The Reform of State-Owned Enterprises
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are the pillars of China's economy. They serve as important material and political foundations for Chinese socialism, and a guarantor of CPC governance. They play an important role in advancing socialist productive forces and realizing industrialization and modernization.
Due to supporting heavy social burdens and overmanning, the SOEs at one point sank into a very difficult state, which weakened them in comparison to booming private enterprises. To push SOE reform forward, various policies were adopted under different conditions at different times.
For instance, in the 1990s, the SOEs focused on transforming their management, separating enterprise management from government administration, adopting new systems and making strategic adjustments. At that time, SOE reform was one of the main tasks in China's economic reform.
In January 1997, a State Council meeting proposed that SOEs downsize to increase efficiency, redirect laid-off workers, follow bankruptcy procedures and seek merger opportunities. The meeting announced bankruptcies and mergers among SOEs in 110 pilot cities. The following year, the State Economic and Trade Commission urged the SOEs to accelerate reform so that large and medium-sized loss-making enterprises could address their problems through reorganized and reinforced management, and establish a modern corporate system by the end of the 20th century. The 15th CPC Central Committee rolled out objectives and guidelines for SOE reform and development in a decision taken at its fourth plenary session in September 1999.
Through three years of reform, the SOEs found their burdens eased and their losses turned into profits. The stronger ones prospered and the weaker ones fell by the wayside. They have maintained an ongoing commitment to reform ever since.
Since 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core has devised further plans and policies on SOE reform, focusing on top-level design and a holistic approach, and the SOEs have made impressive progress. In September 2015, the central authorities released a decision on further SOE reform. Under this guideline, a policy framework set the direction with specific goals for the reform. In June 2020, the Central Commission on Further Reform rolled out a three-year action plan (2020-2022) to guide SOE reform.
Through years of reform, the SOEs have on the whole adapted well to the market economy, become more efficient and provided better quality, making a great contribution to China's economic and social development and composite national strength.
国有企业改革
国有企业是中国国民经济的支柱，是中国特色社会主义的重要物质基础和政治基础，是中国共产党执政兴国的重要支柱和依靠力量。发展社会主义社会的生产力，实现国家的工业化和现代化，始终要依靠和发挥国有企业的重要作用。
由于社会负担重、历史包袱多、企业冗员严重等诸多问题的困扰，与蓬勃发展的民营企业相比，国有企业一度陷入举步维艰的境地。中共中央、国务院在不同历史时期，针对中国国情和国有企业实际，采取了一系列措施，不断将国有企业改革向纵深推进。进入20世纪90年代，国有企业改革在前期改革基础上，朝着转换机制、政企分开、制度创新、战略调整的方向迈进。国有企业改革成为中国经济体制改革的中心环节。
1997年1月，国务院召开会议提出，解决国有企业的困难，要坚持走减员增效、下岗分流、规范破产、鼓励兼并的路子，并宣布对110个试点城市的国有企业破产、兼并的政策。1998年5月，国家经济贸易委员会印发《关于1998年国有企业改革和发展工作的意见》，提出加快国有企业改革和发展是1998年至2000年经济体制改革的中心环节和重要任务，即通过改革、改组、改造和加强管理，使大多数国有大中型亏损企业摆脱困境，力争到20世纪末使大多数国有大中型骨干企业初步建立起现代企业制度。1999年9月，中共十五届四中全会通过《关于国有企业改革和发展若干重大问题的决定》，提出国有企业改革和发展的主要目标和指导方针。经过3年攻坚，国有企业负担有所减轻，国企优胜劣汰得以促进，整体实现了扭亏为盈。此后，国有企业从未停止过改革的步伐。
中共十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的中共中央亲自谋划、部署和推动国有企业改革，更加注重改革的顶层设计，更加注重改革的系统性、整体性和协同性，国有企业改革取得新的重大进展和历史性成就。2015年9月，中共中央、国务院印发《关于深化国有企业改革的指导意见》，并以此为统领，以若干配套文件为支撑，形成了国企改革的“1+N”政策体系，有力保证了国企改革有方向、有目标、有遵循。2020年6月，中央全面深化改革委员会第十四次会议审议通过《国企改革三年行动方案（2020—2022年）》，对新发展阶段深化国企改革作出重要部署。
通过持续多年的改革，中国的国有企业总体上已经同市场经济相融合，发展质量和效率明显提高，为推动中国的经济社会发展和提升综合国力作出重大贡献。
