The 13th Standing Committee of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) held its third meeting in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province, from Aug 11 to 13. The meeting focused on thoroughly studying and implementing the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. It also discussed implementation measures for federations of industry and commerce at all levels, and prioritized work for the time ahead. 

Gao Yunlong, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the ACFIC, addressed the meeting. 

Gao said the ACFIC has made significant efforts and achieved notable results in promoting the high-quality development of the private sector and fostering the healthy growth of the non-public sector and people engaged in the sector year-to-date. The guidance of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on promoting the private economy has yielded notable results, he added. 

Gao stressed that the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee reaffirmed the importance of upholding and implementing the "two unwaverings" – unwaveringly consolidating and supporting the public economy and unwaveringly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public economy in China’s economic reform and development, facilitating the common development for all economic sectors, fostering a favorable environment for the non-public sector, and improving the related work mechanisms. These moves will greatly stimulate the potential for high-quality development in the private sector, he added. 

Gao called on federations of industry and commerce at all levels to steadfastly uphold reform and opening-up, effectively implement the CPC Central Committee's decisions, work to refine the mechanism that promotes services for the non-public sector and people engaged in non-public businesses, and enhance the efficiency of the federations of industry and commerce. 

More efforts should be made to optimize the service system to inspire innovation and reform in the private sector, he said, adding that improvements in organization, deeper reform of affiliated chambers of commerce, and comprehensive enhancement of the quality of officials and organizational efficiency are also needed to better serve the broader reform agenda. 

A series of events were held on the sidelines of the meeting, including a conference calling for leading private enterprises across the country to promote Jilin's comprehensive revitalization.