Auditor wages war on costs

50-year-old PLA service member is known for being tough on contractors, soft on books

Chen Yujin works at a construction site under the Jinan Military Area Command in Shandong province. [Photo by Li Yuyin/for China Daily]

Chen Yujin, a senior auditor for the People's Liberation Army for the past 28 years, uses his economics expertise and financial savvy on a different kind of battlefield: the project sites where the military spends billions of yuan on construction.

Since 1987, when Chen started working as an auditor at the Jinan Military Area Command, he has audited more than 3,300 projects and saved the PLA at least 675 million yuan ($106 million) in project costs.

"Every time I finish auditing a project with accurate and objective results, I feel I win a battle," Chen said.

Chen is known for his fieldwork in tough conditions, mastery of contracts and negotiation skills. His reports are supported by such strong evidence that none of his conclusions have been overturned, said Ren Xiuxiang, director of the command's audit bureau.

"To ensure his results are accurate and objective, Chen always tries his best to conduct field work at the construction sites to collect information and evidence no matter how hard it is," Ren said.

On one freezing winter day, for example, Chen and his colleagues were on a tight timetable to audit three wharves that had been newly constructed at South Changshan Island and Large Qinshan Island off the coast of Yantai city in Shandong province.

After a five-hour boat trip in rolling waves, Chen and his colleagues found heavy snow at the islands, which made the field investigation more challenging. Fastened by safety belts, Chen entered the water and collected the necessary data on the bulwarks that were built to block the sea waves.

"Whether the wharves were built as required matters for the island people's lives, so no negligence is allowed," Chen said.

Chen's colleagues hold him in high regard as he is knowledgeable, ably reads engineering drawings and keenly understands engineering standards, contract specifications and regulations. As an engineering auditor, he checks savings between what the contracts' bids were and how much the projects actually cost to construct.

"When negotiating with contractors, Chen can list detailed specifications and regulations to convince the contractors," said Li Bo, director of Jinan command's audit office.

Cao Bin, a manager at Henan Wujian Construction Group, said Chen's work is beyond reproach.

"He is strict with everything, like inspecting the materials of components contractors use for projects, and he won't meet with contractors alone so there is no perception of corruption," Cao said.

Evidence of Chen's dedication to his job and his love of reading are piled up at his home. He has thousands of books, likes to quote Francis Bacon ("Reading maketh a full man") and is known for always having one in his bag.

"Once, we finished work at 2 am, and Chen read for another one hour before going to bed," said Shi Jun, an assistant who has worked with Chen for years.

Li Yonghong, 47, Chen's wife, said she packed 35 sacks of books when they moved house. His interests cover a wide range of subjects, from poems to law to culture. "I think reading is his only hobby," Li said.

Before studying infrastructure finance at the PLA Military and Economic College in 1985, Chen considered becoming a poet. He has published 300 poems.

As he spends more than 200 days a year on the road, Chen said he greatly appreciates his wife, a teacher for mentally and physically challenged children, for supporting him in his work and their family.

"It's not easy for my wife. She takes care of our son and does all the housework," he said. "She is the one who can share my feelings for our country. She contributed to my achievements."

zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn