X-ray and ultrasound machines, helped by earnings from Mr Zhou's sideline business growing flowers and trees.
Mr Zhou suspects that the high price of pork will encourage more doctoring of meat.
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Asked about the speculation surrounding his future, Mr Zhou refused to be drawn.
Mr Zhou's plan could win support from other emerging economies with large reserves.
Mr Zhou used the sulphuric acid to produce fertiliser, turning the enterprise into the biggest compound fertiliser manufacturer in the northeast.
ECONOMIST: Being an entrepreneur in China has its own special problems
Five years ago, Mr Zhou's business was still centred on his village.
ECONOMIST: Being an entrepreneur in China has its own special problems
Mr Zhou earned international respect during the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98.
In another article, Mr Zhou suggested the creation of a new international reserve currency, managed by the IMF, to replace the dollar.
Mr Zhou calls for a radical reform of the international monetary system in which the dollar would be replaced as the main reserve currency by a global currency.
ECONOMIST: The dollar as a reserve currency: Handle with care | The
As China's central banker, Mr Zhou is likely to face growing calls from Japan and the United States for a revaluation of China's currency, the Yuan, to reflect the strength of its fast-growing economy.
Mr Zhou hopes that by the end of the year exports will have recovered to 3-5% above last year, and investment will have grown by 5%: not as good as the norm, but hardly recession.
To please officials in the city of Haicheng, close to Xiyang Village, Mr Zhou abandoned a plan to build a steel factory in the southern port of Beihai, where there would be ready access to ore shipped from Australia.
ECONOMIST: Being an entrepreneur in China has its own special problems
Mr Zhou suggests that the dollar's reserve status should be transferred to the SDR (Special Drawing Rights), a synthetic currency created by the IMF, whose value is determined as a weighted average of the dollar, euro, yen and pound.
It is evident, even without prejudging the case of the colourful Mr Yang or questioning the business skills of Mr Zhou, that China will find the best managers for its companies only when it chooses them from the widest possible pool.
ECONOMIST: Holding back China's private firms holds back China too
Mr. Zhou has thrown himself into Mr. Shi's broadcast and has plastered "shanzhai" labels across his bicycle, which he points out is old and banged-up.
Pulling ads out of them may send many advertisers to look for alternative placements, such as the Web, for their ads, said Mr. Zhou.
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