China has further broadened market access and increased private investment in major projects since the beginning of this year, creating more opportunities and greater development space for the country's private sector.
The sector, constituting more than 90 percent of enterprises in the world's second-largest economy, has forged ahead with steady expansion as the country reaffirms unswerving support for the sector's growth amid challenges and difficulties.
This year, China has launched a large number of high-quality projects in key sectors such as transportation, energy, water conservancy, new infrastructure, and urban infrastructure, with the total investment reaching approximately three trillion yuan (about 0.42 trillion U.S. dollars).
While actively attracting private investment to participate in major projects, the country also does more to remove barriers to market access at an accelerated pace.
In the latest batch of newly approved nuclear power projects by the central government, the proportion of private enterprises' equity participation has been further increased, rising from a maximum of 10 percent to 20 percent. The total investment scale of private enterprises in nuclear power has also increased by around 50 percent compared to last year.
At the same time, China has also doubled its efforts in increasing the financial support for private investment projects. Several banks in the country have approved loans exceeding one trillion yuan (about 137 billion U.S. dollars) for over 2,500 private investment projects.
"Currently, our country is accelerating the improvement of long-term mechanisms for private enterprises to participate in the construction of national major projects. We are also expediting the progress of clearing overdue payments owed to private enterprises. Furthermore, new types of policy-based financial tools will be established to help address the issue of insufficient capital for private investment project construction and boost the increasing confidence in enterprise investment," said Sheng Lei, deputy director of the Investment Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
In the first four months of this year, private investment in the manufacturing sector grew by nine percent, while private investment in infrastructure projects increased by 9.6 percent.
Private enterprises achieved a total profit of more than 570 billion yuan (about 79 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 4.3 percent increase.
China creates more development space for private sector as market access expands
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should apologize for and retreat her errouneous aggressive remarks on China's Taiwan region, as the rhetoric in her words could destabilize domestic society and harm Japan's relations with neighbors, Japanese scholars said recently.
Shinako Oyakawa, a lecturer at the Okinawa University who has long focused on security and peace issues, said that Takaichi' remarks are inflammatory, have seriously violated the spirit of Japan's pacifist constitution and caused harmful consequences for the public.
She said that Takaichi needs to issue a clear apology and formally retract her remarks.
Takaichi on November 7, 2025, made blatant and provocative remarks on Taiwan at the Diet, claiming that a Taiwan contingency could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and implying that Japan might invoke the so-called "right to collective self-defense" for armed intervention across the Taiwan Strait.
"She made such remarks in parliament, the kind of rhetoric commonly used by the 'internet right wing,' sounding exactly like what people in that circle would say. Such remarks give the impression that they are ready to go to the battlefield, even willing to start a war. This kind of rhetoric is extremely dangerous," said Oyakawa.
Oyakawa said that the remarks have caused significant losses and both ruling and opposition parties have oversimplified the issue.
"The remarks have already caused significant damage in various aspects. The relevant figures are still being tallied, and the extent of the damage is truly unimaginable. Both the ruling and opposition parties have oversimplified the issue; or, their attitudes have been ambiguous, out of fear of facing it. However, this is not an issue that can be easily glossed over. She must issue a clear apology and formally retract her remarks," Oyakawa said.
Japan's history education has long avoided or distorted accounts of its wars of aggression launched by Japan against Asian neighbors, leaving few with a true understanding of historical facts. This, Oyakawa said, has further accelerated the overall rightward shift in Japanese society.
"As the number of war survivors dwindles, the practice of distorting history in Japan is becoming increasingly rampant. Almost no one knows about the suffering endured by our Asian neighbors. What the Japanese exactly did abroad and what war responsibility Japan bears are completely absent from textbooks," said Oyakawa.
As an Okinawan, Oyakawa said she strongly feels the government's military buildup has brought fear and anxiety to residents.
"Fighter jets and helicopters fly overhead everyday, and the roar of military aircraft becomes routine. On average, Okinawa experiences several plane crashes or incidents of falling parts each year. The militarization of Okinawa is escalating, bringing fear and unease to residents. I think that this situation must be stopped from further worsening," said Oyakawa.
Koichi Nakano, professor of political science at Sophia University, also criticized Takaichi's leadership, saying her team showed little consideration for relations with China and her remarks damage Japan-China relations and undermine Japan's own economic and social stability.
Nakano also said that Japanese society faces a serious problem, as awareness about and reflection on Japan's wartime aggression continue to fade. He stressed that only by facing up to history and engaging with neighboring countries on equal terms can Japan lay the groundwork for rebuilding ties with China.
"Japan's biggest problem is that the recognition of history with China is gradually fading. The sentiment of reflecting on the aggression history and apologizing for it has not been fully passed down between generations. More and more people are unaware of the historical facts, believing that 'that's all in the past' and that no further apology or remorse is necessary. This is an extremely serious issue. (The Japanese government should) build friendly relations on an equal footing, conduct objective and accurate mutual evaluations of the past and present, and rebuild bilateral relations," said Nakano.
Japanese prime minister should apologize, retract erroneous remarks on Taiwan: Japanese scholars
