Hosted by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), and supported by the Supreme People's Court (SPC), the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the China Law Society (CLS), the fifth Summit on Rule of Law Construction in the Private Economy was held in Beijing on July 31. 

Zhang Jun, president of the SPC; Ying Yong, procurator-general of the SPP; Gao Yunlong, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the ACFIC; Minister of Justice He Rong; Vice-Minister of Public Security Xu Datong; and Vice-chairman of the CLS Zhang Mingqi delivered keynote speeches at the event. Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the ACFIC Xu Lejiang hosted the summit.

The event aimed to pool efforts to implement the guideline on boosting the growth of the private economy, which was recently issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, and to jointly foster a market-oriented and law-based business environment in keeping with international standards, support private enterprises through the rule of law, as well as stabilize economic expectations, bolster confidence in the economy and promote economic growth. 

Zhang Jun said that in recent years, people's courts have striven to fulfill their political, legal and judicial responsibilities in safeguarding the development of the private economy. Efforts were made to achieve thorough protection according to the law by sorting out backlog of cases involving enterprises and promoting good faith spirit and the spirit of contract, in order to stabilize market expectations and boost development confidence with the certainty of the rule of law. Comprehensive and equal protection was rendered with the judicial spirit of awarding honest operation, punishing dishonest and illegal activities and supporting those who suffer temporary hardships, so that the development momentum of the private economy can be fully released, according to Zhang. Equal emphasis was given on crime crackdown and corporate governance by deepening the compliance reform of enterprises involved, facilitating the development of the private economy, he said.

Ying pointed out that the key for judicial organs to serve the development of private enterprises is to handle cases strictly in accordance with the law, administer justice fairly, and truly treat all types of market entities equally. In recent years, procuratorial organs have performed legal supervision functions in accordance with the law, and have continued to carry out practical procuratorial work to benefit enterprises, such as clearing up pending criminal cases involving enterprises, exploring pilot compliance reforms of enterprises involved, and striving to create a law-based business environment for the development of private enterprises, he said. Procuratorial organs will punish and prevent crimes committed by corporate insiders, continue to deepen compliance reform of enterprises involved, strengthen comprehensive judicial protection of intellectual property rights, step up the supervision over related litigation activities and coercive criminal measures related to property rights, and handle enterprise-related complaints and appeals in accordance with the law to effectively safeguard judicial justice, equally protect the property rights of private enterprises and the legitimate rights and interests of entrepreneurs, he added.

Gao highlighted the importance of implementing the guiding principles of the CPC's 20th National Congress and urged the federations of industry and commerce, chambers of commerce, and private entrepreneurs to play their part in law-based development of the private economy, and to innovate new communication mechanisms to work with judicial organs, in a bid to safeguard the private economy and see it grow towards a broader arena with quality legal services. 

He Rong said that the MOJ will strive for equal protection in accordance with the law, carry out targeted supervision, strengthen its supervision of enterprise-related administrative law enforcement, make enterprise-related administrative review more accessible, promote strict, standardized, fair and civilized law enforcement, and provide professional, accurate, convenient and efficient legal services for the development of private enterprises, and the high-quality development of the private economy.

Xu Datong introduced the progress achieved by public security organs nationwide since last year in cracking down on prominent crimes, adhering to the principle of strict, fair and civilized law enforcement, and persisting in deepening the reform of public security administration and services. They will resolutely crack down on illegal and criminal activities that disrupt the normal production and operation order of enterprises, continuously improve the level and credibility of law enforcement, continue to optimize the development environment of private enterprises, and provide better services for the high-quality development of the private economy, he said.

Zhang Mingqi pledged that the CLS will fully tap its role as a think tank on legal affairs, strengthen research on major theoretical and practical topics concerning the healthy development of the private economy, do a good job in legal counselling and dispute resolution and prevention for private enterprises, in a bid to continuously optimize the business environment for the private sector to pursue high-quality development.

Xu Lejiang called on the ACFIC to deepen coordination with judicial organs to form a joint force to safeguard the development of the private economy.

Held at the main venue in Beijing, the summit was attended by representatives at the provincial level at sub-venues around the country and those at city and county levels online. The summit showcased ten projects dedicated to safeguarding the development of the private economy, and released typical cases on the protection of the property rights of private enterprises and the rights and interests of private entrepreneurs.