Party lessons aid foreign workers

Dongfeng Renault, a Sino-French joint auto venture in Wuhan, Hubei province, has offered a lecture on the Communist Party of China to its 10 new foreign employees, a move to facilitate collaboration between its Chinese staff members and foreign nationals.

“Many of our foreign employees don’t have knowledge about the country’s political structure with Chinese characteristics. The lack of knowledge often brings obstacles to the work between the Chinese side and the foreign staff members,” said Guo Tao, former secretary of the company’s Party committee, who left the position for a new appointment on Thursday.

The main purpose of organizing such a lecture is to let them understand that the work of the company’s Party committee is in unison with the company’s business goals, Guo said, adding that the lecture is expected to facilitate cooperation.

According to the company, the lecture is the first of its kind for foreign employees, and was initiated by Francois Provost, CEO of Dongfeng Renault.

Before the lecture, Guo briefed Provost on the work of the Party committee in the past year. And Provost attended the company’s regular meetings organized by the Party committee.

“I understand that the role of the CPC leadership is to ensure the development of the company and to ensure there is no corruption,” said Nicholas Costa Veiga from Britain, deputy head of the company’s human resources department.

“I think it helps unify people and gives people one clear direction in which the company needs to go. From a foreign er’ s point of view, it helps build trust and create transparency,” he said.

“I didn’t have any opportunity to get the information about the CPC before the lecture ,” said He aj in Lee from South Korea, head of the company’s manufacturing department.

He added that he now understood more about the Party as well as the role of the CPC in his company.

Guo said the company will give such lectures to Chinese and foreign staff members and arrange discussions among them about the company’s culture in a bid to help foreign members integrate into the company’s culture. Contact the writers at zhang_yi@ chinadaily.com.cn

From a foreigner’s point of view, it helps build trust and create transparency.” Nicholas Costa Veiga, deputy head of Dongfeng Renault’s human resources