Interview with Rong Yiren, a well-known Chinese billionaire

We (Raquel and I, in the case) were asked to do an oral presentation in the English class. So, the teacher had a list of people (some famous, other not so famous) that have already passed so we could do an interview with them. For that she gave us a text, that sort of "tells his life". So here ir goes:

Where were you born and where did you study?
I was born in 1916, in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, southern China. I studied in St. John´s College, Shangai.

What did your father do and what made you choose your career?
My father, Rong Desheng, was a textile industrialist and I took care of our many companies with interests in flour and textiles at the age of 30, when China´s Civil War was coming to an end.

When the communists took over China why did you decided to stay?
Although my family opted to leave, I decided to stay and help my homeland overcome the poverty that assolated the country. In spite of all, my motive was nationalistic and not economic.

Would you say that the fact that you handed over you companies to the State in 1949, helped your career?
I guess so. I received a compensation and was later made deputy mayor of Shangai, having many contacts in the communist party, although I was never part of it. In 1959, I moved to Beijing as vice-minister of textile industry.

The Cultural Revolution, was it a hard time for you?
Well, my family and I were attacked and persecuted and my compensation was confiscated, but as I stayed out of the limelight for some time, growing flowers and taking photographs, I call it my “leisure years”.

Did your fortunes change when Deng Xiaoping asked you to help develop industry?
Yes, that year I set up CITIC (China International Trust and Investment Corporation) which grew into a transnational conglomerate with interests in several different branches, such as: telecoms, utilities, insfrastructures and airlines. And it attracted foreign investment.

When did you became China´s vice-president and under which circumstances?
After I wrote an open letter to the country´s leaders to negotiate with the students due to pro-democracy protests, and although I suffered some consequences, 4 years later I was appointed Chinese vice-president.

And that was our work, helped by some images on the screen. She said it was ok and everybody seemed to like it... I thought it went well.