Foreword
This vast alluvial plain, washed perennially by the Yellow River (known as Yellow River Course), is a gift bequeathed to the people of Xiao County by the Mother River. With its turbid billows brushing through Xiao County consecutively for 727 years, the Mother River has nurtured the industrious, brave, intelligent and capable people of Xiao County generation by generation, with its affluent resources. Meanwhile, batches of revolutionary pioneers and entrepreneurs came up the stage, becoming outstanding and well-known both within the country and abroad.
In the end of 1960s, a group of enterprising peasants along the Course left their hometown. Merely with roughly-made tools like brushes and shovels in hand, they started to brave the world. At the very beginning, these peasants could only undertake simple plastering and oil-painting work for small-sized fertilizer factories, chemical plants, steaming boilers and oil reservoirs. Quite a few people were subject to unfair treatment or discriminations. With the convening of The Third Plenary Session of Eleventh Central Committee in the December of 1978, work focus of the Party had been shifted to economic development. Under the support and guidance of the county Party committee and the county government, anticorrosion industry bloomed rapidly in Xiao County. Construction teams grew and became increasingly competent. In 1985, anticorrosion industry came into being in Xiao County, operating business in industrial fields like oil field, hydropower, metallurgy, chemical industry, food and brewing in 17 provinces, cities and autonomous regions. Since 1990, anticorrosion of Xiao County has been continuously making progresses. More than 30 second-grade and third-grade anticorrosion corporations were established and more than 300 large-sized construction teams worked actively around the country. In 1996, Anhui Anticorrosion Engineering Corporation, Anhui Tongli Anticorrosion Installment Corporation and Anticorrosion and Insulation Engineering Corporation of Su County (which is headquartered in Xiao County) were upgraded to first-grade corporations. The number of people involved in the industry reached approximately 50, 000. With 670 million yuan of annual revenue and 260 million yuan of annual income, Xiao County became one of the "Top Four Counties in China". Expanding from anticorrosion to 7 diversified realms including anticorrosion, heat preservation, installment, construction, decoration, road-building and water-proofing, anticorrosion industry in Xiao County could undertake not only anticorrosion and insulation projects of various devices and pipelines (both surface and linings), as well as glass steel lining, acid-resisting and alkali-resisting and rubber lining projects, but also metal hot-spraying, metal and non-metal pipeline installment, cement mortar lining and water, electricity, gases and heating installment projects. Xiao County has been the contractor of the anticorrosion work of a number of key state-level and army projects like Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, South-to-North Water Transfer Project, West-to-East Gas Transmission Project, aerospace engineering projects, submarine cable projects and military equipment projects. A great many brand products, quality projects and prestigious entrepreneurs came to the fore. In 1996, Overhead Pipeline Cathode Protection Technology was awarded the Panama International Gold Metal. Anticorrosion business of Xiao County had been covering 32 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government, autonomous regions and Special Administrative Regions in mainland China. Together with its remarkable performance in the international market, anticorrosion of Xiao County takes lead in developing China's regional economy in the field of anticorrosion. The rapid development of anticorrosion corporations in Xiao County has become the mainstay to develop township and town corporations. From 1997 to 2000, Anhui provincial Party committee and provincial government have granted Xiao County the honorable title of "Advanced County in Developing Township and Town Corporations" for 4 years in a row.
In 2001, given the qualification certification by Anhui Provincial Department of Construction, Anhui Anticorrosion and Insulation Engineering Corporation (Headquartered in Xiao County) was upgraded from a second-grade enterprise to a first-grade enterprise. Anticorrosion capability of Xiao County was further improved. Its business expanded to diversified sectors like petroleum, chemical engineering, metallurgy, pyroelectricity and nuclear power. The number of employees reached 100, 000, annual output value 1.62 billion yuan and annual revenue more than 630 million yuan. Personal deposit from anticorrosion amounted to more than 4 billion yuan, accounting for more than 60% of the total personal deposit of the whole county. Peasants engaged in anticorrosion went through a developing process from "poor" uncontracted labor force to peasant workers, to employed workers and then to industry workers mastering high technology. Anticorrosion industry became the mainstay industry of economic growth in Xiao County. In February, 2004, the county Party committee and county government decisively commenced the process of applying for the regional economic brand of "The First County Leading China's Anticorrosion Industry". Leadership group and administration team responsible for the title-application were appointed. They went to Beijing for three times reporting work to Ren Zhenduo, secretary of China Industry Anticorrosion Technology Institution, Pan Xiaojie, Li Jike, Zhang Yanming, Ning Huadong, vice secretary of China Industry Anticorrosion Technology Institution, and Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the Tenth Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and listened to their guidance and advice. After more than a year of painstaking efforts, Xiao County anticorrosion passed the examination from the expert team of China Industry Anticorrosion Technology Institution, finally completed the application process and successfully won the honor. In October 2005, China Industry Anticorrosion Technology Institution awarded Xiao County the honorable title —"The First County Leading China's Anticorrosion Industry". On November 25th, naming conference and press conference were held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. But he, vice chairman of the Eighth and Ninth Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Bu He and Wang Ke, former member of Central Military Committee and former president of General Logistics Department of Chinese People's Liberation Army presented in the conference and granted Xiao County the plaque on which "The First County Leading China's Anticorrosion Industry" was inscribed. It was agreed on the conference that the Fourth China International Corrosion Control Conference would be held in Xiao County in April 2009.
