Businessmen can talk about politics

Chinese businessmen should not shy away from talking about politics, said an article in China Business News (excerpts below).

Liu Chuanzhi, founder of the world's largest computer maker Lenovo Group in Beijing, said during a closed-door forum in Beijing that "from now on, we should talk about business as we are businessmen. We should talk only business, not politics in gatherings from now on. In the current political and economic environment, doing business well is our duty."

However, Liu used to have a reputation of being outspoken on political issues. He once said, "when it comes to the inappropriate actions the government takes, businessmen don't have the courage or capacity to go against them, they lack the social responsibility and what they do is to ‘mind their own business.'"

As a major figure in China's business circle, his latest words, which reflect a change of attitude toward politics, caused quite a ripple among businessmen and netizens.

It is important that Chinese entrepreneurs talk about politics.

Politics is by no means the monopoly of politicians. Individual citizens, social organizations and businessmen are all participants.

Because of the government's interference with the market and economy, it is unrealistic for Chinese businessmen at Liu's level to ignore the influence of politics.

It should be a consensus for Chinese businessmen that a healthy market benefits all. Society should motivate, or even pressure, the government to accelerate its market economy reform.