Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese President, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended a symposium for private enterprises in Beijing on the morning of the 17th and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that the fundamental policies and principles of the Party and the state concerning the development of the private economy have been incorporated into the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and will be consistently upheld and implemented. They cannot and will not change. In the new era and on the new journey, the private economy has broad prospects and great potential, and it is the right time for private enterprises and entrepreneurs to demonstrate their capabilities. It is necessary to unify thinking and strengthen confidence to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the private economy. He expressed hope that private enterprises and entrepreneurs would harbor patriotic aspirations, focus wholeheartedly on development, operate lawfully and ethically, and lead in promoting common prosperity, making new and greater contributions to advancing Chinese modernization. Li Qiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, and Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the symposium. Wang Huning, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presided over the symposium. At the symposium, six representatives from private enterprises, including Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Wang Chuanfu, Chairman of BYD Co., Ltd., Liu Yonghao, Chairman of New Hope Group Co., Ltd., Yu Renrong, Chairman of Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai, Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics, and Lei Jun, Chairman of Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd., delivered speeches successively, offering opinions and suggestions on promoting the development of the private economy under the new circumstances. After listening to their speeches, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. He stated that private enterprises have flourished alongside the great process of reform and opening up. For decades, the Party's theories and practices regarding the understanding of the private economy's status and role in reform and opening up and the socialist modernization drive, as well as the Party and state's policies on private economic development, have been consistent and have advanced with the times. The Party and the state uphold and improve the basic socialist economic system, unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector of the economy, and unswervingly encourage, support, and guide the development of the non-public sector of the economy. The Party and the state ensure that various forms of ownership can legally use factors of production equally, participate in market competition fairly, and receive equal legal protection, promoting complementary advantages and common development among various forms of ownership, and fostering the healthy development of the non-public economy and the healthy growth of non-public economic figures. Xi Jinping pointed out that China's private economy has now reached a considerable scale and holds significant weight, laying a solid foundation for high-quality development. In the new era and on the new journey, China's social productive forces will continuously leap forward, people's living standards will steadily improve, and reform and opening up will be further deepened comprehensively. In particular, the rapid development of education and science and technology, a large and high-quality talent pool and labor resources, a well-established industrial system and infrastructure system, and a super-large market of over 1.4 billion people will bring many new opportunities and provide greater development space for the private economy. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics has many significant advantages, and the socialist market economic system and the socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics are continuously improving, which will provide stronger guarantees for the development of the private economy. Xi Jinping emphasized that some of the current difficulties and challenges faced by the private economy are generally emerging in the process of reform and development and industrial transformation and upgrading. They are local rather than systemic, temporary rather than long-term, and can be overcome rather than insoluble. It is necessary to unify thinking and actions with the Party Central Committee's assessment of the domestic and international situation and with the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments for economic work, seeing prospects, brightness, and future in difficulties and challenges, maintaining development resolve and enhancing development confidence, and maintaining the spirit of daring to struggle and win. Xi Jinping pointed out that earnestly implementing policies and measures to promote the development of the private economy is the current focus of work. All decisions made by the Party Central Committee must be resolutely implemented without compromise. It is necessary to resolutely break down all barriers to the equal and lawful use of factors of production and fair participation in market competition, continue to promote the fair opening of competitive areas of infrastructure to various types of business entities, and continue to make great efforts to solve the problems of difficult and expensive financing for private enterprises. Efforts should be made to solve the problem of outstanding payments owed to private enterprises. Law enforcement supervision should be strengthened, and concentrated efforts should be made to rectify arbitrary charges, fines, inspections, and seizures, effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of private enterprises and entrepreneurs in accordance with the law. At the same time, it should be recognized that China is a socialist country under the rule of law, and illegal acts by enterprises of all forms of ownership cannot escape investigation and punishment. Various relief policies should be earnestly implemented, policy precision should be improved, comprehensive measures should be emphasized, and enterprises should be treated equally. A cordial and clean relationship between government and business should be further built. Party committees and governments at all levels should proceed from reality and comprehensively implement policies and measures to promote the development of the private economy. Xi Jinping emphasized that enterprises are the operating entities, and the internal driving force for enterprise development is paramount. Private enterprises and entrepreneurs should be full of entrepreneurial and patriotic passion, continuously elevate their ideals, cultivate a strong sense of family and country, remember the source of wealth and strive for progress after becoming rich, carry forward the entrepreneurial spirit, concentrate on making enterprises stronger, better, and bigger, and be firm builders of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoters of Chinese modernization. They should unswervingly follow the path of high-quality development, stick to their main business, strengthen real industries, enhance independent innovation, transform development models, continuously improve enterprise quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness, and strive to make more contributions to promoting scientific and technological innovation, fostering new productive forces, building a modernized industrial system, comprehensively promoting rural revitalization, promoting coordinated regional development, and ensuring and improving people's livelihoods. They should improve their corporate governance structure in accordance with the requirements of the modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, regulate shareholder behavior, strengthen internal supervision, improve risk prevention mechanisms, continuously improve the mechanisms for the use, management, and protection of production factors such as labor, talent, knowledge, technology, capital, and data, and pay attention to the cultivation of enterprise successors. They should adhere to honest and law-abiding operations, establish correct values and ethics, and promote the healthy development of the private economy through practical actions. They should actively fulfill social responsibilities, actively build harmonious labor relations, focus on ecological environmental protection, and participate in public welfare and charitable undertakings within their capabilities, contributing more love to society. Wang Huning, while presiding over the meeting, stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech fully affirmed the major achievements made in the development of the private economy and its important contributions to the country's economic and social development. He emphasized the need to correctly understand the opportunities and challenges faced by the private economy and made comprehensive arrangements for promoting the healthy and high-quality development of the private economy in the current and future period. The speech is far-reaching in its ideas, profound in its thinking, incisive in its arguments, and rich in content. We must earnestly study, comprehend, and resolutely implement it. We must strengthen development confidence, enhance overall awareness, systemic thinking, and the spirit of rule of law, ensure the full implementation of various policies, and strive to create a new situation for the development of the private economy. Shi Taifeng, Li Shulei, He Lifeng, Wu Zhonglong, and Mu Hong attended the symposium. Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the central and state organs, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and representatives of private enterprise leaders participated in the symposium.
The 38th Chairperson's Council meeting of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee was held on the afternoon of the 17th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chairperson Zhao Leji presided over the meeting. The meeting decided that the 14th NPC Standing Committee's 14th session will be held in Beijing from February 24th to 25th. An important task of the 14th NPC Standing Committee's 14th session is to prepare for the upcoming Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress. The Chairperson's Council proposed that the 14th session of the Standing Committee deliberate on the draft work report of the NPC Standing Committee, deliberate on the Chairperson's Council's proposals to submit for deliberation the draft agenda of the Third Session of the 14th NPC, the draft list of the presidium and secretary-general of the Third Session of the 14th NPC, and the draft list of non-voting attendees for the Third Session of the 14th NPC. Other suggested agendas for the 14th session of the Standing Committee include: deliberating on the draft Private Economy Promotion Law, deliberating on the State Council's proposal to submit for deliberation the revised draft of the Civil Aviation Law, and deliberating on the report of the NPC Standing Committee's Deputy Qualification Examination Committee on the qualifications of individual deputies and relevant appointment and removal proposals, among others. The Chairperson's Council also deliberated on the draft measures for the record review of fiscal budget matters, and deliberated on the report of the NPC Standing Committee's general office on public petition work in 2024. During the Chairperson's Council meeting, Liu Qi, Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee, reported on the draft agenda and schedule of the 14th session of the Standing Committee, as well as the draft agenda, schedule, draft list of the presidium and secretary-general, and draft list of non-voting attendees for the Third Session of the 14th NPC. Relevant Deputy Secretary-Generals of the NPC Standing Committee, responsible persons from relevant special committees of the NPC, relevant working committees of the Standing Committee, the Deputy Qualification Examination Committee of the Standing Committee, and the General Office's Research Office reported on relevant topics for the 14th session of the Standing Committee.
With the 2025 National Two Sessions fast approaching, "Xinwen Lianbo" today (February 17) launched a series of reports titled "Stories of Deputies and Members Fulfilling Their Duties." First, we introduce Zhuo Changli, an NPC deputy who has been working in the domestic service industry in Shandong for over 20 years and has repeatedly focused on issues related to the elderly and children. Shortly after the Spring Festival holiday, Zhuo Changli visited Wang Miaomiao, a mother of two in Jinan, to understand her domestic service needs. Wang Miaomiao and her husband are both office workers. Their elder son just started primary school, and their younger son is just over one year old. For them, finding an experienced and skilled domestic helper is essential. Zhuo Changli's visits revealed that Wang Miaomiao's "concerns" are not isolated cases. In 2024, Shandong Province had a permanent population of nearly 101 million, of which approximately 11.18 million were over 70 years old and nearly 2 million were infants aged 0-3. Families with care needs for both the elderly and children are quite common. According to data released in 2024, China's domestic service industry has a talent gap of over 20 million people. To address this, Zhuo Changli proposed the "Suggestions on Strengthening the Role of the Industry and Promoting the High-Quality Integration of Industry and Education in the Domestic Service Sector" at the 2024 National Two Sessions. Soon after, the Ministry of Education responded to Zhuo Changli, stating that it would promote industry-education integration and school-enterprise collaboration to further improve the training mechanism for professional domestic service personnel. Shandong Province also accelerated the implementation of relevant policies, supporting domestic service enterprises to co-establish secondary colleges, majors, practical training bases, and training bases with vocational schools, widely implementing modern apprenticeship and order-based training, and jointly cultivating highly skilled talents between schools and enterprises. In 2024, these policies in Shandong Province benefited over 200,000 domestic service personnel and students, effectively helping them better serve families with elderly and young children. At this year's National Two Sessions, Zhuo Changli will continue to focus on the supply and guarantee of "elderly and children" services. Her suggestions cover various aspects, including training for rural laborers and consumption subsidies for infants aged 0-3 and seniors over 70.
In 2024, China's light industry production saw rapid growth, with steady expansion in both domestic and international trade markets, and continuous optimization and upgrading of industrial structure, effectively supporting the steady growth of the industrial economy. The latest data from the China National Light Industry Council shows that in 2024, light industrial enterprises above designated size achieved operating revenue of 23 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.0%. Profits reached 1.5 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.3%. Among the 91 major light industrial products statistics tracked by the National Bureau of Statistics, 55 products saw an increase in output. Notably, thanks to policies such as consumer product trade-ins, the output of household washing machines and refrigerators grew rapidly. With the effective implementation of a series of policies to expand domestic demand and boost consumption, the vitality of the light industry market gradually strengthened. In 2024, retail sales of 11 categories of light industrial goods reached nearly 8 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%. Among these, household appliances and audio-visual equipment maintained high growth for four consecutive months. Additionally, over the past year, the scale of light industrial product exports continued to expand, with the entire industry's export value increasing by 3.6% year-on-year. Among the 21 major categories, 13 saw a year-on-year increase in export value, maintaining resilience in foreign trade exports.
The State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Archives Administration recently jointly formulated and issued the "Measures for the Management of Business Entity Registration Archives" to facilitate cross-regional relocation of business entities. The "Measures" clarify that when a business entity applies for change registration or relocation registration archives to the registration authority in the new location, there is no need to file a repeated application in the original location. The registration authorities in both the new and original locations must coordinate and transfer archives, and must not restrict or hinder the relocation of registration archives. It also requires continuous optimization of relocation procedures, promoting online handling of registration archive relocation, and clarifies that if the registration authority in the new location can access registration archives online, the business entity can directly handle registration procedures in the new location during the relocation period. The "Measures" will officially take effect on March 20 this year.
The year's plan starts in spring. Currently, spring field management and spring ploughing are successively unfolding across the country, striving for a good start to a year of bountiful harvests. As wheat gradually enters the regreening period, major producing areas are seizing the season to manage wheat fields in spring. Henan has organized agricultural technicians to go deep into the fields to ensure the implementation of yield-increasing technologies. In Dancheng County, Zhoukou, technicians are guiding growers to apply regreening fertilizer to promote the transformation and upgrading of seedlings. Shandong's over 60 million mu of winter wheat are successively regreening. In Guan County, Liaocheng, local authorities are organizing farmers to use plant protection drones and other equipment for pest and disease control, helping stabilize and increase grain production. Anhui's over 43 million mu of wheat are entering the critical period of strengthening weak seedlings. This year, the province is promoting the use of new equipment and technologies such as drones equipped with multispectral cameras to generate real-time seedling monitoring maps, providing a basis for water and fertilizer conservation and yield increase. In response to less precipitation since winter, reservoirs in many areas of Jiangsu have been opening sluice gates in recent days to ensure spring irrigation, provide technical guidance, precise fertilization, and water-saving irrigation. These efforts are to ensure good spring plowing and preparation, laying a solid foundation for new year's grain production. Early rice has begun to sprout in Guangdong, Guangxi, and other places. This year, Guangdong is further promoting centralized seedling cultivation, with 70 new centralized seedling cultivation centers put into operation across the province, significantly improving production efficiency. In the northwest, agricultural departments in Gansu, Ningxia, and other places are actively allocating various agricultural materials such as fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds, striving to ensure a stable supply of agricultural materials for spring plowing. Many areas in Hunan are strengthening agricultural machinery services. Yuanjiang, located in the Dongting Lake area, has organized several agricultural machinery repair service teams to guide farmers in maintaining, debugging, and overhauling various agricultural machinery, and has also launched subsidy policies to support the replacement of old agricultural machinery with new ones.
