Li Guoqing Advises Dong Mingzhu to Leave Room for Young People, Dong Mingzhu Responds Again to the 'Meng Yutong' Incident
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On the evening of December 18, Dong Mingzhu, Chairman and President of Gree Electric Appliances (33.160, -0.01, -0.03%), responded in a live broadcast to criticisms about misjudging people and having poor discernment. Dong Mingzhu stated: "A person's behavior cannot reveal their entire life. If you misjudge someone, it's called a mistake. (Choosing Meng Yutong) isn't called misjudging—it was her own choice. Life's path is chosen by oneself. 'Life values are determined by oneself. What kind of person you choose to be is your own decision. It's hard to say what things will be like five years from now.'"
As of press time, the related topic "Dong Mingzhu Says Everything Was Meng Yutong's Choice" has climbed to the eighth spot on Weibo's trending list.
On December 14, a video posted by a netizen showed Dong Mingzhu seemingly mentioning Meng Yutong again during Gree Electric Appliances' new employee orientation for college graduates.
In the video, Dong Mingzhu mentioned that she had selected Meng Yutong from nine candidates in a TV program. Dong Mingzhu said: "At the time, I saw her as very diligent, and I hoped she could grow. So I said, 'You can be my secretary.' But as a secretary, she couldn’t even write a proper document. I don’t know what kind of secretary that is."
Regarding Meng Yutong's choices, Dong Mingzhu said in the video: "At most, you earn a little more money today. But I think that’s no different from being a walking corpse. What’s the point of having money?" However, she also added: "Money is necessary, but it’s not the dream we pursue—it’s the result of our hard work."
On December 18, Li Guoqing released a video stating that Dong Mingzhu's handling of the Meng Yutong situation was beneath her dignity.
Li Guoqing mentioned that as a recent graduate, it's normal for Meng Yutong to aspire to collaborate with Dong Mingzhu to become an internet celebrity and engage in secondary professions for additional income. "She didn't harm Gree, didn't promote for competitors, nor did she exploit Gree's position to engage in any dealings with distributors. There's no significant fault if it doesn't harm the company's interests," he said.
Li Guoqing expressed that Meng Yutong, once selected by Dong Mingzhu as a so-called successor, is now being publicly criticized. He suggested that if she violated company policies, she should have been advised to resign rather than outright dismissed, advising Dong Mingzhu to leave some dignity and room for young people.
Additionally, according to The Paper, on December 18, when asked in a live broadcast if she had made any failed decisions, Dong Mingzhu responded that there were no failed decisions, only slower progress. "Did the mobile phone fail? Did new energy fail? Our batteries can last 30 years. Who can guarantee that? They don't catch fire or explode, solving everyone's concerns," she said.
Dong Mingzhu further explained that Gree's new energy issues weren't due to technical failures but poor management by the previous leadership. Now, the new energy sector generates billions in revenue, though the initial financial gap was too large, amounting to billions in losses.
Gree previously promised to provide one apartment per employee, and Dong Mingzhu stated that thousands have been completed so far, noting that building houses requires processes and time, but the commitment remains unchanged. Regarding potential salary increases, Dong expressed confidence that as the company's performance improves, so will employee benefits, emphasizing long-term planning and responsibility to society, shareholders, and employees.