With the economy slowing, China has been looking to its 150,000 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to promote market-based reform, which remains a tough nut to crack.

On May 16 at a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, General Secretary Xi Jinping of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) called for "unswerving efforts" to advance supply-side structural reform, reiterating that the reform of SOEs is a very important part of this.

On May 18, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang presided over an executive meeting of the State Council, emphasizing that centrally-administered SOEs should streamline their corporate structures and raise efficiency to become more competitive.

On May 20, Xi chaired a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform and once again called for the reform of SOEs, urging departments to identify problems and come up with effective approaches to them. [More]

Liu Yunshan (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with European delegates attending the 5th China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum in Beijing, May 17.

Delegates from over 30 political parties of 24 European countries and representatives from the European Parliament met with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing on May 17-18 to attend the 5th China-Europe High Level Political Parties Forum, an occasion to strengthen interparty relations and explore cooperation opportunities arising from the China-proposed "Belt and Road” initiative and green development.

Current Sino-European relations are marked by improved quality and enhanced effectiveness, as both sides are actively constructing a partnership for the continuous promotion of peace, growth, reform and civilization, while exploring the most suitable ways to develop. [More]

Xie Fuzhan, Party chief of the Henan Province (R1, front) walks with principal delegate of the 5th China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum to enter the venue on May 19.

Political party delegates from more than 24 European countries visited Zhengzhou, capital city of central China’s Henan Province, on May 19-20.

They discussed economic, technological and cultural cooperation with officials and company CEOs in Henan Province at the China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum for Economic & Trade Dialogue held in Zhengzhou.

The dialogue is part of the 5th China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum. [More]

Wei Chenggang, a member of the Communist Party of China, was born in 1973 into an ethnic Miao family in Tongxin Village, Guizhou Province in southwest China. His parents were both physically challenged and unable to do heavy work, so during Wei’s childhood, the local government and local villagers assisted him greatly.

Due to this experience, Wei has always felt that he owes something to the village. When he grew up, no matter what job he did, he has never forgotten to help other people. [More]

Nobel Prize laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz once named urbanization in China and the new technical revolution led by the United States as the two great events shaping the world of the 21st century.

According to a report compiled by the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning body, over 56 percent of China's population lived in cities in 2015, and its urban population will grow to more than 900 million by 2030, becoming three times larger than the total population of the United States. [More]

Development for global progress:

The fourth component of the conceptual framework for development, development for global progress focuses on interactions between China and the rest of the world. (More>>)

Made in China 2025:

On May 8, 2015, China's State Council unveiled its first 10-year national plan for transforming China's manufacturing, entitled "Made in China 2025". (More>>)

May 5: Pragmatic cooperation urged between China, Russia

Chinese President Xi met with Sergei Naryshkin, head of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament in Beijing.

May 11: China, Morocco establish strategic partnership

Chinese President Xi and King Mohammed VI of Morocco signed a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership between the two countries.

May 12: Gov't launches US$700b plan to improve infrastructure

A three-year action plan to improve the country's infrastructure has been formally launched, with a total investment of 4.7 trillion yuan.

May 17: China pledges to advance cooperation with Afghanistan

Chinese President Xi met with Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, vowing to work with Afghanistan to promote a strategic partnership of cooperation.

May 19: China, Mozambique lift bilateral ties

Chinese President Xi and his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, decided to lift the relationship between the two countries to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

May 23-25: Xi stresses economic restructuring in northeast tour

President Xi Jinping pledged firm action on economic restructuring during a three-day inspection tour of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, traditionally a center of heavy industry.

May 27: China, India pledge to boost partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.