Published by ChinaMNC · Xianggelila

What a High-Level Beijing Commemoration Signals for Foreign Founders Building in China

A leadership speech marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March restates China's policy priorities, including high-quality development, security coordination and Party leadership. Here is what foreign founders should take from the official account.

Why a Historical Commemoration Belongs on a Founder's Radar

Foreign founders scanning Chinese government websites for business-relevant signals usually look for tax circulars, registration rules or industry catalogues. Occasionally, however, a high-level political event carries useful context for how policy priorities will be framed in the months ahead. The official account of the October 22 commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March, published on the Yunnan provincial government portal and sourced from Xinhua, is one such item.

The event was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, state president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered the keynote speech. Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended; Zhao Leji presided. According to the report, roughly 3,000 people took part, including central and municipal officials, representatives of democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, non-party figures, veterans' representatives, military personnel and residents of the capital.

What the Speech Says About the Road Ahead

Historical framing

The speech recounted the Long March between October 1934 and October 1936, describing the Red Army's First, Second and Fourth Front Armies and the 25th Army moving through more than ten provinces over some 25,000 li, breaking enemy encirclement and completing a strategic transfer northward to resist Japanese aggression. Xi attributed the victory to correct Party leadership, firm revolutionary conviction, an independent and pragmatic approach, and public support.

The current agenda

More relevant for founders is the section on the present. Xi described the post-18th Party Congress period as a new era and said the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects had been met on schedule. He said the country is now working toward the second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country and advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

He set out five “musts” for the new journey:

• Stay rooted in the people: uphold the Party's ideals, convictions and purpose, and rely on the public to create new achievements.
• Pursue high-quality development: meet growing public needs, coordinate the “Five-Sphere Integrated Plan” and the “Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy,” seek qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth in the economy, and promote common prosperity.
• Balance development and security: take on challenges with historical initiative, overcome difficulties, address risks and meet threats.
• Build a world-class military: maintain absolute Party leadership over the armed forces, reach the centenary goal for the military and modernize national defense.
• Strengthen Party leadership and discipline: continue full and rigorous Party self-governance and self-renewal.

Reading the Signals as an Operator

Foreign founders should treat this as background context rather than a regulatory document. No new registration procedure, tax rule or investment catalogue is announced here. Still, a few themes are worth noting when planning.

High-quality development remains the headline economic phrase. The emphasis on qualitative improvement alongside reasonable quantitative growth suggests continued attention to industrial upgrading and efficiency rather than pure scale. Founders positioning products or services in advanced manufacturing, digital services or green transition areas will recognize the vocabulary.

Security is paired with development. The explicit call to coordinate the two is a reminder that compliance, data handling and risk management deserve early attention in any China market entry plan, alongside commercial strategy.

Common prosperity and public needs feature explicitly. Consumer-facing ventures may find it useful to frame their value proposition around broad access and affordability, consistent with the stated direction.

Party leadership is presented as the organizing principle. For practical purposes, this means policy continuity comes from the top, and local implementation follows central signals. Founders should monitor official channels rather than rely on informal interpretation.

Practical Steps for Founders

Nothing in the report changes the mechanics of setting up a business in China. Foreign founders still need to choose a legal vehicle such as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise or a joint venture, secure a registered address, complete market-entity registration and handle tax, banking and foreign-exchange formalities. Sector-specific licensing may apply. The commemoration does not alter these steps.

What it does offer is a reminder of how official priorities are communicated. A useful habit is to read leadership speeches for recurring phrases, then check whether those phrases appear in local government work reports, industrial plans or incentive policies in the city where you intend to operate. Consistent language across levels of government often precedes concrete measures.

Zhao Leji, who presided, said the speech reviewed the Long March, summarized its significance, explained the reasons for its success and set out the five requirements, describing the address as politically, ideologically and practically instructive and calling for its study and implementation. For a foreign audience, the operative takeaway is to watch how the five themes are translated into local policy.

Founders should also keep perspective. A commemorative event is not a business forecast. It does not set out market access rules, foreign investment negative lists or tax incentives. Decisions on entity structure, capital flow and hiring should be based on the specific regulations and local guidance that apply to your sector, ideally with professional advice.

Bottom Line

The October 22 commemoration restated China's long-term goals and the principles guiding the current phase: high-quality development, coordinated development and security, a modernized military, and continued Party leadership and discipline. For foreign founders, the practical value lies in understanding the vocabulary of official priorities so that local policy signals are easier to interpret as they emerge.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.