Chinese bike-sharing firm ofo boasts innovative Party building

Chinese bike-sharing firm ofo said over the weekend that it will take various measures, including changing its corporate charter, to highlight the leadership role of the Community Party of China (CPC) in the company’s management structure.

At a meeting of Party members on Saturday, Dai Wei, ofo’s CEO and Party chief, introduced the plan, which would let the company’s Party committee have a say in personnel and other major decisions before these moves are executed by the management team.

Dai called the plan, which was adopted by the full committee at the meeting, an innovative method of Party building at non-public companies, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

“Many private internet companies are establishing Party units. How to make Party building a reality and let it play a practical role and how to integrate the Party into corporate management and let it actually play a leading role – these are major issues for non-public companies in their Party building,” Dai was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

He said ofo has a great basis in Party building and “should take a step ahead of others.”

According to Xinhua, ofo has strong “red genes,” a reference to the company’s Party roots. All five of ofo’s founders have been Party members since their school years. The company has had a Party organization since 2016.

China has been pushing private companies to strengthen Party building efforts since the 19th National Congress of the CPC in October 2017. Private internet companies have been the main target for Party building, because most traditional private companies have established Party cells, according to Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Party Committee.

Su told the Global Times that Party building at new internet companies can be different from a traditional private company because the former is a new business model that is based on the internet and sharing economy.

“Ofo’s decision to change its company charter to stress the Party’s leadership and explore a new way of Party building at these new companies is certainly a very meaningful step,” Su said, adding that Party building could help companies improve management and operation.

Su said that most Party members are “the advanced elements of the Chinese working class” who help companies solve a lot of problems.

“In the beginning, foreign companies were very against Party building. They are more welcoming now,” he said.