China's largest metropolis Shanghai has decided to put private entrepreneurs alongside local officials and state firm executives in classrooms for theoretical training about Marxism and the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Beginning this year, the city will open its theoretical education institutions -- including Party schools and administration colleges -- to more private businessmen to remind them of Communist ideology and patriotism and keep them updated about prevailing theories about CPC's building and improvement of governance.

The classroom was open only to public servants and senior executives of state-owned companies in Shanghai, until the municipal government decided to extend the theoretical training to private businessmen in its 2005 blueprint on personnel training.

The blueprint, which was announced Monday, requests all Party schools in Shanghai -- at both municipality and district levels -- to include theoretical training for private businessmen in their curricula.

The decision has been applauded by private businessmen in Shanghai. "Party school has always been a sacred, secluded place only for officials," said Zhang Hong, vice president of Shanghai Huilong Computer Systems Co. Ltd., "I never imagined I could be given the chance."

She is not the first private entrepreneur in China to have the opportunity. Prior to Shanghai's move, several localities in China already opened Party schools to private businessmen, including the neighboring Zhejiang Province and Heilongjiang Province in the northernmost.

Even the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, the highest institution that trains top and middle-ranking Party officials, has offered a couple of training programs to private business owners in recent years.

Zhang said she hoped what she is to learn at the Party school will be practical, instructive and beneficial to her routine work. "I'd be keenly interested in learning about prevalent laws and policies," she said.

According to the 2005 training blueprint announced on Monday, personnel departments in Shanghai will also arrange study tours overseas for private businessmen and will offer tailored services to foster private businesses in ideological education, technological advancement and administration.

The local government will also help set up more private entrepreneurs' associations which, along with local employment services, are expected to provide concrete help to private firms in their business development and recruitment of professionals.

Private firms make up 70 percent of all the 536,000 businesses registered in Shanghai. The private sector is estimated to have posted 289.5 billion yuan (US$34.88) of added value in 2004, nearly 40 percent of the city's gross domestic product in the year.

Latest statistics say Shanghai's GDP reached 744 billion yuan (US$89.6 billion) in 2004.

(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2005)