Leading private lithium battery material entrepreneur calls for more proactive initiatives

A Chinese private entrepreneur of a listed lithium battery supplier calls for more open mindset and proactive initiative among the private sector, after having received more encouragement and favorable policies from the central government.

As the Chinese economy gradually shifts towards a technology-and-innovation-driven development model, private enterprises are the driving force for this transformation, he said.

Li Shijiang, chairman of Do-Fluoride New Materials Co., Ltd., a lithium battery material manufacturer based in central China's Henan Province, expressed his viewpoints in a recent interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

This interview followed a symposium held in February in which President Xi Jinping spoke directly to the country's top-tier private entrepreneur representatives for their involvement in rejuvenating the country's economy, attracting wide attention in the country's business communities.

Not only strong policy support is required to promote enterprises innovation. More importantly, it is necessary for enterprises exert their subjective initiative, Li said.

"In fact, there are many experts among the people. Much of China's innovation capability lies in the folks, including in private enterprises, which have an innate and strong drive for innovation. For private enterprises to thrive, relying solely on policies is not enough. They must be self-reliant, independent, with a keen awareness of survival. Without innovation, they may perish. Therefore, it is essential to tap into this internal pressure for innovation and ensure that they play a leading role in innovation. In terms of the innovation ecosystem, I believe the most important thing is to reduce the cost of innovation in society, to untackle it and to open up," he said.

Li's company Do-Fluoride started in chemical business of producing fluorine and later expanded it to lithium battery with wide demand in new energy sector now. It first achieved its R and D breakthrough in lithium hexafluorophosphate, a crucial component for making electrolytes for lithium batteries and has grown to become a leading global supplier. It was listed on China's Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2010.

Leading private lithium battery material entrepreneur calls for more proactive initiatives

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle