State-owned enterprises of China in the context of "Government of the People's Republic of China"

The People's Republic of China has a developing mixed socialist market economy, incorporating industrial policies and strategic five-year plans. China has the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP and since 2016 has been the world's largest economy when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). China accounted for 19% of the global economy in 2022 in PPP terms, and around 18% in nominal terms in 2022. The economy consists of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and mixed-ownership enterprises, as well as a large domestic private sector which contribute approximately 60% of the GDP, 80% of urban employment and 90% of new jobs.

China is the world's largest manufacturing industrial economy and exporter of goods. China is widely regarded as the "powerhouse of manufacturing", "the factory of the world" and the world's "manufacturing superpower". Its production exceeds that of the nine next largest manufacturers combined. However, exports as a percentage of GDP have steadily dropped to just around 20%, reflecting its decreasing importance to the Chinese economy. Nevertheless, it remains the largest trading nation in the world and plays a prominent role in international trade. Manufacturing has been transitioning toward high-tech industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, telecommunications and IT equipment, and services has also grown as a percentage of GDP. However, recent research indicates that China’s Total factor productivity (TFP) growth has slowed significantly. IMF estimates show that TFP growth declined from approximately 3.7% in the 2000s to around 1.9% during 2010–2019. Structural reforms and technological progress in manufacturing between 2010 and 2020 contributed only modestly to productivity gains. Additionally, a 2024–2025 IMF working paper finds that factor misallocation resulting from industrial and regulatory policies implemented since the early 2010s reduces China’s aggregate TFP by roughly 1.2% annually. IMF research suggests that while China’s state-led push for high-tech self-reliance since 2013 has supported rapid innovation, it has been accompanied by efficiency losses. Policy measures, including targeted state subsidies appear to favor politically connected firms, crowd out competition, and lead to overcapacity, undermining overall productivity. China is the world's largest high technology exporter. As of 2023, the country spends around 2.6% of GDP to advance research and development across various sectors of the economy. It is also the world's second-largest importer of goods. China is a net importer of services products.

The socialist market economy (SME) is the economic system and model of economic development employed in the People's Republic of China. The system is a market economy with the predominance of public ownership and state-owned enterprises. The term "socialist market economy" was introduced by Jiang Zemin during the 14th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1992 to describe the goal of China's economic reforms.

Originating in the Chinese economic reforms initiated in 1978 that integrated China into the global market economy, the socialist market economy represents a preliminary or "primary stage" of developing socialism. Some commentators describe the system as a form of "state capitalism", while others describe it as an original evolution of Marxism, in line with Marxism–Leninism similar to the "New Economic Policy" of the Soviet Union, adapted to the cohabitation with a globalized capitalist system.

The 2008–09 Chinese economic stimulus plan (simplified Chinese: 扩大内需十项措施; traditional Chinese: 擴大內需十項措施; pinyin: Kuòdà Nèixū Shíxiàng Cuòshī) was a RMB¥ 4 trillion (US$586 billion) stimulus package aiming to minimize the impact of the Great Recession on the economy of China. It was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China on 9 November 2008. The economic stimulus plan was seen as a success: While China's economic growth fell to almost 6% by the end of 2008, it had recovered to over 10% by in mid-2009. Critics of China's stimulus package have blamed it for causing a surge in Chinese debt since 2009, particularly among local governments and state-owned enterprises. The World Bank subsequently went on to recommend similar public works spending campaigns to western governments experiencing the effects of the Great Recession, but the US and EU instead decided to pursue long-term policies of quantitative easing.

The industrial sector comprised 36.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the People's Republic of China in 2024. China is the world's leading manufacturer of chemical fertilizers, cement and steel. Prior to 1978, most output was produced by state-owned enterprises. As a result of the economic reforms that followed, there was a significant increase in production by enterprises sponsored by local governments, especially townships and villages, and, increasingly, by private entrepreneurs and foreign investors, but by 1990 the state sector accounted for about 70 percent of output. By 2002 the share in gross industrial output by state-owned and state-holding industries had decreased with the state-run enterprises themselves accounting for 46 percent of China's industrial output. In November, 2012 the State Council mandated a "social risk assessment" for all major industrial projects. This requirement followed mass public protests in some locations for planned projects or expansions.

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., doing business as China Railway (CR), is the state-owned rail transport operator and rail infrastructure manager in Mainland China.

China Railway is recognized as one of the largest rail operators in the world in terms of both network size and passenger volume. The company has played a pivotal role in China's economic development, enabling mass mobility and freight transport across urban and rural regions. Its network integrates high-speed, conventional, and freight services, making it a cornerstone of China's domestic logistics and transportation infrastructure.