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CCP to Strengthen United Front Work in Private Companies

The CCP General Office recently introduced a document entitled, “Opinions on Strengthening the United Front Work in the Private Economy in the New Era.” It is the first document on the united front work of the private economy that the CCP has issued since 1978, the start of China’s reform and opening up. It shows that private enterprises are playing a more decisive role in the overall economy. It also shows that, in dealing with the trade conflicts between China and the U.S., the CCP feels the urge to integrate the power of private enterprises with the imposition of the party’s management and control over them.

According to the document, the private economy is China’s “important economic foundation.” Private entrepreneurs are “our own people” and have always been “an important force that the party must unite and rely on in order to serve the long-term in exercising governance.” In the document, it asked that the private entrepreneurs always be politically sensitive and continuously be guided to increase their “political, ideological, and emotional identity” with the party. Meanwhile, the party must actively recruit party members among private entrepreneurs, build and manage a database of talent pools, and develop those private entrepreneurs who will follow the party without deviation. Private entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate in the national strategic discussions and the belt and road initiatives but they need to protect the country’s national interests consciously. It requires that the Private entrepreneurs shall not engage in activities including forums, seminars, lecture halls, salons, and other activities without advanced registration.

For 40 years since the start of China’s economic reform and opening up, the many startup companies in China, such as those that follow, have brought it to the world’s stage: Huawei, Bytedance, Tencent, Alibaba and others. Private enterprises in China contribute over 50 percent of business taxes, make 60 percent of investments, own 70 percent of the patents, hire 80 percent of the workforce and account for 90 percent of the total companies in China.

Source: BBC Chinese, September 16, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-54175379