CHINA: It's official: China's captains of private industry are now eligible for the Communist Party's highest commendation, the award of "model and advanced worker", reserved since the 1949 revolution for members of the proletariat. Clifford Coonan reports from Beijing
In the past, only bona fide members of the working class, like bus conductors, coal miners and industrial workers, qualified for the highly-prized award. But in the new China, the agents of international capital are also entitled to recognition for their toil.
"We make this policy in line with the spirit of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China," Mr Zhang Junjiu, vice president of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, told the official Xinhua news agency.
To those not familiar with the intricate details of Communist Party functions, the congress, in 2002, was when China added to its constitution former president Mr Jiang Zemin's "Three Represents" theory.
While still maintaining allegiance on paper to the tenets of Marxist-Leninism, Jiang's complicated piece of dogma opened the factory gates - and the gates of the Communist Party - to private entrepreneurs.
Former leader Deng Xiaoping began to open up the Chinese economy in the late 1970s and the formerly centrally planned country has metamorphosed in the meantime into the fastest growing major economy in the world.
One of the forces behind this growth has been the emerging middle class of small and medium sized entrepreneurs, previously despised as "capitalist roaders" - someone who follows the evil capitalist route - "imperialist running dogs", or members of one of Communist China's many "stinking category" of individuals who weren't obvious candidates for life under one-party rule.
The treasured red and gold awards are framed by their recipients and take pride of place in factory canteens and in people's homes around the country.
Restaurants often display the award for "model and advanced work units" in a prominent position.
State Council member Mr Hua Jianmin told a meeting in the capital, Beijing, to select the nation's greatest workers that the prize was a key element of Chinese political life.
"Commending national model and advanced workers helps foster an environment for valuing hard work, building a harmonious society and mobilising all positive elements to push forward China's socialist modernisation," he said.
We won't know until May Day this year whether any entrepreneurs will be named "model workers".
International Labour Day is the date on which the names of the latest 3,000 national model and advanced workers will be announced, Xinhua said.
While a debate currently rages about whether or not Deng Xiaoping ever said the famous quote "to get rich is glorious", clearly there is glory in getting rich in the new China.