In order to better develop its anticorrosion industry, people in Xiao County has been striving for half a century. Honors and awards were hard-won. At the early stage, there were dozens of people engaged in anticorrosion sticking to the undertaking through persevering endeavors, despite of the severely unfair treatment. There were hundreds of people engaged in anticorrosion whose business had been cut off due to the breakup of the capital chain. Some of them suffered bankruptcy and even the falling-part of the family. There were hundreds of people engaged in anticorrosion injured and disabled so severely during work that they cannot help themselves any longer and became handicapped for the rest of their lives. There were hundreds of people engaged in anticorrosion who had given their priceless lives to the undertaking, which left great grievance to their family. On April 8th, Xiao County's Party committee and county government held "Thousands of People Warming-up Rally for Building China's Regional Economy Brand of Anticorrosion Industry". The rally aimed to motivate the whole county to develop its anticorrosion industry in a more extensive and profound way. Xiao County was determined to complete the glorious mission of organizing the Fourth China International Corrosion Control Conference.
To create a positive ambience and to meet needs for holding the Fourth China International Corrosion-controlling Conference, the county Party committee and county government made decisions to conduct a new round of revision of Xiao City's municipal plan in April 2006. After the discussion of the county's four major leading teams, it was agreed to implement the city-expanding initiative featuring "crossing railway eastward (Fujia Railroad Line), tramping over the Tiger Mountain westward, extending to Xutang southward and trekking through Feng Mountain northward". It was planned to jointly develop the Three Cities that altogether cover an area of 53 square kilometers—Long City, Feng City and the New Fengbei City by setting Feng Mountain as the center. Feng Mountain, which covers an area of 14.6 square kilometers, would be developed as a forest park. The large outer ring of 33 kilometers would change the pattern from "City wrapped in the Mountain" to "Mountain standing in the City" (It was revised to a Twin-City design in 2012). Meanwhile, Feng Mountain International Grand Hotel—the International Conference and Reception Center, Long Lake—the Center for the Performing Arts, Stadium Communication Project, "Four Anticorrosions" Achievements Exhibition Hall, Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition Hall are targeted in the plan. Jiaotong Road, Huaihai Road, Zhongshan Road and Longhu Road were also listed into the renovation plan. The plan also marked the beginning of planning, designing and implementation of the Longfeng Avenue and Overpass Project.
In March 2008, at the invitation of Kerry Dass, president of American Corrosion Engineers Institution, a group of five people led by Li Xiangmao attended the 63rd International Corrosion Control Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, the United States. The delegation exchanged cultural ideals, drew from the organizer's conference-holding experience and applied it in organizing the county's conference after going back. On May 16th, 2008, Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the Tenth Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, granted Xiao County the inscription of "Building Innovative Anti-corrosion Industry and Making Contributions to National Economy". In November 2008 and February 2009, the county Party committee and county government had twice held press conferences, in the Plum Garden of Hefei Daoxianglou Hotel and Jinghai Tower of China National Radio respectively, to advertise anticorrosion industry of Xiao County, to report the preparation work of the conferences and to sincerely deliver invitations to both Chinese and foreign experts, scholars and friends for presenting in the conferences.
