Author丨Xiong Jianhui
Produced by Huashang Taolue 丨id: hstl8888
html On February 12, Angela Chao, chairman and CEO of Foremost Group, a large American shipping company, passed away due to a car accident at the age of 50. htmlThe 96-year-old founder of Foremost Group and "Chinese Shipping King" Mr. Zhao Xicheng expressed his deep sorrow for losing his beloved daughter in a statement. "Losing her is something we have never imagined."
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) issued a condolence message: "Angie was a founding member of the Asian American Foundation and served as co-chair of the foundation's advisory board. She brought deep values, strategic vision, and commitment to the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Unwavering commitment guides our work and has left an indelible mark on the Asian American Foundation and the Asian and Pacific Islander community."
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy also stated: "Angie is a pioneer in the maritime industry. A pioneer and a true friend of our college."
In 2015, Anji Zhao, together with his father, Mr. Zhao Xicheng, and his eldest sister, Elaine Chao (former Secretary of Labor and Transportation Secretary of the United States), visited Peking University at the invitation of Chinese Business Strategy Group and served as a "pku speech" ·The keynote speaker of the "Chinese Business Hall of Fame" delivered a speech.
In her speech, she said that one of her missions is to serve as a bridge between China and the West, especially China and the United States, to enhance mutual communication and understanding, especially to enhance the understanding of China by the United States and the West, so that everyone can see more truth of China.
Over the past many years, Anji Zhao, as her father’s youngest daughter but the only successor to Fumao’s business, has also been working with her father to fulfill this goal from multiple aspects such as business, charity and culture.
Zhao Anji’s unexpected death is also a loss for Sino-US exchanges and cooperation, which itself is more challenging.
For ordinary people, Foremost Group may be a very unfamiliar existence.
For China's shipbuilding industry, "Fumao" is a well-known name.
November 9, 2006, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Beijing.
The signing ceremony between "China Shipbuilding Industry" and "Foremost America" was grandly held here.
This time, Foremost purchased 4 Capesize bulk carriers from "China Shipbuilding" in one fell swoop; combined with the accumulation since 2002, "China Shipbuilding" received super orders for 8 Capesize bulk carriers from Foremost alone. The total tonnage is as high as 1.4 million tons.
1.4 million tons, what is the concept? Simply put,
is equivalent to 14 "Ford-class" super aircraft carriers.
At this point, Fumao has become the largest customer of China’s ship exports to the United States.
But Foremost's greater contribution to China's shipbuilding industry is its key support at a time when China's shipbuilding industry is in decline.
Foremost was one of the first Western shipping companies to purchase ocean-going ships from China. It not only supported the development of China's shipbuilding industry with real money, but more importantly, it also conveyed trust and confidence in China's shipbuilding industry to the world.
Some of the iconic moments include:
In 1987, when the global shipping and shipbuilding industry was in a miserable state, Foremost founder Zhao Xicheng resolutely decided to place an order for two 64,000-ton bulk carriers, "Xinmei" and "Yuemei". , delivered to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard.
This is truly a timely help.
At the celebration dinner for the delivery of the "Yuemei" that year, the person who spoke on behalf of the shipowner was the 15-year-old daughter Zhao Anji, who was wearing a small floral skirt.
When China's shipbuilding industry has entered the world, and every time the shipbuilding industry encounters a downward cycle, and global ship orders face fierce competition from shipbuilding powers such as South Korea, Foremost Group will still not hesitate to place huge orders for China's shipbuilding industry.
For example, in 2002, when the global shipbuilding industry declined again and China's shipbuilding industry was facing an abyss, Zhao Xicheng once again bucked the trend and placed an order for 12 large 175,000-ton Cape Good Hope bulk carriers from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard. Later, he renewed the order for several more. A similar cargo ship with a capacity of 206,000 tons.
According to general business logic, Zhao Xicheng's move was tantamount to a big gamble. Zhao Anji also once questioned his father's approach.The answer given by
's father is: "The market always has its ups and downs, but a long-term friendly partnership goes far beyond simple interests. This is a forever friend, not an ordinary business, and it should be based on creating a long-term mutually beneficial foundation." ”
Later, Zhao Anji, who took over from Fu Mao, remembered and inherited this.
In January 2024, half a month before Zhao Anji suffered a car accident, Foremost issued a large order for four 82,000-dwt methanol dual-fuel bulk carriers to "CSSC Chengxi" (a subsidiary of "China State Shipbuilding"). The transaction amount amounted to US$168 million.
Clarkson data shows: Currently, Foremost Group’s fleet has 31 giant bulk carriers, 21 of which are made in China, accounting for more than two-thirds.
Such long-term, affectionate and firm support has made Foremost Group not only an "old friend" of China's shipbuilding industry, but the Zhao family has also become a guest of national leaders. His act of justice was recorded in the history of China's shipbuilding industry.
It is worth mentioning that when Zhao Xicheng was visited by Chinese businessman Tao Lue in 2006, he specifically mentioned that he was the first to buy ships from China when the West was still deeply doubtful about the quality of Chinese shipbuilding. This was of course out of support for his home country, but More importantly, he firmly believes that:
As long as China adheres to reform, opening up and economic construction as the center, and with the diligence and wisdom of the Chinese people, China will surely develop into one of the most powerful economies in the world, and China's shipbuilding industry will also be able to It will become stronger and fully qualified to become the world's largest shipbuilding country.
Today, China's shipbuilding industry has ranked first in the world for 14 consecutive years.
The Zhao family’s influence, including its influence and contribution to China and the United States, goes beyond shipbuilding and shipping.
The real highlight and glory of the Zhao Xicheng family is not in the shipping industry.
The first Chinese-American family in American history to have a member enter the cabinet is the key to their real attention. For this reason, the Zhao Xicheng family has become the first Chinese family in the United States in the minds of many people.
But the starting point of all this is quite humble.
Zhao Xicheng is a self-made shipping magnate. He was born in Jiading, Shanghai in 1928; he was admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University at the age of 18, majoring in navigation; at the age of 30, he became the youngest ocean captain in China and got the opportunity to study in the United States.
During this period, Zhao Xicheng married his wife Zhu Mulan and immigrated. After experiencing the hardships of "It's a pity that there are no rickshaws in the United States, otherwise I would even pull a rickshaw", he founded the Foremost Group in New York in 1964. When
started his business, there were hundreds of shipping companies in New York, and the competition was fierce. Fumao was just a small business that could not be found in the phone book. However, Zhao Xicheng started as a shipping agent, accumulated little by little and made breakthroughs, and finally seized the push of the United States. The opportunities of the era of economic globalization and the rapid development of global trade have developed Foremost into one of the mainstream companies in the U.S. shipping industry.
Zhao Xicheng was therefore known as the "Chinese Shipping King" of , and became a successful model for American immigrants.
But what Zhao Xicheng and his wife are most proud of is not the great success of the business, but the education of the next generation. This is also the case for most of the outside world who respect and admire the two most.
Zhao Xicheng has six daughters, known as the "Six Golden Flowers", all of whom are from prestigious American schools.
’s eldest daughter Zhao Xiaolan, third daughter Zhao Xiaomei, fifth daughter Zhao Xiaoting, and youngest daughter Zhao Anji are all masters from Harvard; second daughter Zhao Xiaoqin has a master’s degree from the College of William and Mary; fourth daughter Zhao Xiaofu has a doctorate in law from Columbia University.
In addition to "all Ivy League members", the "Six Golden Flowers" are also extremely successful in their careers.
Among them, the most representative one is ’s eldest daughter Elaine Chao, who has served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Transportation. She is the first Chinese-American to enter the cabinet in U.S. history. She is the light of the Chinese who rewrites the history of the Chinese and the United States.
