"Eat the reassurance pill and seek development with ease!" —— General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Speech at the Seminar on Private Enterprises

On the morning of November 1, General Secretary Xi Jinping hosted a seminar on private enterprises in Beijing and delivered an important speech. Xi emphasized that all private enterprises and entrepreneurs can take the reassurance pill and seek development without wavering in encouraging and guiding the development of non-public economy. China's private economy can only grow, not weaken, but also move towards a broader stage. For details, please see the full text of the speech.

Xi Jinping's Speech at the Symposium on Private Enterprises (Full Text)

(1 November 2018)

Xi Jinping

Hello everyone! Today, we are holding this symposium to listen to your opinions and suggestions on the economic development situation and the development of private economy. First of all, I would like to extend my sincere greetings to all private entrepreneurs present here and to the vast number of private entrepreneurs throughout the country.

Just now, several representatives of private enterprises made speeches and put forward many valuable opinions and suggestions, which should be carefully studied and absorbed by relevant departments. Next, I would like to make a few comments in connection with your speeches and concerns.

China's non-public economy has developed under the guidance of the Party's principles and policies since the reform and opening up. The basic economic system with public ownership as the main body and multi-ownership economy developing together is an important part of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and an inevitable requirement for perfecting the socialist market economic system. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, our Party broke away from the traditional concept of ownership and opened the door to the development of non-public economy. In 1980, Zhang Huamei of Wenzhou received her first business license for individual businesses. By 1987, 5.69 million people had been employed in various industries, such as individual industry and Commerce in cities and towns, and a large number of private enterprises had flourished. After Comrade Deng Xiaoping's Southern Talk was published in 1992, a new upsurge of entrepreneurship and development of private economy arose. Many well-known large-scale private enterprises started in this period.

The 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China established "public ownership as the main body and multi-ownership economy developing together" as the basic economic system of our country, and clearly put forward that "non-public ownership economy is an important part of our socialist market economy". The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward the idea of "unswervingly consolidating and developing the public ownership economy" and "unswervingly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public ownership economy". The Eighteenth National Congress of the CPC further proposed that we should unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of non-public economy, ensure that all kinds of ownership economies use production factors equally according to law, participate in market competition fairly and receive equal legal protection.

Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the CPC, I have repeatedly reiterated my adherence to the basic economic system and to the "two unshakable". The Third Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out that both public and non-public economy are important components of the socialist market economy and are important foundations for China's economic and social development; the property rights of public economy are inviolable, and those of non-public economy are inviolable; the state protects all kinds of economic property of ownership. We should adhere to equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules, abolish unreasonable provisions on various forms of non-public economy, eliminate hidden barriers and stimulate the vitality and creativity of non-public economy. At the Fourth Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the CPC, it was proposed that the system of property rights protection with equity as its core principle should be improved, the protection of property rights of various ownership economic organizations and natural persons should be strengthened, and the provisions of laws and regulations that violate equity should be cleared up. The Fifth Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the CPC emphasized that "private enterprises should be encouraged to enter more fields according to law, and non-state-owned capital should be introduced to participate in the reform of state-owned enterprises so as to better stimulate the vitality and creativity of non-public economy". The Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China has written "two unshakable" into the basic strategy of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, which has been further determined as a major policy of the Party and the state.

On March 4, 2016, when I participated in the joint meeting of members of the Civil Construction and Industry Federation at the Fourth Session of the Twelfth CPPCC National Committee, I made a speech on adhering to the basic economic system of our country and expounded the principles and policies of the Party and the state in dealing with the private economy. The purpose of this meeting today is to gather wisdom, firm confidence and concerted efforts to maintain and enhance the good momentum of the development of China's private economy.

On October 20, this year, I wrote back to the privately-owned entrepreneurs who were commended in the action of "Wancun Bang by Ten Thousand Enterprises" on the development of private economy, emphasizing that in the past 40 years of reform and opening up, private enterprises have developed vigorously, and private economy has grown from small to large and from weak to strong, playing a role in stabilizing growth, promoting innovation, increasing employment and improving people's livelihood. It has played an important role in promoting economic and social development. Supporting the development of private enterprises is the consistent policy of the CPC Central Committee, which will not be shaken at all.

