 “Beijing Daily” May 13th, 2001
Contributor to China's Prosperity -Interview with Fengbo Zhang, Senior Manager of the Industry Bank of Japan
On May 10th, 2001, as the climax of Beijing High Technology and New Technology Industry International Week, the High Technology and Finance Forum started grandly. Here, each of the international financial circles' celebrities are featured is taken to the threshing ground in here. When Fengbo Zhang, Senior Manager of the Industry Bank of Japan, mounts the platform, the audience resonates with warm applause. This is the first time in six years that he has boarded the podium. But in the audience were many of his former students. In the autumn of 1980, Fengbo Zhang studied abroad at the Japanese Oita University. Although he had often heard about the wonders to be found in the economic giant of Japan, when the airplane first landed in the country, he was still deeply shocked. He saw a forest of skyscrapers and prosperous streets filled with vehicles. These sights preoccupied him, keeping him up all night. He thought a lot about the brilliant history of China's human sciences, spanning over several thousand years, and how the natural sciences in China had largely caught up with the rest of the world. However, why was China's economy still so backward? In that moment, he changed his goal in life: he would pursue not literature, which he had initially planned, but rather economics, and seek the road for creating rich countries and strong peoples. It is difficult to write about a legend. First, he obtained a master’s degree in economics at Oita University’s master degree one year ahead. Then, he was admitted to the Ph. D course at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Economics through his high scores and became the first student in the University’s history to obtain a Ph. D in Economics within three years of study. When he completed his studies, Fengbo Zhang packed his luggage and returned to China immediately. After he returned to China, he was deeply inspired by reform and open policy. He put down his baggage and then promptly engaged in research work. Fengbo Zhang wrote more than 100 research papers and official report and has published 10 books regarding China’s economic problems. Among those, Analysis of Chinese Macroeconomy, published by the People’s Press, has been honored with first place in the Chinese National Books Prize - the highest prize offered by the Chinese publishing industry. With this book, the international economic world began to pay attention to him, calling him a rare young economic talent. In 1988, Dr. Zhang was invited to United States for visiting research at the Harvard University Economics Department. The year after, he took the post of Corporate Secretary and Treasurer for the Committee of the Nippon Club Tower in New York, the largest Japanese overseas center. In the past, he instructed the Japanese Financial Consortium on investing in the United States. Now, he is in charge of tens of thousands of financing projects for the world-class corporations every year. Though he is abroad, he keeps China in his thoughts. He reminds himself frequently to make all possible contributions for China’s growth. Now, he is gratified that he is engaging in projects that incorporate foreign investments, including the China-Japanese Friendship Hospital, the China-Japanese Youth Exchange Centre, and the China-Japan Environment Protection Center. Many tall buildings are being raised straight from the ground in Beijing. Corporate finance, project-finance, and large-scale projects are being completed one after another all over China, from north so south. He has also trained batch after batch of China’s financial delegates to Hong Kong and New York. This time, the invitation for Dr. Zhang to make a speech at the Financial Forum in the 2001 International Week is also based on his business experience at Fuji Bank and the Industry Bank of Japan. He has prepared a series of specialized seminars concerning the coming challenges for China and the opportunities available for economic globalization and the financial internationalization process. As the only financial executive who can design and program systems in the world’s largest bank, here is Dr. Zhang, with his high-spirited and rapier-like wit at the International Week Forum. He is willing to join together with China’s colleagues and seek brilliant policies for promoting China’s economy, his homeland’s prosperity, and the people’s wellbeing.
(Reporter: Liufang Wang)
Interview by Beijing Television Network
Dr. Fengbo Zhang (middle) was selected as model of Chinese youth, appearance in Beijing TV May 4th Youth day special program in 1987 with (from right) Jiang Jialiang – world Ping Pong champion, Nie Weiping – King of Chinese Chess, Li Lingwei – world badminton champion 
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