Due to his skill in educating his daughter, former US President Bush even specially asked his wife Barbara to learn from Zhao Xicheng’s wife Zhu Mulan.
Zhu Mulan’s emphasis on family management and education is to combine Chinese and Western styles, and everything starts with details.
“The dowry we give our daughters is not money, but education."
For example, every daughter is required to manage herself. Trivial matters such as setting the alarm clock before going to bed, getting up on time, and going to school on time are all based on setting rules and seeing the results. They will never overstep their authority.
Once their parents treat guests, the Zhao family will It has become the most traditional Chinese family: the daughters only see guests and do not serve the table. They also have to serve the guests, add food, and provide good service.
Zhu Mulan believes that greeting guests well is to teach children how to treat others in practice. The truth.
The general principle is to be loving but not coquettish, strict but not harsh.
Even the youngest and favorite daughter Zhao Anji would not give the "green light".
In the fourth grade, Zhao Anji suddenly became obsessed with the French horn. For this Zhu Mulan did not suppress the "three minutes of enthusiasm", but said seriously that as long as you like it, we will support it, but you are not allowed to give up halfway, "at least insist on it for a year."
Zhao Anji agreed, but soon regretted it. At the age of 10, she picked up a French horn that was about the same height as her and ran back and forth between school and home every day, only to realize that she was in big trouble.
She really wanted to "break the contract", but it was difficult to break the "family rules" and she could not It took her a year of gritting her teeth to get rid of the funny situation of "little people carrying big names".
Once encountering difficulties, Zhu Mulan will not hesitate to encourage her daughters, "You must compete with others, and more importantly, compete with yourself. Equality, fight for independence, never give up, never give in. Whatever a man can do, a woman can also do it, and do it better."
More importantly, both Zhao Xicheng and Zhu Mulan gave their children the greatest ambition and confidence encouragement.
Zhao Xicheng once visited Huashang Taolue Shi recalled that Zhao Xiaolan had lofty ambitions to become a big shot since she was a child, and their encouragement to her was:
"You were not born in the United States, so you can't be the president, but you can be a minister." "
There is a generally accepted comment about my concubine Zhao Anji, the Zhao sisters:
"My father gave birth to six daughters in a row, and it was not until the last one was born that his successor came. "
In the memory of his father Zhao Xicheng, Zhao Anji has been very interested in shipping since he was a child: "When I take my daughter to the company to work, she is always curious, showing a pleasant precocity and a strong desire for knowledge. "
In the heart of the eldest sister Zhao Xiaolan, the younger sister Anji Zhao is also the smartest and most capable sister.
Anji Zhao completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University in just three years, and later obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School.
While studying at Harvard Business School, Anji Zhao further studied the shipping industry and established expertise. The "Shipping Financial Research Cases in the Ocean Transportation Industry" she wrote was also included in the "Financial Case Studies" series of the business school and was designated for training.
After graduating from college, Anji Zhao did not return to the family business immediately. Instead, he went to work in the merger and procurement department of Smith Barney, the former Citigroup, to gain experience.
It was not until 1996 that Anji Zhao returned to Foremost Group. , starting with finance, and gradually penetrated into the field of professional shipping management.
In 2001, she served as the vice president of Foremost Group; in 2005, Zhao Anji served as the chairman and consultant of the "Baltic International Shipping Association 39 Club". During this period, Zhao Xicheng gradually withdrew from the front line , leaving the daily operations of Foremost Group to her.
In 2018, Zhao Anji, who had been with Foremost for 22 years, officially took over as the chairman and CEO of the group. He began to take charge of Foremost, the "super giant ship" and became a leader in the American shipping industry. "Chinese female shipping king."
Anji Zhao not only inherited the business founded by her father, but also inherited her father's mission and feelings for China.