Comrade Zou Jiahua, an excellent member of the Communist Party of China, a long-tested loyal communist fighter, a proletarian revolutionary, an outstanding leader on China's economic construction front, national defense industry front, and socialist legal system construction, a member of the 14th Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, former Vice Premier of the State Council, and former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress, passed away due to illness in Beijing at 23:42 on February 16, 2025, at the age of 99.
As primary and secondary schools across the country successively welcome the new spring semester of 2025, various regions across China have gradually started their spring terms. Currently, 9 provinces including Beijing, Guangdong, and Hebei, along with several cities and counties like Wenzhou in Zhejiang and Zhijin in Guizhou, have issued relevant documents stipulating "one physical education class per day, two hours of physical exercise per day, and a 15-minute break during class time" for schools in the compulsory education stage. 17 Departments Launch Special Service Action for SMEs The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and 16 other departments have jointly announced that China will launch a one-year service action for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing on five aspects: policy benefits, environmental revitalization, innovation empowerment, talent promotion, and legal protection, to help enterprises reduce costs and increase efficiency. 22,000 Recruitment Events Held in 2025 "Spring Breeze Action" Since the launch of the 2025 "Spring Breeze Action" in mid-January, a total of 22,000 various recruitment events have been held nationwide, offering 15 million job opportunities. A total of 370,000 migrant workers have been transported by special buses, trains, and chartered vehicles across various regions. National Charging Infrastructure Exceeds 13 Million Units The latest data shows that the number of national charging infrastructure units has reached a new high. As of the end of January 2025, the cumulative number of charging infrastructure units nationwide was 13.213 million, a year-on-year increase of 49.1%. The construction of charging infrastructure can meet the rapid development of new energy vehicles. China to Launch Electronic Certificates for Domestic Fishing Vessels The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced that starting from March 1, 2025, China will launch electronic certificates for domestic fishing vessels, covering all four existing types of fishing vessel certificates, including fishing vessel ownership registration certificates, fishing vessel nationality certificates, and fishing permits. Jiangsu Ranks First in RCEP Visa Export Value in January In January, Nanjing Customs issued 11,300 RCEP Certificates of Origin, with an export visa value of 3.402 billion yuan, increasing by 13.14% and 11.87% year-on-year, respectively. The export visa value continued to rank first nationwide. Yulin to Xi'an Intercity Low-Altitude Logistics Route Successfully Launched Yesterday (February 16), a large drone intercity low-altitude logistics route from Yulin to Xi'an, Shaanxi, successfully completed its maiden flight. The route spans 540 kilometers, with a total flight time of less than 3 hours, saving over 70% of the time compared to traditional land transportation. Regular operations are planned, with three round trips (six flights) per week. Tianjin to Renovate 80 Pocket Parks This Year Tianjin plans to renovate 80 pocket parks this year. Currently, the preliminary preparations for the first batch of pocket parks have begun, with construction expected to start by the end of March. These pocket parks will feature fitness equipment, leisure facilities, and more, creating public ecological spaces that integrate landscape appreciation, recreational services, and cultural displays. China's Film Box Office Exceeds 20 Billion Yuan Since the Beginning of the Year According to online platform data, as of last night (February 16), China's film market's cumulative box office (including pre-sales) for 2025 has exceeded 20 billion RMB, setting a new record for the fastest time to break 20 billion RMB in China's film history. Among them, in addition to "Nezha 2" leading with over 12 billion RMB in box office, several new films such as "Detective Chinatown 1900" and "Creation of the Gods II" also achieved impressive box office results, exhibiting a "one dominant, many strong" characteristic. "Travel China with Movies" Activity Launched The "Travel China with Movies" activity, jointly organized by the National Film Administration and China Media Group, was launched today (February 17). The activity aims to seize the opportunity of the global popularity of Spring Festival blockbusters and the comprehensive relaxation and optimization of transit visa-free policies to attract more overseas tourists to China to personally experience a credible, lovable, and respectable China. Large Numbers of Migratory Birds Return to Yellow River Wuhai Section As temperatures rise, the first batch of northbound migratory birds, including thousands of ruddy shelducks and mallards, have arrived at the Yellow River's Wuhai section in Inner Mongolia these days. In recent years, Wuhai City has continuously implemented ecological environment improvement actions and strengthened water pollution control in the Yellow River basin. Annually, over 60 species and more than 100,000 migratory birds choose to stop and replenish here.