"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。有些政策制定過程中前期調研不夠，沒有充分聽取企業意見，對政策實際影響考慮不周，沒有給企業留出必要的適應調整期。有些政策相互不協調，政策效應同向疊加，或者是工作方式簡單，導致一些初衷是好的政策產生了相反的作用。比如，在防范化解金融風險過程中，有的金融機構對民營企業惜貸不敢貸甚至直接抽貸斷貸，造成企業流動性困難甚至停業；在“營改增”過程中，沒有充分考慮規范征管給一些要求抵扣的小微企業帶來的稅負增加；在完善社保繳費征收過程中，沒有充分考慮征管機制變化過程中企業的適應程度和帶來的預期緊縮效應。對這些問題，要根據實際情況加以解決，為民營企業發展營造良好環境。

當前，我國民營經濟遇到的困難也有企業自身的原因。在經濟高速增長時期，一部分民營企業經營比較粗放，熱衷于鋪攤子、上規模，負債過高，在環保、社保、質量、安全、信用等方面存在不規范、不穩健甚至不合規合法的問題，在加強監管執法的背景下必然會面臨很大壓力。

應該承認，當前一些民營經濟遇到的困難是現實的，甚至相當嚴峻，必須高度重視。同時，也要認識到，這些困難是發展中的困難、前進中的問題、成長中的煩惱，一定能在發展中得到解決。我相信，只要我們堅持基本經濟制度，落實好黨和國家方針政策，民營經濟就一定能夠實現更大發展。

三、大力支持民營企業發展壯大

保持定力，增強信心，集中精力辦好自己的事情，是我們應對各種風險挑戰的關鍵。當前，我國經濟運行總體平穩、穩中有進，主要指標保持在合理區間。同時，我國經濟發展的不確定性明顯上升，下行壓力有所加大，企業經營困難增多。這些都是前進中必然遇到的問題。

面對困難挑戰，我們要看到有利條件，增強對我國經濟發展的必勝信心。一是我國擁有巨大的發展韌性、潛力和回旋余地，我國有13億多人口的內需市場，正處于新型工業化、信息化、城鎮化、農業現代化同步發展階段，中等收入群體擴大孕育著大量消費升級需求，城鄉區域發展不平衡蘊藏著可觀發展空間。二是我國擁有較好的發展條件和物質基礎，擁有全球最完整的產業體系和不斷增強的科技創新能力，總儲蓄率仍處于較高水平。三是我國人力資本豐富，有9億多勞動力人口，其中超過1.7億是受過高等教育或擁有專業技能的人才，每年畢業的大學生就有800多萬，勞動力的比較優勢仍然明顯。四是我國國土面積遼闊，土地總量資源豐富，集約用地潛力巨大，也為經濟發展提供了很好的空間支撐。五是綜合各方面因素分析，我國經濟發展健康穩定的基本面沒有改變，支撐高質量發展的生產要素條件沒有改變，長期穩中向好的總體勢頭沒有改變，同主要經濟體相比，我國經濟增長仍居世界前列。六是我國擁有獨特的制度優勢，我們有黨的堅強領導，有集中力量辦大事的政治優勢，全面深化改革不斷釋放發展動力，宏觀調控能力不斷增強。

從外部環境看，世界經濟整體呈現復蘇回暖勢頭，和平與發展仍是時代潮流。今年前三季度我國進出口保持了穩定增長勢頭，同主要貿易伙伴進出口貿易總額均實現增長。隨著共建“一帶一路”扎實推進，我國同“一帶一路”沿線國家的投資貿易合作加快推進，成為我們外部經濟環境的新亮點。

總之，只要我們保持戰略定力，堅持穩中求進工作總基調，以供給側結構性改革為主線，全面深化改革開放，我國經濟就一定能夠加快轉入高質量發展軌道，迎來更加光明的發展前景。

在我國經濟發展進程中，我們要不斷為民營經濟營造更好發展環境，幫助民營經濟解決發展中的困難，支持民營企業改革發展，變壓力為動力，讓民營經濟創新源泉充分涌流，讓民營經濟創造活力充分迸發。為此，要抓好6個方面政策舉措落實。

第一，減輕企業稅費負擔。要抓好供給側結構性改革降成本行動各項工作，實質性降低企業負擔。要加大減稅力度。推進增值稅等實質性減稅，而且要簡明易行好操作，增強企業獲得感。對小微企業、科技型初創企業可以實施普惠性稅收免除。要根據實際情況，降低社保繳費名義費率，穩定繳費方式，確保企業社保繳費實際負擔有實質性下降。既要以最嚴格的標準防范逃避稅，又要避免因為不當征稅導致正常運行的企業停擺。要進一步清理、精簡涉及民間投資管理的行政審批事項和涉企收費，規范中間環節、中介組織行為，減輕企業負擔，加快推進涉企行政事業性收費零收費，降低企業成本。一些地方的好做法要加快在全國推廣。