1. Fully affirm the important position and role of China's private economy

This year marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up. Over the past 40 years, China's private economy has grown from small to large, from weak to strong, and has been growing steadily. By the end of 2017, there were more than 27 million private enterprises, more than 65 million individual businesses and more than 165 trillion registered capital. Generally speaking, private economy has the characteristics of "May 6789". It contributes more than 50% of tax revenue, 60% of GDP, 70% of technological innovation achievements, 80% of urban labor employment and 90% of enterprises. Among the top 500 enterprises in the world, the number of private enterprises in China increased from 1 in 2010 to 28 in 2018. China's private economy has become an indispensable force to promote China's development. It has become the main field of entrepreneurship and employment, an important subject of technological innovation and an important source of national tax revenue. It has played an important role in the development of China's socialist market economy, the transformation of government functions, the transfer of surplus rural labor force and the development of international market. Effect. For a long time, the vast number of private entrepreneurs have organized and led millions of workers to work hard, pioneer arduously and innovate continuously with the innovative consciousness and perseverance spirit of daring to be the first. China's economic development can create a miracle in China, the private economy is an indispensable contribution!

Our Party's view on adhering to the basic economic system is clear and consistent, and has never wavered. China's public ownership economy has been formed in the course of national development for a long time. It has accumulated a large amount of wealth. It is the common wealth of all the people. We must keep, use and develop it well, keep and appreciate its value continuously. We must never let a large number of state-owned assets idle, lost and wasted. We are promoting the reform and development of state-owned enterprises, strengthening the supervision of state-owned assets and punishing corruption in the field of state-owned assets for this purpose. At the same time, we emphasize that consolidating and developing the public ownership economy is not antagonistic to encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of non-public ownership economy, but an organic unity. Public ownership economy and non-public ownership economy should complement each other and complement each other, rather than mutually exclusive and offset each other.

For some time, some people in the society have made some negative and doubtful remarks about the private economy. For example, some people put forward the so-called "private economy departure theory", saying that the private economy has completed its mission and should withdraw from the historical stage; some people put forward the so-called "new public-private partnership theory", misinterpreting the present mixed ownership reform as a new round of "public-private partnership"; some people said that strengthening Party building and trade union work in Enterprises is for the people. Business control, and so on. These statements are totally wrong and do not conform to the Party's general policy.

Here, I would like to emphasize once again that the status and role of non-public economy in China's economic and social development has not changed! We have not wavered in encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of non-public economy. We are committed to creating a good environment for the development of non-public economy and providing more opportunities. The basic economic system of our country has been written into the Constitution and the Party Constitution, which is unchangeable and unchangeable. Anything that negates, doubts or shakes our basic economic system is not in line with the Party's and state policies, and we should not listen to or believe it. All private enterprises and entrepreneurs can eat the reassurance pill and seek development with ease.

In short, the basic economic system is a system that we must adhere to for a long time. Private economy is the internal factor of our economic system, and private enterprises and entrepreneurs are our own people. Private economy is an important achievement of the development of socialist market economy, an important force to promote the development of socialist market economy, an important subject to promote supply-side structural reform, promote high-quality development, and build a modern economic system. It is also our party's long-term ruling and unity to lead the people of the whole country to realize the "two one" The goal of "100 years" and the important force of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese dream by the Chinese nation. In the new journey of building a well-off society in an all-round way and building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, China's private economy can only grow and not weaken, not only can it not "leave the field", but also go to a broader stage.

2. Correctly Understanding the Difficulties and Problems in the Development of Private Economy

Recently, some private enterprises encounter many difficulties and problems in their operation and development. Some private entrepreneurs describe them as encountering "three mountains": the iceberg of the market, the mountain of financing and the volcano of transformation. The causes of these difficulties and problems are multifaceted. They are the result of the confrontation of multiple contradictions such as external and internal factors, objective and subjective reasons.

One is the result of changes in the international economic environment. Over the past few years, risks have accumulated in the process of global economic recovery, and protectionism and unilateralism have risen significantly, which have brought about many adverse effects on China's economy and market expectations. Private enterprises account for 45% of China's total exports. Some private export enterprises will inevitably be affected. Private enterprises supporting export enterprises or in the industrial chain will also be affected.

The second is the result of the transition of China's economy from the stage of high-speed growth to the stage of high-quality development. At present, we are in the key period of transforming the development mode, optimizing the economic structure and transforming the growth power. The speed of economic expansion will slow down. However, the overall upgrading of consumption structure and the rapid adjustment of demand structure put forward higher requirements for the quality and level of supply, which will inevitably bring transformation and upgrading pressure to enterprises. In the process of structural adjustment, the industry concentration will generally rise, and the superior enterprises will win, which is the normal result of the competition of the survival of the fittest in the market. Under such a complex background, some private enterprises are inevitably confronted with difficulties and problems, which are the long-term adjustment pressure brought by objective environmental changes. For the requirement of high quality development, both private enterprises and state-owned enterprises need to adapt to it step by step.

Third, the result of inadequate policy implementation. In recent years, we have introduced many policies and measures to support the development of private economy, but many of them are not well implemented and ineffective. Some departments and local governments do not have a proper understanding of the major policies and principles of encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of private enterprises by the Party and the state. There are undesirable policy deviations in their work, including equal protection of property rights, equal participation in market competition and equal use of factors of production.很大差距。有些政策制定过程中前期调研不够，没有充分听取企业意见，对政策实际影响考虑不周，没有给企业留出必要的适应调整期。有些政策相互不协调，政策效应同向叠加，或者是工作方式简单，导致一些初衷是好的政策产生了相反的作用。比如，在防范化解金融风险过程中，有的金融机构对民营企业惜贷不敢贷甚至直接抽贷断贷，造成企业流动性困难甚至停业；在“营改增”过程中，没有充分考虑规范征管给一些要求抵扣的小微企业带来的税负增加；在完善社保缴费征收过程中，没有充分考虑征管机制变化过程中企业的适应程度和带来的预期紧缩效应。对这些问题，要根据实际情况加以解决，为民营企业发展营造良好环境。

当前，我国民营经济遇到的困难也有企业自身的原因。在经济高速增长时期，一部分民营企业经营比较粗放，热衷于铺摊子、上规模，负债过高，在环保、社保、质量、安全、信用等方面存在不规范、不稳健甚至不合规合法的问题，在加强监管执法的背景下必然会面临很大压力。

应该承认，当前一些民营经济遇到的困难是现实的，甚至相当严峻，必须高度重视。同时，也要认识到，这些困难是发展中的困难、前进中的问题、成长中的烦恼，一定能在发展中得到解决。我相信，只要我们坚持基本经济制度，落实好党和国家方针政策，民营经济就一定能够实现更大发展。

三、大力支持民营企业发展壮大

保持定力，增强信心，集中精力办好自己的事情，是我们应对各种风险挑战的关键。当前，我国经济运行总体平稳、稳中有进，主要指标保持在合理区间。同时，我国经济发展的不确定性明显上升，下行压力有所加大，企业经营困难增多。这些都是前进中必然遇到的问题。

面对困难挑战，我们要看到有利条件，增强对我国经济发展的必胜信心。一是我国拥有巨大的发展韧性、潜力和回旋余地，我国有13亿多人口的内需市场，正处于新型工业化、信息化、城镇化、农业现代化同步发展阶段，中等收入群体扩大孕育着大量消费升级需求，城乡区域发展不平衡蕴藏着可观发展空间。二是我国拥有较好的发展条件和物质基础，拥有全球最完整的产业体系和不断增强的科技创新能力，总储蓄率仍处于较高水平。三是我国人力资本丰富，有9亿多劳动力人口，其中超过1.7亿是受过高等教育或拥有专业技能的人才，每年毕业的大学生就有800多万，劳动力的比较优势仍然明显。四是我国国土面积辽阔，土地总量资源丰富，集约用地潜力巨大，也为经济发展提供了很好的空间支撑。五是综合各方面因素分析，我国经济发展健康稳定的基本面没有改变，支撑高质量发展的生产要素条件没有改变，长期稳中向好的总体势头没有改变，同主要经济体相比，我国经济增长仍居世界前列。六是我国拥有独特的制度优势，我们有党的坚强领导，有集中力量办大事的政治优势，全面深化改革不断释放发展动力，宏观调控能力不断增强。

从外部环境看，世界经济整体呈现复苏回暖势头，和平与发展仍是时代潮流。今年前三季度我国进出口保持了稳定增长势头，同主要贸易伙伴进出口贸易总额均实现增长。随着共建“一带一路”扎实推进，我国同“一带一路”沿线国家的投资贸易合作加快推进，成为我们外部经济环境的新亮点。

总之，只要我们保持战略定力，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，以供给侧结构性改革为主线，全面深化改革开放，我国经济就一定能够加快转入高质量发展轨道，迎来更加光明的发展前景。

在我国经济发展进程中，我们要不断为民营经济营造更好发展环境，帮助民营经济解决发展中的困难，支持民营企业改革发展，变压力为动力，让民营经济创新源泉充分涌流，让民营经济创造活力充分迸发。为此，要抓好6个方面政策举措落实。

第一，减轻企业税费负担。要抓好供给侧结构性改革降成本行动各项工作，实质性降低企业负担。要加大减税力度。推进增值税等实质性减税，而且要简明易行好操作，增强企业获得感。对小微企业、科技型初创企业可以实施普惠性税收免除。要根据实际情况，降低社保缴费名义费率，稳定缴费方式，确保企业社保缴费实际负担有实质性下降。既要以最严格的标准防范逃避税，又要避免因为不当征税导致正常运行的企业停摆。要进一步清理、精简涉及民间投资管理的行政审批事项和涉企收费，规范中间环节、中介组织行为，减轻企业负担，加快推进涉企行政事业性收费零收费，降低企业成本。一些地方的好做法要加快在全国推广。

第二，解决民营企业融资难融资贵问题。要优先解决民营企业特别是中小企业融资难甚至融不到资问题，同时逐步降低融资成本。要改革和完善金融机构监管考核和内部激励机制，把银行业绩考核同支持民营经济发展挂钩，解决不敢贷、不愿贷的问题。要扩大金融市场准入，拓宽民营企业融资途径，发挥民营银行、小额贷款公司、风险投资、股权和债券等融资渠道作用。对有股权质押平仓风险的民营企业，有关方面和地方要抓紧研究采取特殊措施，帮助企业渡过难关，避免发生企业所有权转移等问题。对地方政府加以引导，对符合经济结构优化升级方向、有前景的民营企业进行必要财务救助。省级政府和计划单列市可以自筹资金组建政策性救助基金，综合运用多种手段，在严格防止违规举债、严格防范国有资产流失前提下，帮助区域内产业龙头、就业大户、战略新兴行业等关键重点民营企业纾困。要高度重视三角债问题，纠正一些政府部门、大企业利用优势地位以大欺小、拖欠民营企业款项的行为。

第三，营造公平竞争环境。要打破各种各样的“卷帘门”、“玻璃门”、“旋转门”，在市场准入、审批许可、经营运行、招投标、军民融合等方面，为民营企业打造公平竞争环境，给民营企业发展创造充足市场空间。要鼓励民营企业参与国有企业改革。要推进产业政策由差异化、选择性向普惠化、功能性转变，清理违反公平、开放、透明市场规则的政策文件，推进反垄断、反不正当竞争执法。