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 16th that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian attacks and launched several offensives in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson directions, destroying Ukrainian tanks, armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and other equipment. Russian air defense units shot down 50 Ukrainian drones. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated on the same day that the situation on the front line was severe, and Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Russian offensive plans. Ukrainian forces also attacked areas where Russian personnel and military equipment were concentrated. According to multiple media reports, representatives from the United States and Russia will hold talks on the Ukrainian issue in Saudi Arabia on the 18th. U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Witkoff, stated on the 16th that he would travel to Saudi Arabia with U.S. National Security Advisor Waltz. Russia States It Will Defend Its Interests in Ukraine Talks In an interview released by Russian media on the 16th, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov stated that U.S. President Trump could visit Russia at any time with the mutual consent of Russia and the United States. Peskov said that the recent phone call between the Russian and U.S. presidents sent a signal of resolving issues through dialogue and wanting peace, not war. Peskov also noted that Russia would not forget how the West had deceived Russia in the past and would defend its interests in future potential talks on the Ukrainian issue. British Prime Minister Starmer stated in a newspaper article on the 16th that to maintain the security of Ukraine and Europe, the UK is prepared to send troops to Ukraine if necessary. European leaders, including Starmer, are scheduled to hold emergency talks on the Ukrainian issue and other matters in Paris, France, on the 17th.
Palestinian media reported on the 16th that early that morning, Israel used drones to launch an airstrike on a civilian gathering point in Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip, resulting in 3 deaths and multiple injuries. The Israel Defense Forces stated that earlier that day, they attacked several Palestinian armed personnel approaching Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued a statement on the 16th condemning the Israeli military for violating the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated on the 16th that the Israeli negotiating team would travel to Cairo, Egypt, on the 17th to discuss the continued implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel Confirms Receiving Batch of Heavy U.S.-Made Aerial Bombs The Israeli Ministry of Defense stated on the 16th that it had received a batch of heavy MK-84 aerial bombs provided by the United States. Israeli media reported that there were approximately 1,800 bombs in this batch. The United States is Israel's largest arms supplier. Last year, the U.S. government had suspended the shipment of heavy bombs to Israel. In January of this year, after the new U.S. administration took office, it lifted the relevant restrictions.
Divisions Highlighted: Munich Security Conference Chairman Expresses Concern over US Remarks The three-day Munich Security Conference concluded on the 16th. Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, expressed concern over the content of U.S. Vice President Vance's speech at the closing ceremony. Heusgen said that the message from the Munich Security Conference was clear: Europe is not dispensable, and today's world is increasingly multipolar, requiring adherence to the principles and foundations of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. U.S. Vice President Vance recently stated at the Munich Security Conference that the relationship between Europe and the United States is changing, while also criticizing European democracy and immigration issues. UK Announces Steel Industry Plan to Counter US Tariffs On the 16th, the UK Department for Business and Trade announced a development plan for the steel industry, including support for the domestic steel industry. The plan aims to ensure that the UK steel industry can maintain global competitiveness and respond to challenges posed by US tariffs. UK Business Secretary Reynolds stated that the US announcement of a 25% tariff on all imported steel and aluminum would increase the burden on American citizens and weaken UK-US trade relations. Earthquakes Hit New Delhi and Bihar, India The National Center for Seismology in India announced that a 4.0-magnitude earthquake occurred in India's capital New Delhi at approximately 5:35 AM local time today (February 17), with a focal depth of 5 kilometers. The earthquake was clearly felt in New Delhi and surrounding areas. Several hours later, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake occurred in Siwan district, Bihar, northern India. No casualties have been reported so far. Storms Hit Multiple US Locations, Hundreds of Thousands Without Power On the 16th, a new round of storms continued to wreak havoc across multiple locations in the United States, with strong winds and heavy rains affecting Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and other areas. According to U.S. media reports, the severe weather has caused at least 10 deaths, and over 100 million people are under severe weather warnings. As of early this morning (February 17) local time, over 400,000 users in the United States remained without power.
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