Premier stresses entrepreneurs' role in driving economic success

National mass entrepreneurship and innovation week kicked off in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Tuesday, with Premier Li Keqiang urging participants to take advantage of the opportunities and learning experiences offered by the event.

The event, which continues through Monday, is showcasing 144 examples of successful business startups.

Addressing the opening ceremony via video link, Li said the week offered a platform for Chinese entrepreneurs and creative and innovative talent to showcase their skills and ideas and have in-depth exchanges. The participants are passionate about starting their businesses and set new ventures in motion.

Li said that thanks to people's endeavors and persistence, and their devotion to entrepreneurship and innovation, the nation has made great economic achievements while facing dire circumstances.

Entrepreneurs achieved success and wealth by starting businesses and turning their creative ideas into reality, he said. People have an infinite ability for innovation, which fundamentally supports the nation's modernization drive.

Li stressed the importance of promoting entrepreneurship and innovation to incubate more businesses and drive the country's economic development.

Other places nationwide including Beijing, Qingdao in Shandong province and the Tibet autonomous region have also launched weeklong events on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Some state-of-the-art innovations are on display at the event. In Beijing, a medical device that stimulates the eye's muscle nerve was exhibited.

Wang Lejin, founder of Chaomu Technology, said the device could be used to treat congenital nystagmus, involuntary oscillation of the eye, which affects one in 1,000 newborns.

The condition results in about 85 percent of patients having weak eyesight and a poor quality of life, creating burdens for their families and society, Wang said.

"It's estimated that the implanted stimulator for the eye muscle nerve initiated by my team will be on the market in early 2024," he told Beijing Daily.

However, high-tech devices were not the only innovations on display. Over the past 30 years, Shi Jubin, president of Haoxiangni Healthy Food, has expanded his date-processing workshop into a listed company.

"I used 30,000 yuan to start the business in 1992 in a village in Henan's Xinzheng city," said Shi, 60. "The original idea was to help my peers in the village sell the dates rather than letting the dates rot."

He said he has always used innovative ideas to advance the operations of the company. "Around 1997, I got the idea to cut the dates into slices like chewing gum," he said.

However, not everything went smoothly turning his idea into a product. "I nearly gave up, but I didn't. We sought help from experts and researchers at universities to make the date slices thin and crispy."

Shi said concentrating his efforts and innovation were the two main factors in turning a startup into a major company.

"Whenever you find an area you love and want to start a business, concentrate 200 percent of your efforts on it. Also, remaining innovative can make your business outstanding," he said.