Directors and workers at a Henan-based bearing manufacturer expressed enthusiasm and determination after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to their smart plant, where he emphasized a strong, self-reliant manufacturing sector to advance Chinese modernization.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an inspection tour on Monday of the intelligent manufacturing plant of Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd. in Luoyang City, in central China's Henan Province.
The bearing company is a traditional manufacturing firm that has invested heavily in scientific and technological research and made significant progress in industrial upgrading in recent years. Its wind turbine main bearings now have over 40 percent of domestic market share.
Xi visited the plant to learn about the performance and applications of various types of bearing products. He inspected the intelligent production lines and had an amiable conversation with the company employees at the plant.
Wang Xinying, chairman of the company, noted Xi's keen attention to the bearing industry, and said that his company feels a greater responsibility to contribute to the nation's development in this field.
"What the general secretary asked us were all key questions about the development of the bearing industry. Bearings serve as the joints of the machinery industry and form a core part of the basic components sector. Over nearly the past decade, the growth of China's basic industries has significantly boosted the bearing industry. Our manufacturing must be self-reliant and strong. As a leading enterprise in the bearing sector, Luoyang Bearing Group has the responsibility to contribute even more to major national projects and key engineering initiatives," said Wang.
"The general secretary took the time to carefully learn each product we introduced to him. The products behind me represent our efforts in industrial transformation and upgrading, as well as the development of new quality productive forces. They demonstrate our efforts to break through major technical bottlenecks. They are main shaft bearings used in both onshore and offshore wind turbines, with the highest megawatt capacity so far. This reflects how our products have moved from trailing behind, to keeping pace, and now even leading in the field. We are also actively preparing to align with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), with a focus on key sectors such as wind power, new energy vehicles, and rail transit," said Yu Haibo, general manager of the company.
Addressing the employees at the plant, Xi highlighted the importance of self-reliance and technological progress in manufacturing because of their crucial role in achieving the goals of Chinese modernization.
"China must continue to strengthen the manufacturing sector and master manufacturing technologies independently to truly realize Chinese modernization. Our hope rests on you," Xi said.
"I clearly remember seeing the general secretary in 2019 at the final assembly workshop of Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group. This time, I had the chance to listen to his speech again during his visit to Luoyang Bearing Group. His words strengthened my confidence in our country's shift from a manufacturing giant to a manufacturing powerhouse and clarified the future direction for enterprise development. We must continue to promote innovation and reform in our systems and mechanisms. We also need to take greater initiative and responsibility, and train more skilled technicians and industrial workers," said Fu Jinliang, the company's deputy general manager.
For workers at the company's intelligent plant, Xi's words have encouraged them to keep improving their skills, perform better in their roles, and contribute more to the development of the industry.
"The questions [the general secretary] asked showed his sincere care for factory workers like us. For us, automation has significantly lessened the amount of manual labor and boosted efficiency. However, it has also raised the bar for technical staff. We now need a better understanding of equipment performance and maintenance, device programming, backend data analysis, and so on," said Song Haitao, a technical engineer at the plant.
"We've seen major changes here in recent years. One is the sharp rise in orders our company received, along with steady growth in our wages. Another is the shift from traditional manufacturing to digital and intelligent production. This transformation has also brought some challenges, but we've received skills training, and our company has also offered professional technical guidance for us. Seeing the general secretary this time has strengthened my resolve to keep learning intelligent manufacturing skills and to contribute more to Luoyang Bearing Group," said another technical engineer, Yang Fuyun.
"I joined Luoyang Bearing Group in 2023 and have been working here for nearly two years. The company has a mentorship system where experienced workers carefully explain traditional techniques to newcomers. This allows us to better integrate those skills with modern technologies and equipment. As the saying goes, 'It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel.' In this time of rapid technological growth, the best thing I can do is stay open to new things, keep learning new skills, and be ready to adapt to future changes while contributing to ongoing development," said Shuai Zhengyi, a technical worker.
Smart plant workers inspired by Xi’s call for stronger manufacturing industry
