On February 6, the Guangzhou Municipal Commendation Conference for Outstanding Builders of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Among Non-Public Sector Economic Figures and Contribution Award for Guangcai Program was held. Sunday Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SIE, was honored with the title of Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Among Non-Public Sector Economic Figures of Guangzhou.

Feng Zhonghua, Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, attended the conference and delivered a speech. He emphasized that we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the Party Central Committee’s major policies, including the “Two Unwavering Stands,” “Three Unchanged Commitments,” and “Two Healths”, strengthen positive incentives, highlight exemplary leadership, encourage and guide the vast number of non-public sector economic figures, new social strata, and private enterprises to demonstrate new achievements and vitality on the new journey of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and pool efforts to create a new landscape of high-quality development and modernization in Guangzhou. The conference was presided over by Sun Zhiyang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Mayor of Guangzhou. Wang Yanshi, Director of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Congress, and Li Yiwei, Chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, also attended the conference.

On behalf of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the municipal government, Feng Zhonghua extended congratulations to the commended individuals and enterprises. He stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee attach great importance to the development of the non-public economy and care deeply about the growth of non-public sector economic figures, making a series of important deployments. The city’s non-public sector economic figures, new social strata, and private enterprises have implemented the Party and state’s policies and guidelines, upheld the firm belief of serving the country through industry, the pioneering spirit of bold innovation, and the value pursuit of giving back to society. They have focused on strengthening, optimizing, and expanding their enterprises, actively participated in high-quality development and modernization, and made important contributions to Guangzhou’s economic and social development.

Feng Zhonghua noted that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has drawn a blueprint for development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and issued a general mobilization and deployment for building on the momentum to continue advancing Chinese-style modernization. Guangzhou firmly shoulders the missions and tasks entrusted by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee, earnestly implements the work requirements of the provincial Party committee and government, fosters the ambition of striving for excellence as a millennium-old city, strengthens the resolve and will of a major economic city to achieve a breakthrough after accumulating strength, strives to accelerate progress and achieve new results in the critical stage, accelerates the realization of new vitality for an old city and “four new breakthroughs and brilliance,” better plays the role of a pioneer, leader, and driving force, and takes the lead, sets an example, and shoulders major responsibilities in advancing Chinese-style modernization. This provides enormous opportunities and a broad stage for entrepreneurs and talents of all kinds to fully display their talents. He hoped that everyone will comprehensively, accurately, and deeply understand and grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the development of the non-public economy, always maintain sincere patriotism and love for the Party, bravely shoulder the mission of the times, enhance development confidence, vigorously promote the entrepreneurial spirit, firmly follow the path of high-quality development, continuously improve enterprise quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness, and create new achievements and make new contributions in advancing the Guangzhou practice of Chinese-style modernization. We must have a broad vision and keep pace with the general trend, firmly grasp the opportunities brought by the restructuring of the global industrial and supply chains, continue to carry forward the pioneering spirit of daring to be the first, focus wholeheartedly on developing and expanding enterprises, forge competitive advantages and shape lasting winning positions in serving the construction of a new development pattern, and truly become a staunch force that resonates with the destiny of the country and progresses with the development of the city. We must take root in Guangzhou and seize opportunities, leverage Guangzhou’s advantages of overlapping national strategies, abundant innovation resources, complete industrial supporting facilities, huge market scale, and broad development space, integrate business layout, technological breakthroughs, and market expansion into urban development, deeply participate in key work such as the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the development and opening-up of Nansha, the construction of a modern industrial system, and the promotion of connotative urban development, and continuously expand new horizons for career development in the new leap of the millennium-old commercial capital. We must strengthen internal capabilities and make new achievements, always maintain a sense of mission and responsibility toward the country and the nation, stick to main businesses and strengthen the real economy, accelerate the improvement of modern enterprise systems, enhance enterprise management levels, adhere to law-abiding operation, actively fulfill social responsibilities, and consciously become firm promoters of national rejuvenation, active leaders of innovation breakthroughs, model self-discipliners of integrity and compliance, and glorious contributors to repaying society.

Feng Zhonghua stressed that Party committees and governments at all levels in the city must always stand in solidarity with enterprises, think together, stand together, and work together, continuously optimize the business environment, improve full-life-cycle services for enterprises, strengthen the implementation of enterprise-benefiting policies and market supply-demand matching, support enterprises in piloting, launching, and applying new business formats, models, and scenarios in Guangzhou, legally protect the property rights of private enterprises and the legitimate rights and interests of entrepreneurs, and build the best development and growth destination for the private economy and private enterprises. United front departments and federations of industry and commerce at all levels must act as bridges and links between Party committees, governments, and private enterprises, promptly reflect opinions and suggestions, and create a favorable environment for promoting the healthy development of the non-public economy and the healthy growth of non-public sector economic figures.

At the conference, Wang Huanqing, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department, read out the decision of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the municipal government on commending the Outstanding Builders of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Among Non-Public Sector Economic Figures of Guangzhou and the Contribution Award for Guangcai Program. A total of 60 non-public sector economic figures and new social strata, including Sunday Zhang, were awarded the honorary title of Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Among Non-Public Sector Economic Figures of Guangzhou.

As a leader deeply engaged in smart manufacturing and industrial internet, since founding the enterprise, Sunday Zhang has always upheld the belief of “pragmatism as the foundation, tackling key problems as the priority.” He led SIE to confront the bottlenecks of “choke points” in industrial software and developed the Gushen Industrial Internet Platform, which became the first benchmark project in South China to pass the “cross-industry and cross-domain” certification for three consecutive years, injecting strong impetus into the rise of domestic industrial software. Under his leadership, SIE has successfully built a product matrix covering 23 industries and 11 business lines, forming a closed-loop digital-intelligent service system of “consulting, R&D, implementation, and operation,” and has served more than 3,000 enterprise customers in total. In the AI field, SIE focuses on the deep integration of industrial software, AI large models, and industry scenarios. With an independently innovated AI technology system as the core, the company continues to promote technology implementation and product iteration, and successfully ranked among the “Leader” category in the IDC Marketscape evaluation in 2025.

“Technology should not only be professional but also have warmth.” Sunday Zhang has always adhered to his original aspiration of responsibility, leading the team to actively support the deep integration of industry, academia, and research. At the same time, he provides digital transformation diagnosis and empowerment services for small and medium-sized enterprises, empowering the high-quality development of the real economy with digital technology. Within the enterprise, he established the “Yijia Family” Assistance Fund to help employees through difficulties, interpreting the enterprise’s social responsibility and responsibility with practical actions.