△ Follow“Fujian Merchants Daily” to learn more about cutting-edge business dynamicsOn the morning of June 18, the New Generation of Fujian Merchants Conference was held at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center. The conference, themed “New Fujian Merchants, New Strength, New Future,” aims to gather the global new generation of Fujian merchants to discuss development plans and promote the Fujian merchant cause to new heights in the new era.Fan Xiaopeng, President of the Fujian Overseas and Returned Personnel Development Mutual Aid Association and Chairman of Fuzhou Tongchuan Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech. The following content is an excerpt from Fan Xiaopeng’s speech at the New Generation of Fujian Merchants Conference:
I am Fan Xiaopeng, President of the Fujian Returned Overseas Chinese Association, and also a Fujian native who returned after studying and working abroad for many years. Standing here today, seeing so many young Fujian merchants from around the world, I feel particularly close. We may have grown up in different countries, but the blood of “dare to fight and win” runs through our veins as Fujian merchants.
1. From “First Generation of Overseas Chinese” to “Second Generation of Overseas Chinese”: The Unchanging Spirit of Fujian Merchants
Our parents and grandparents, back in the day, brought a “bag of hometown soil” across the ocean, using their hardworking hands to carve out a space in foreign lands. As the new generation, we grew up hearing the hometown saying “only by fighting can one win,” yet we have a more international growth environment. When I studied in the United States, I was often amazed by the business networks established by the older generation of Fujian merchants overseas. A senior Fujianese from Malaysia told me: “We started with ‘three knives’ (kitchen knife, scissors, barber’s razor), now it’s your turn to use ‘three Cs’ (Computer, Communication, Creativity) to create new opportunities.”
2. The Unique Advantage of the New Generation: Cross-Cultural Business Envoys
Our generation has a unique advantage: we understand the business wisdom of Fujian people and are proficient in international business rules; we have inherited the Fujian merchant principle of “integrity as the foundation” while mastering innovative thinking in the digital economy era. In Silicon Valley, I have seen AI companies founded by Fujian youth; in London’s financial district, there are multinational funds managed by our second-generation Fujian merchants; in ASEAN countries, young Fujian merchants are building new cross-border e-commerce platforms. We are continuing the commercial legend of Fujian merchants in new ways.
3. Our Responsibility: To Be the Bridge of Fujian Merchants in the New Era
As the new generation, we should be the upgrade agents of traditional industries, bringing international advanced technology back to our hometown to help Fujian manufacturing move towards intelligent manufacturing; we should be cultural ambassadors, using short videos, the metaverse, and other new forms to tell the story of Fujian to the world; we should be connectors of the global Fujian merchant network, building digital platforms to enable real-time communication of global Fujian merchant resources.
Last year, our association helped a young Indonesian Chinese move his hometown fish ball business to a cross-border e-commerce platform, and now his “traditional flavor” has been sold to over 20 countries. This is the power of the new generation of Fujian merchants—revitalizing tradition.
Dear young friends, whether we come from Manila or New York, whether we speak English, Malay, or Minnan dialect, we all share a common name—New Fujian Merchants! Let us plan for the future with a global perspective, unite our strength with Fujian roots, and jointly write a new chapter of the Fujian merchant spirit!
Editor | Xiao ZejunProofreader | Yang Liuqing
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