In recent years, she has served as the honorary president of the American Alumni Association of Jiaotong University and the consultant of the Asian American Foundation Co-chairman of the committee, honorary chairman of the U.S.-China Relations Committee, director of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and other institutions, and independent director of the Bank of China, etc., not only continue to strengthen the cooperation between Foremost and China, but also promote greater cooperation between China and the United States. More exchanges and cooperation.
In 2015, Anji Zhao, together with his father, Mr. Xicheng Zhao, and his eldest sister, Elaine Chao (former Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Transportation of the United States), visited Peking University at the invitation of Chinese Business Tao Lue and delivered a speech as the keynote speaker of "pku speech·Chinese Business Hall of Fame". In
's speech, she said that one of her missions is to serve as a bridge between China and the West, especially China and the United States, to enhance communication and understanding between each other, especially to enhance the United States and the West's understanding of China, so that everyone can see a more realistic picture of China. China.
Including Zhao Anji’s husband, top investor Jim Blair, has also become one of the civil bridges between China and the United States under his influence.
Blair, who graduated from Stanford University, has outstanding investment achievements such as investing US$12.7 million in Facebook in 2005 when it had only 10 employees to become its second largest shareholder with 11% of the shares. In 2011, 2012, and 2013 He has been ranked first in Forbes' list of the world's best venture capitalists for consecutive consecutive years, calling him "the undisputed number one."
On the second day of his trip to Peking University, he showed up at Tsinghua University. Because he, together with Zuckerberg, Paulson, Musk and other American industry leaders, was invited to serve as a member of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, and served as the third chairman of the committee before Apple CEO Cook.
In addition, Blair also served as an honorary professor at Yuelu Academy and Hunan University in China, becoming one of the outstanding representatives of the United States at a time when China and the United States had close economic and cultural exchanges.
Zhao Xicheng has repeatedly emphasized in many visits to Chinese merchant Tao Lue: "We have always kept the country in our hearts. We hope that the country will be prosperous and strong, the people will live and work in peace and contentment, and China will have a bright future." In his later years, his greatest hope is that his daughters "as long as If you have the opportunity, visit China more and make more contributions to China."
Before the trade conflict between China and the United States, Zhao Xicheng, who was already old, still traveled frequently between China and the United States.
As early as 1984, Zhao Xicheng and his wife quietly established the "Mulan Education Foundation" in Shanghai. Over the past 440 years, 44 it has funded thousands of college students in universities such as Dalian Maritime University and Shanghai Maritime University, as well as the construction of multiple office and teaching buildings and other infrastructure. , is one of the earliest private charity funds established in China.
In addition to education, the Zhao Xicheng family also has long-term support and donations in areas such as helping the weak and needy.
In 2007, Ms. Zhu Mulan passed away. Anji Zhao inherited the philanthropic mantle and donated another US$1 million to Shanghai Maritime University through the foundation to build the "Mulan Shipping Simulation Memorial Center" to promote the family's philanthropic cause. In 2008, Premier Wen Jiabao personally wrote in his own hand "A house that accumulates good deeds will always be blessed" and presented it to Zhao Xicheng.
As stated in the Zhao family's obituary: Although Anji Zhao was born in the United States, he never forgot his homeland and spent his life helping to create a bridge of communication between the East and the West.
Since the tension between China and the United States, people-to-people exchanges have also been greatly affected. The Zhao family, which served as a bridge and actively contributed in the sweet moments and golden years of China and the United States, is also facing an environment and challenges that are different from those of the past.
Except for Zhao Anji, none of the other sisters of the Zhao family have had in-depth work experience in the family business. Her death is not only a tragedy for the Legend and Glory family, but also brings further challenges to the future of the Zhao family in the new era. challenge.
Zhao Xicheng once shared when asked about his life creed by Chinese businessman Tao Lue that he always believed:
Sincere and honest efforts will eventually be rewarded.
Things are unpredictable and times are changing. May the deceased rest in peace, the living may move forward better, and the sincere and honest efforts may be better rewarded.
