Feature: Chinese entrepreneurs gain growing presence at Party congress (2)

The construction magnate was ranked No. 6 on the 2012 Forbes China rich list with an estimated fortune of 5.9 billion U.S. dollars. He topped both the Forbes and Hurun China rich lists in 2011.

As Liang met reporters from around the world at the congress, the businessman repeatedly pledged his allegiance to the Party.

"As a Communist, I will unswervingly put the Party's interest at first when it is in conflict with that of myself," Liang said, stressing that "he was not telling a lie."

"My property, even my life, belongs to the Party. This is the quality a Communist must have," he added.

However, Liang's path to CPC membership was circuitous. He applied several times to join the Party over a period of 18 years before finally being accepted in 2004.

Liang was first elected a delegate to the National Congress of the CPC in 2007 and was re-elected this year.

"Since becoming a Party member, I have been able to integrate the work of the Party with that of Sany. Now Sany is finding its true direction," Liang said, according to a news report posted on the company's website.

Liang's Sany Group has more than 5,400 Party members among its staff, according to the company website. In addition, seven of the 11 members of the Sany board of directors are Party members.

Since allowing private businessmen to join the Party, the CPC has expanded its organizations to many non-public enterprises in the country.

Party units have been established in about 983,000 private enterprises in China, including 47,000 foreign-funded companies, according to Wang Jingqing, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

"Setting up Party units in non-public enterprises can better unite employees and bring attention to their needs," Wang said at a press conference on Friday last week.

On Sunday, Liang dismissed the idea of taking public office.

"China needs more entrepreneurs in its future development," said Liang. "How come I will take public office? I can't do the job. I don't even know how to talk right."

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