Highlights

• Baogang Group demonstrates deep Communist Party involvement in corporate governance, ensuring business strategies align with national strategic goals.
• The meeting emphasizes strengthening Party control, implementing government policies, and fostering collaboration between state-owned and private enterprises.
• China's approach reflects preparation for potential economic challenges, focusing on self-reliance and strategic control of critical industries like rare earths.

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On February 26, Baogang Group’s Communist Party Committee held its 6th meeting of 2025 in Meeting Room 812 of the Information Building. The meeting focused on studying and implementing President Xi Jinping's recent key speeches and articles, conveying relevant directives from higher authorities, and organizing the execution of these policies. Party Secretary and Chairman Meng Fanying chaired the meeting, which was attended by Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager Li Xiao, among others.

The first agenda item was the study of Xi Jinping’s article "Improving the Comprehensive and Strict Party Governance System," published in Qiushi magazine. It also included key messages from his speech at a private enterprise symposium and his February 24 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting discussed the implementation of these directives within the company.

The meeting emphasized the importance of understanding and integrating Xi Jinping’s guidance into Baogang’s operations. It called for strengthening the Party’s role in corporate governance by enhancing organizational, educational, regulatory, and accountability systems to support high-quality development. It also stressed adherence to the principle of supporting both state-owned and private enterprises equally, ensuring fair access to resources and market competition, and fostering cooperation between private and state-owned enterprises. Additionally, the meeting covered national and regional government directives on state-owned assets, corporate reform, and Party work, calling for the integration of these policies into Baogang’s operational plans and performance evaluations.

So What’s Going on?

Baogang Group, one of China's largest rare earth and steel companies, is aligning itself with President Xi Jinping’s directives. The key takeaway is that the Communist Party is deeply involved in the company's governance, ensuring its business operations align with national strategic objectives. The meeting focused on reinforcing Party control, implementing new government policies, and ensuring corporate reforms align with Beijing’s broader economic and geopolitical strategy.

One significant aspect is the emphasis on private-sector collaboration. While Baogang is a state-owned enterprise, the message suggests that China wants to foster stronger ties between state-owned giants and private firms, likely to improve efficiency and global competitiveness in key industries like rare earths. The mention of fair access to resources could reassure China’s private enterprises that they will not be sidelined, particularly as the economy faces pressures from Western trade restrictions and domestic slowdowns.

Why is the Communist Party Involved?

In China, major industries—especially strategic ones like rare earths—operate under strict Party oversight. The Party ensures that businesses serve national interests, including technological self-sufficiency, economic stability, and geopolitical strategy. By integrating Party governance into corporate decision-making, the government prevents excessive market-driven risks and ensures long-term alignment with state policies.

This meeting reinforces the Party’s role in shaping corporate strategies, particularly through the lens of "comprehensive and strict Party governance." This means that even in areas like market competition and business operations, the Party dictates overarching objectives—such as ensuring national security, supporting domestic industries, and controlling critical supply chains.

How This Could Be a Response to the West

This meeting, especially its focus on Party control and economic self-reliance, could be seen as a reaction to Western policies restricting China’s access to advanced technologies and minerals. By strengthening internal coordination and state-enterprise partnerships, China is likely preparing for more decoupling scenarios where it must sustain domestic production despite Western restrictions on rare earth trade and technology access.

The discussion of Xi’s call with Putin is particularly telling. This highlights China’s strategic alignment with Russia, possibly in response to U.S.-led efforts to secure alternative rare earth supplies outside of China. By reinforcing Party oversight in state-owned enterprises like Baogang, China ensures that its rare earth industry remains tightly controlled and protected against potential Western economic countermeasures.

In summary, this meeting signals that China is consolidating control over its critical resource industries, ensuring they align with national security objectives, and preparing for a more competitive, self-sufficient position in the global rare earth supply chain.