During the preparation of the conference, Wang Yinhai, president of China Industry Anticorrosion Technology Institution, Ren Zhenduo, secretary, Pan Xiaojie, vice secretary and other leaders visited Xiao County twice to supervise the preliminary work, and provided timely help to deal with the existing difficulties and problems, which ensured the successful proceeding of the work. Before the convening of the conference, Ni Fake, former vice governor of Anhui provincial government, Li Hongming, Suzhou municipal Party secretary, Wu Xujun, mayor of Su Zhou and other leaders raised specific requirements regarding how to successfully hold the conference. The Department of Anhui Housing and Urban-rural Development and the Department of Anhui Science and Technology rendered their support to the preparation work. A technical team of 6 people assigned by the Department of Anhui Public Security visited Xiao County with high-precision instruments and helped with the security work. Xu Jialu, vice chairman of the Ninth and Tenth National People's Congress Standing Committee and chairman of China Association for Promoting Democracy, inscribed for the conference "The First County Leading China's Anticorrosion Industry, in memory of the Fourth China International Corrosion Control Conference".
The Fourth China International Corrosion Control Conference was held in Long City Feng Mountain International Grand Hotel in Xiao County from April 8th to 10th, 2009. The theme of the conference was "Green Anticorrosion, Scientific Anticorrosion". The conferees were constituted of experts from more than 20 countries and regions such as USA, Germany and Japan, two academicians from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 20 leaders from departments under the Party Central Committee, China Industry Anticorrosion Technology Association, provincial and municipal people's congress and government, and thousands of experts, scholars and representatives from well-known anticorrosion enterprises. Gathering together, all the conferees exchanged their views and discussed the strategy of international anticorrosion. During the conference, Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the Tenth National People's Congress Standing Committee, passed the flag of International Corrosion Control Conference to this conference and delivered an important speech. During the conference, the committee received domestic congratulatory telegrams from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development of the People's Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China, and China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. Institutions from abroad including the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), European Federation of Corrosion (EFC) and Gesellschaft für Korrosionsschutz e.V. (GfKORR), etc. also sent their congratulatory telegrams. EFC said: "Please accept our warmest congratulations on holding the 4th China International Corrosion Control Conference (CICC2009)… We firmly believe that your event will have a positive and sustainable impact on science and industry in China and around the world."
During the conference, the committee held a series of celebration activities including a literature and art gala and a painting and calligraphy exhibition drawn by local celebrities. The committee also held the Fortieth Xiao County anticorrosion anniversary ceremony, and commended a batch of advanced enterprises and individuals for their outstanding contribution to the anticorrosion industry. In the meeting to introduce the investment conditions (also as the project signing ceremony), 13 project agreements were signed, and the total value involved reached 1.67 billion yuan. The conference was broadcasted by CCTV news on prime time, and exerted a wide-range effect both domestic and abroad. At the time when the conference was held, Xiao County was under flood attack, and the county government only processed limited budget. About 7, 000 thousand yuan conference guarantee were raised through market methods, which saved much expense for the government, and set a model of self-sustained conference hosting.
In 2009, the anticorrosion industry in Xiao County showed a robust momentum. Given the qualification certification by the Department of Anhui Housing and Urban-rural Development, 6 corporations were upgraded from second-grade enterprises to first-grade ones. These corporations are Anhui Huaihai Anticorrosion Heat-insulation Engineering Corporation, the First Anticorrosion Engineering Corporation of Anhui's Xiao County, Anhui Shenda Construction Engineering Limited, Anhui Jian'an Anticorrosion Engineering Corporation, Anhui Longhai Anticorrosion Heat-insulation Engineering Corporation, and Suzhou Construction Heat-insulation Anticorrosion Corporation. Together with another 3 existing corporations, there are 9 in total which were approved to be first-grade, and 7 second-grade enterprises. The number of employees engaged in the industry reached 140, 000, who contributed an annual revenue of 6.4 billion yuan and an annual income of 1.56 billion yuan. With rapid development in organizational scale, facilities, human resources, technology skills, business scope and business scale, some of the enterprises became collectivized and clustered, and gained decent reputation in both domestic and international market. The anticorrosion industry in Xiao County, with its outstanding regional brand, not only occupied provincial markets within China, but also marched into the international market. Cooperation has been achieved among more than 20 countries including Libya, Russia, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Sudan and Kuwait.
People in Xiao County emphasize integrity, quality and innovation. The quality of all their construction has met the international standard, and over 70% are of supreme quality. Xiao County has become a significant nationwide anticorrosion base, as well as the most-awarded region with the highest-level awards in the anticorrosion construction industry. Xiao County's anticorrosion won the International Golden Goblet Award, the International Golden Award and the Special Award issued by Chinese Academy of Sciences in as early as the 1980s. In the 1990s, Xiao County's anticorrosion were awarded the Luban Prize for Construction Project, the Tien-yow Jeme Civil Engineering Prize for more than once, and were numerously awarded the provincial-level and industrial-level awards.
