In addition to his "dream project," Liu and his colleagues are proud of a new semi-submersible deepwater oil drilling rig manufactured by a CIMC subsidiary and delivered to a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Oilfield Services Limited, which is located in Norway.
"The completion of the rig showcased breakthroughs in the design and rig-building capabilities of CIMC. The successful delivery of the platform is a milestone as we strive toward becoming a world-class offshore oil rig manufacturer," says Mai Boliang, president of CIMC.
The oil rig is not unrelated to the country's ambitious plan to promote the development of its marine economy. However, both CIMC's plan to build more rigs and China's plan to develop its industries have run into the same problem: a lack of human resources.
Nearly all of the technologies used to build and maintain CIMC's oil rig were imported, meaning that they had to hire foreign workers to run it. Similarly, China is finding itself in a position where it must rely on global talents to succeed in an increasingly globalized era.
Progress has been made in this area. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., also based in Shenzhen, announced that by the end of 2010, the company had more than 110,000 employees from 150 countries and regions.
In an exhibition hall at Huawei's headquarters, technicians speak a variety of languages, explaining the company's latest products to visitors from around the world.
"We are developing new technologies related to cloud computing, as well as reinvigorating old technologies, like mobile phones," says Zhou Daiqi, the company's Party secretary.
During a group study of the country's top leaders conducted in June, President Hu Jintao said that the country requires deepened international cooperation and should take effective measures to promote international exchanges and make better use of global intelligence.
While China is currently the world's largest exporter and second-largest importer, it remains a long shot for the country to become a considerable presence in the global market, as Chinese companies face a variety of trade barriers abroad.
Huawei's Zhou says Chinese companies face challenges in negotiating for intellectual property rights, as well as difficulties in managing employees in far-flung offices and protecting local environments.
"As long as the Party keeps improving its abilities to administer its officials, control the national situation and eliminate risks, we will be able to achieve our goals over the next three decades," says Li Huiwu, an expert with a government think tank in Guangdong.
(Liu Weiwei contributed to the story.)
