Chairman Mao Zedong once said, “We shall never forget about Zhang Zhidong when talking about heavy industry while Zhang Qian when talking about light industry.” Both Zhang Zhidong and Zhang Qian played important role in China’s modernization. But their political point of view and policy of establishing factories were quite different.
It was Zhang Zhidong who led Zhang Qian on the road of modern industry. Zhang Zhidong helped Zhang Qian and provided him with opportunities.
In 1904, Zhang Qian established Jiangzhe fishing—vessel company, and in Spring of next year, he bought in the first trawler for our country from Germany, in an attempt to carry on marine fishing by steamers.