Liu Boming is vice-head of the hydraulic press factory of China First Heavy Industries (CFHI) in Qiqihar, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, and one of the delegates elected to attend the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. [Photo/cppcc.gov.cn]

Liu Boming, vice-head of the hydraulic press factory of China First Heavy Industries (CFHI) in Qiqihar, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, is one of the delegates elected to attend the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Liu said he has been committed to just one thing in his whole career – forging, which turns enormous steel ingots that can weigh up to hundreds of tons into all kinds of parts, since joining CFHI in 1990.

Liu's team made a breakthrough in the domestic production of low-pressure steam turbines, a core part of nuclear power plants, which the country used to import from Japan at a cost of 80 million yuan ($11.07 million) per unit. As a result of their breakthrough, the cost was reduced to 20 million yuan.

When the company came into difficulties around the year 2000, Liu only received 200 yuan per month as a subsistence allowance. Despite getting job offers from other businesses, the 29-year-old decided to stay, after his mentor urged him to have a long-term view and recognize the importance of CFHI as a favorable platform to grow as a professional.

Now as a manager with 32 years of work experience, he has a particular interest in training young people. Since August 2019, the innovation studio named after Liu, a nationwide model worker, has held lectures for young technicians from seasoned professionals every Thursday afternoon. This studio has overcome a series of difficulties in forging large and complicated parts, created 40 forging methods, and has filled more than 40 industry gaps.

"As a frontline worker, I have been elected as a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress and this fully reflects the great importance the Party and the State attached to the equipment manufacturing industry," he said.