A dream of respect

For Zong Qinghou, chairman and CEO of the beverage giant Hangzhou Wahaha Group and a deputy to the National People's Congress, a powerful China means a nation that's respected by other countries in all aspects of society, including culture, economic development and politics.

"China was a powerful and strong nation before the latter part of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). I strongly believe that the country will regain that kind of status in the future as we stick to the policies of reform and opening-up," said Zong, ranked as the sixth richest person in China in the 2013 Hurun Rich List, with a personal fortune of 82 billion yuan ($13 billion).

He said he won't emigrate because he doesn't speak a foreign language and is unused to the food overseas.

Zong's remarks came in the wake of reports that an increasing number of wealthy Chinese have emigrated to developed countries to provide their children with a better education and a higher standard of living. As one of the country's wealthiest men, Zong has faced constant questioning about whether he has plans to emigrate.

"I love this country and I believe it is getting stronger and stronger through the combined efforts of all the Chinese people," said Zong.

Wang Tingge, chairman of Zhejiang International Trading Group and a national legislator from the affluent province of Zhejiang, said the country should make greater efforts to discourage the wealthy and well educated from flocking abroad.

China has the world's largest number of emigrants, with three-quarters of the 1.07 million who study abroad choosing to remain overseas rather than return to the country of their birth, according to a recent report published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Many countries have implemented preferential policies for immigrants to lure talent from across the world, said Wang, who described his China dream as one that is centered on talent. He believes China should consider similar policies, not only to retain homegrown talent but also to attract a greater number of talented or wealthy foreigners and to ensure they want to stay in the country.

Like Zong and Wang, Zheng Qiang, president of Guizhou University in Southwest China, also has a dream for the people, one predicated on confidence in their homeland.

Zheng said his ambition is to help children from the relatively impoverished western region of the country to realize their own dreams, describing his China dream as one based on talent, enabling Chinese people to talk about their hometowns and their culture with confidence.

But this will require the government to be fully aware of the importance of improving the education system in the western regions, he added.

The China dream is not about wealth because people's happiness is not determined by how much money they have, said Zheng, adding that cultural pride and satisfaction are the backbones of people's aspirations.

Zong Qinghou (above), Wang Tingge (left, above) and Zheng Qiang (left, below). Photos Provided to China Daily