team will make increased efforts in R and D and contribute to the construction of waste-free cities and the development of green and circular economy.
Private enterprises in Zhejiang advance high-quality development via tech innovation