第二，解決民營企業融資難融資貴問題。要優先解決民營企業特別是中小企業融資難甚至融不到資問題，同時逐步降低融資成本。要改革和完善金融機構監管考核和內部激勵機制，把銀行業績考核同支持民營經濟發展掛鉤，解決不敢貸、不愿貸的問題。要擴大金融市場準入，拓寬民營企業融資途徑，發揮民營銀行、小額貸款公司、風險投資、股權和債券等融資渠道作用。對有股權質押平倉風險的民營企業，有關方面和地方要抓緊研究采取特殊措施，幫助企業渡過難關，避免發生企業所有權轉移等問題。對地方政府加以引導，對符合經濟結構優化升級方向、有前景的民營企業進行必要財務救助。省級政府和計劃單列市可以自籌資金組建政策性救助基金，綜合運用多種手段，在嚴格防止違規舉債、嚴格防范國有資產流失前提下，幫助區域內產業龍頭、就業大戶、戰略新興行業等關鍵重點民營企業紓困。要高度重視三角債問題，糾正一些政府部門、大企業利用優勢地位以大欺小、拖欠民營企業款項的行為。

第三，營造公平競爭環境。要打破各種各樣的“卷簾門”、“玻璃門”、“旋轉門”，在市場準入、審批許可、經營運行、招投標、軍民融合等方面，為民營企業打造公平競爭環境，給民營企業發展創造充足市場空間。要鼓勵民營企業參與國有企業改革。要推進產業政策由差異化、選擇性向普惠化、功能性轉變，清理違反公平、開放、透明市場規則的政策文件，推進反壟斷、反不正當競爭執法。

第四，完善政策執行方式。任何一項政策出臺，不管初衷多么好，都要考慮可能產生的負面影響，考慮實際執行同政策初衷的差別，考慮同其他政策是不是有疊加效應，不斷提高政策水平。各地區各部門要從實際出發，提高工作藝術和管理水平，加強政策協調性，細化、量化政策措施，制定相關配套舉措，推動各項政策落地、落細、落實，讓民營企業從政策中增強獲得感。去產能、去杠桿要對各類所有制企業執行同樣標準，不能戴著有色眼鏡落實政策，不能不問青紅皂白對民營企業斷貸抽貸。要提高政府部門履職水平，按照國家宏觀調控方向，在安監、環保等領域微觀執法過程中避免簡單化，堅持實事求是，一切從實際出發，執行政策不能搞“一刀切”。要結合改革督察工作，對中央全面深化改革委員會會議審議通過的產權保護、弘揚企業家精神、市場公平競爭審查等利好民營企業的改革方案專項督察，推動落實。

第五，構建親清新型政商關系。各級黨委和政府要把構建親清新型政商關系的要求落到實處，把支持民營企業發展作為一項重要任務，花更多時間和精力關心民營企業發展、民營企業家成長，不能成為掛在嘴邊的口號。我們要求領導干部同民營企業家打交道要守住底線、把好分寸，并不意味著領導干部可以對民營企業家的正當要求置若罔聞，對他們的合法權益不予保護，而是要積極主動為民營企業服務。各相關部門和地方的主要負責同志要經常聽取民營企業反映和訴求，特別是在民營企業遇到困難和問題情況下更要積極作為、靠前服務，幫助解決實際困難。對支持和引導國有企業、民營企業特別是中小企業克服困難、創新發展方面的工作情況，要納入干部考核考察范圍。人民團體、工商聯等組織要深入民營企業了解情況，積極反映企業生產經營遇到的困難和問題，支持企業改革創新。要加強輿論引導，正確宣傳黨和國家大政方針，對一些錯誤說法要及時澄清。

第六，保護企業家人身和財產安全。穩定預期，弘揚企業家精神，安全是基本保障。我們加大反腐敗斗爭力度，是落實黨要管黨、全面從嚴治黨的要求，是為了懲治黨內腐敗分子，構建良好政治生態，堅決反對和糾正以權謀私、錢權交易、貪污賄賂、吃拿卡要、欺壓百姓等違紀違法行為。這有利于為民營經濟發展創造健康環境。紀檢監察機關在履行職責過程中，有時需要企業經營者協助調查，這種情況下，要查清問題，也要保障其合法的人身和財產權益，保障企業合法經營。對一些民營企業歷史上曾經有過的一些不規范行為，要以發展的眼光看問題，按照罪刑法定、疑罪從無的原則處理，讓企業家卸下思想包袱，輕裝前進。我多次強調要甄別糾正一批侵害企業產權的錯案冤案，最近人民法院依法重審了幾個典型案例，社會反映很好。

我說過，非公有制經濟要健康發展，前提是非公有制經濟人士要健康成長。希望廣大民營經濟人士加強自我學習、自我教育、自我提升。民營企業家要珍視自身的社會形象，熱愛祖國、熱愛人民、熱愛中國共產黨，踐行社會主義核心價值觀，弘揚企業家精神，做愛國敬業、守法經營、創業創新、回報社會的典范。民營企業家要講正氣、走正道，做到聚精會神辦企業、遵紀守法搞經營，在合法合規中提高企業競爭能力。守法經營，這是任何企業都必須遵守的原則，也是長遠發展之道。要練好企業內功，特別是要提高經營能力、管理水平，完善法人治理結構，鼓勵有條件的民營企業建立現代企業制度。新一代民營企業家要繼承和發揚老一輩人艱苦奮斗、敢闖敢干、聚焦實業、做精主業的精神，努力把企業做強做優。民營企業還要拓展國際視野，增強創新能力和核心競爭力，形成更多具有全球競爭力的世界一流企業。

我就講這些，謝謝大家。（完）