Farmer joins elite beach Party gathering

Farming inventor and entrepreneur Zhao Zhengyi was one of 62 experts invited by the central authority to join the high-profile meeting at the beach resort of Beidaihe, around 286 kilometers from the capital.

Among the 62 invited this year, there are leading scientists in defense technology, renowned educators, artists, workers, village teachers, rural medical staff and astronauts, China Youth Daily reported.  

Since 2001, over 600 experts and their family members have been invited as a gesture of the country's resolution to cultivate talent.

Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping greeted experts on the morning of Aug 5 before they had a seminar. Li Yuanchao, head of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, also joined the seminar.

"The theme is about talent cultivation," said Zhao, "Li encouraged us to speak freely."

The experts sat around a long table and everyone hoped to speak. But only 19 seized the chance. Zhao was one of them.

"I talked for about fifteen minutes," said Zhao. He talked about reinforcing training for migrant workers and building the Party organization.

"Is it possible for migrant workers to have fixed status in industries related to the lifelines of the national economy? Skilled workers can not be trained in one or two years," Zhao said at one of the seminars.

Ge Rili, Vice-President of Qinghai University expressed worry about talent in the western regions, "many intellectuals do not want to stay in the west."

"Other experts suggested putting the training of top talent in primary and junior schools into the talent program," said Zhao.