By the end of 2016, the number of people engaged in Xiao County's anticorrosion industry reached 150, 000. They contributed an annual output value of 9 billion yuan and an annual revenue of 3 billion yuan. Their international markets have been expanded to 38 countries. Under the instructions of the new leaders from the county Party committee and county government, Xiao County's anticorrosion has been actively responding to the call of the Industry Anticorrosion Technology Association of China and participated in the branding of international anticorrosion, which was initiated by China, USA, Germany, etc. Oriented by high technology, enterprises in Xiao County developed multi-industries, and marched towards collectivized, informationalized and international enterprises. The county government has planned to establish an anticorrosion chemistry engineering park with the scale of 3.81 square kilometers, 2 square kilometers of which has been completed. 16 projects of anticorrosion chemistry engineering have been settled in the park, 12 of which were already put into operation. The county government has also planned to build an international anticorrosion material market with the scale of over 1, 000 mu yields (or about 666, 670 square meters) in the New Fengbei City. Through attracting business and investments, the county government is raising funds for an Eastern-China anticorrosion research base and an academician workstation for the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Learning from the most advanced research to incubate its enterprises, Xiao County's anticorrosion industry has developed the latest anticorrosion materials and products, with goals of providing supply for the domestic and international markets, and initiate a new era for Xiao County's anticorrosion industry.
The development of Xiao County's anticorrosion industry cultivated batches of enterprise talents, one of its representatives being Xu Zhouwen, a well-known entrepreneur, former vice director of Jilin province Dacheng Group, which is one of China's top 500 enterprises. According to statistics, nearly 100 entrepreneurs became the directors and vice directors of Anhui Chamber of Commerces of provincial level, and around 1, 000 on the municipal level. In October 2014, supported by the county Party committee and county government, the Association of Prestigious Entrepreneurs from Xiao County was founded. Song Weiping, vice director in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of Anhui province, together with Li Weihua, vice president of Anhui Provincial Political Consultative Conference and president of Anhui Provincial Association of Industry and Commerce, unveiled the nameplate on the opening ceremony. Li Weihua delivered a speech as well. Within only 2 years, the association has attracted over 20 projects, with the committed investment of more than 5 billion yuan. Shanghai Zhangjiang High-tech Park has located itself in Xiao County, with 53 high-tech projects reserved in 2015, and 24 enterprises settled in the park by the end of 2016. The association plays a proactive role in promoting the economic development of Xiao County.
In October 2016, given the qualification certification by the Department of Anhui Housing and Urban-rural Development, Anhui Tuo'ou Construction Engineering Limited was upgraded from a second-grade enterprise to a first-grade one.
The rise of Xiao County's anticorrosion industry has promoted the county's economy by leaps and bounds. From 2009 to 2016, the county has stepped into a brand new stage in industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization. The regional GDP increased by nearly 1.7 times from 9.04 billion yuan to 24 billion yuan. Its fiscal revenue has increased by 5.3 times from32 million yuan to 2 billion yuan. The total retail sales of consumer goods have increased by 2.1 times from 2.87 billion yuan to 8.94 billion yuan. The average disposable income of urban and rural residents exceeded 20, 000 yuan and 10, 000 yuan respectively, and the deposit balances in Xiao County's financial institutions soared to 31.8 billion yuan. In 2009, the development of tertiary industry has surpassed the primary industry for the first time, which was a historical breakthrough in the economic structure of the county. During the 7 years from 2009 to 2016, the county has been experiencing a double-digit average annual economic development rate. The total amount of economy and the increase rate of the economic development rank the first among all the counties in Suzhou. According to the Economics Competitiveness Report of Counties in Anhui Province 2016, Xiao County ranks among the best in terms of competitiveness in development speed (ranking the top on the list), industry competitiveness, competitiveness in development vitality, competitiveness in economy with local characteristics and the competitiveness under rural-urban coordination. To Xiao County, the past seven years has been a brand new era of rapid and scientific development. It has also been a new era with the fastest increase in its comprehensive strength, the biggest change in urban and rural looks, as well as a new era during which the people in the county have received the most benefits. We have sound reasons to believe that Xiao County will make greater progress during the 13th Five-Year-Plan under the leadership of the new county party committee.