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China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector

China

China

China

China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector

2025-03-31 14:22 Last Updated At:04-01 13:57

The Party chief of central China's Hunan Province has reiterated the province's commitment to creating a fair, transparent and predictable business environment for private enterprises, as part of efforts to make private entrepreneurs feel more confident in the market.

In an exclusive interview with China Media Group, Shen Xiaoming, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hunan Provincial Committee, laid out a series of targeted reforms aimed at supporting private businesses.

Hunan will earnestly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at a symposium on private enterprises by focusing on improving the precision and effectiveness of its policies, introducing practical and effective measures to ease the burden on private companies and unleash their development potential, he said.

"General Secretary Xi's speech at the symposium sent a strong and consistent signal that the Party and the state care about, value, and support the development of the private economy. The key to promote private sector growth lies in creating a healthy business environment. We will roll out targeted, impactful policies and abolish outdated regulations that hinder private enterprises," said Shen.

To further reduce operational costs, Hunan is launching various initiatives, while exploring a one-stop mechanism for handling company feedback. Shen highlighted the province's dual focus on reducing energy and logistics costs.

"We're working toward two major cost reductions. First, lowering energy costs by increasing electricity imports into Hunan, so enterprises can access cheaper power. Second, cutting logistics costs by promoting multimodal transportation and optimizing the overall logistics network to bring down total social logistics expenses," said Shen.

In 2025, Hunan also aims to build a fairer business environment through deepened administrative reforms. The province is pushing for fully digital, transparent, and traceable government services, while using big data to eliminate hidden barriers to market access.

"We're accelerating the creation of a unified digital platform for public resource transactions. Private enterprises will be treated equally in government procurement and public project bidding. Improving the business environment is an ongoing endeavor rather than a task to be completed. We will continue to act on the general secretary's message, helping private businesses better grow with greater confidence," said Shen.

China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector

China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector

China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector

China's Hunan vows more reform efforts to boost confidence in private sector

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia is fully prepared and willing to negotiate with Ukraine at a U.S. military facility in Anchorage, Alaska, while his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting.

Putin noted that Russia is ready to accept those compromises discussed by the Russian and U.S. leaders during their Anchorage meeting last August, but stressed that Ukraine must also consent, and then the conflict will quickly come to a natural conclusion.

Ukraine has previously rejected the Anchorage framework, as it calls for Ukraine to cede territory.

Russia's Presidential Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev said at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday that despite efforts by forces seeking to prolong the war to disrupt talks between Russia and the U.S., bilateral engagement on Ukraine has made substantive progress.

Dmitriev dismissed reports that Russia-U.S. contacts have stalled, accusing other European nations of spreading disinformation to hinder the peace process.

Dmitriev also said that on Wednesday he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and discussed bilateral economic cooperation.

He said the U.S. side had underscored the need to embrace peace rather than engage in constant provocations and confrontations.

The U.S. has been pushing for peace and Ukraine should join the process, Dmitriev noted, adding there were plans for further contacts with Witkoff and Kushner next week.

Later on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Putin, proposing to end the conflict through direct talks between the two leaders.

Relevant parties, including European countries and the U.S., should be part of the peace negotiations, the letter stated.

Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire during the talks and proposes an exchange of prisoners of war on the principle of "all for all," Zelensky also said in the letter.

Russia ready to talk with Ukraine at U.S. military base: Putin

Russia ready to talk with Ukraine at U.S. military base: Putin

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