第四，完善政策执行方式。任何一项政策出台，不管初衷多么好，都要考虑可能产生的负面影响，考虑实际执行同政策初衷的差别，考虑同其他政策是不是有叠加效应，不断提高政策水平。各地区各部门要从实际出发，提高工作艺术和管理水平，加强政策协调性，细化、量化政策措施，制定相关配套举措，推动各项政策落地、落细、落实，让民营企业从政策中增强获得感。去产能、去杠杆要对各类所有制企业执行同样标准，不能戴着有色眼镜落实政策，不能不问青红皂白对民营企业断贷抽贷。要提高政府部门履职水平，按照国家宏观调控方向，在安监、环保等领域微观执法过程中避免简单化，坚持实事求是，一切从实际出发，执行政策不能搞“一刀切”。要结合改革督察工作，对中央全面深化改革委员会会议审议通过的产权保护、弘扬企业家精神、市场公平竞争审查等利好民营企业的改革方案专项督察，推动落实。

第五，构建亲清新型政商关系。各级党委和政府要把构建亲清新型政商关系的要求落到实处，把支持民营企业发展作为一项重要任务，花更多时间和精力关心民营企业发展、民营企业家成长，不能成为挂在嘴边的口号。我们要求领导干部同民营企业家打交道要守住底线、把好分寸，并不意味着领导干部可以对民营企业家的正当要求置若罔闻，对他们的合法权益不予保护，而是要积极主动为民营企业服务。各相关部门和地方的主要负责同志要经常听取民营企业反映和诉求，特别是在民营企业遇到困难和问题情况下更要积极作为、靠前服务，帮助解决实际困难。对支持和引导国有企业、民营企业特别是中小企业克服困难、创新发展方面的工作情况，要纳入干部考核考察范围。人民团体、工商联等组织要深入民营企业了解情况，积极反映企业生产经营遇到的困难和问题，支持企业改革创新。要加强舆论引导，正确宣传党和国家大政方针，对一些错误说法要及时澄清。

第六，保护企业家人身和财产安全。稳定预期，弘扬企业家精神，安全是基本保障。我们加大反腐败斗争力度，是落实党要管党、全面从严治党的要求，是为了惩治党内腐败分子，构建良好政治生态，坚决反对和纠正以权谋私、钱权交易、贪污贿赂、吃拿卡要、欺压百姓等违纪违法行为。这有利于为民营经济发展创造健康环境。纪检监察机关在履行职责过程中，有时需要企业经营者协助调查，这种情况下，要查清问题，也要保障其合法的人身和财产权益，保障企业合法经营。对一些民营企业历史上曾经有过的一些不规范行为，要以发展的眼光看问题，按照罪刑法定、疑罪从无的原则处理，让企业家卸下思想包袱，轻装前进。我多次强调要甄别纠正一批侵害企业产权的错案冤案，最近人民法院依法重审了几个典型案例，社会反映很好。

我说过，非公有制经济要健康发展，前提是非公有制经济人士要健康成长。希望广大民营经济人士加强自我学习、自我教育、自我提升。民营企业家要珍视自身的社会形象，热爱祖国、热爱人民、热爱中国共产党，践行社会主义核心价值观，弘扬企业家精神，做爱国敬业、守法经营、创业创新、回报社会的典范。民营企业家要讲正气、走正道，做到聚精会神办企业、遵纪守法搞经营，在合法合规中提高企业竞争能力。守法经营，这是任何企业都必须遵守的原则，也是长远发展之道。要练好企业内功，特别是要提高经营能力、管理水平，完善法人治理结构，鼓励有条件的民营企业建立现代企业制度。新一代民营企业家要继承和发扬老一辈人艰苦奋斗、敢闯敢干、聚焦实业、做精主业的精神，努力把企业做强做优。民营企业还要拓展国际视野，增强创新能力和核心竞争力，形成更多具有全球竞争力的世界一流企业。

我就讲这些，谢谢大家。（完）