Rich brats test limits of tolerance
- Source: Global Times
- [22:01 August 25 2009]
- Comments
By In Depth special report team
The funeral of Tan Zhuo on May 10 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Photo: IC
By day, they drive flashy cars around campus, flouting the wealth of their parents: They might buy a car for 200,000- 300,000 yuan ($29,000-$44,000) and spend another 100,000 yuan refitting it.
By night, they speed around the Fourth Ring Road in Beijing or perhaps Shanghai's elevated highways.
And every night they spend 8,000-10,000 yuan on banquets with the company of pretty college pals and frolic till the wee hours.
The public is reportedly appalled at the lavish lifestyle of '80s-born “fu erdai”, the second-generation children of the wealthy whose companies blossomed during reform and opening-up.
'Training'
While the media debates what to do with these wild children, Jiangsu Province has a plan.
It was announced on August 18 there would be a “training course” in two years for 1,000 children of the wealthy to groom future business leaders with close Party ties and modern management skills.
Starting in September, “students” including heirs to private companies of all sizes under 40 years old with management experience will begin studying, according to the Organization Department of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee on August 20.
Future heirs including Gao Xiaodong, son of Bosideng Group director Gao Dekang, will spend a week at the Party School of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, the Beijing News reported on August 18.
Rich youth will learn Chinese history on revolution, socialism construction and reform and opening-up.
The Organization Department also considered organizing students to re-tread the Long March route to experience the hard work and enduring spirit of the Red Army.
“The reform system of Tonghua Iron and Steel Group gave Jiangsu enterprises a wake-up call. We ask all enterprises to be scientific and prudent in planning for future development,” an unnamed official from the Organization Department told the Beijing News.
How to have an orderly development of private enterprises is a problem for all enterprises in Jiangsu, the official said.
The official said compared to their fathers, the second generation is more flexible and knowledgeable, but “they have to further increase their ability to do business and manage and they often lack Party education.”
The Organization Department announced that training is part of the work of Party construction and the whole of society will benefit from the training, the Yangtze Evening Post reported on August 20.
