The Research Institute of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Conducts a Research Visit to BAIC Group's Huaxia Travel Co., Ltd.

To thoroughly implement and fulfill the Central Committee’s deployments regarding the "dual integration and dual promotion" ^[1] of Party building and business operations, and to deeply summarize the successful experiences of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in this regard, a delegation from the Research Office for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics at the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) traveled to Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) Huaxia Travel Co., Ltd. The delegation conducted a research activity themed "The 'Dual Integration and Dual Promotion' of Party Building and Business." On the afternoon of August 5, 2022, members of the Research Office held a symposion on "The Integration of Party Affairs and Industry" with key leadership from Huaxia Travel Co., Ltd.

Participants from the Research Office for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics included Shen Yang, Qin Yicheng, Meng Qingyou, and Yang Binbin. Participants from Huaxia Travel included Xiao Xiao, Party Committee Secretary and Chairman; Li Xiaolong, Deputy Party Committee Secretary and General Manager; Chang Yijun, Deputy Party Committee Secretary, Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Chairman of the Labor Union; Chen Ji, Party Committee Member and Assistant General Manager; Wang Zhenkun, Director of the Management Department; and Li Wanghong, Deputy General Manager (Acting) of Beijing Travel.

Shen Yang, Director of the Research Office for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, introduced the general status of the Institute, the Department of Sinicization of Marxism Research, and the Research Office itself. He outlined the origins, objectives, and significance of this research activity while providing a detailed exposition on the theory of Party building and the integration of grassroots Party branch construction with business operations. Shen stated that this research visit marks a positive beginning for further cooperation. In the next stage, both parties will engage in in-depth collaboration on topics such as "dual integration and dual promotion" in grassroots Party building, the dissemination of Party theory, joint grassroots Party construction, and the exchange of research on the integration of Party affairs and industry. Together, they aim to achieve new results in the theoretical development of the Party's grassroots construction, the execution of Party affairs, and their deep integration with business.

Xiao Xiao, Party Committee Secretary and Chairman of Huaxia Travel, introduced the background of BAIC Group and Huaxia Travel. Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC Group) is a backbone enterprise of the Chinese automotive industry. Founded in 1958, it has developed into a large-scale state-owned automotive enterprise group covering the R&D and manufacturing of complete vehicles and components, automotive service trade, integrated travel services, finance, and investment. Huaxia Travel Co., Ltd. was established in 2017 as a symbol of BAIC Group’s transformation from a traditional manufacturing enterprise to a manufacturing-service and innovative enterprise. It carries the strategic responsibility of BAIC Group’s "2.0 transformation" and represents the Group’s robust deployment in the field of car-sharing. Using the Party building practices of Huaxia Travel as a real-world case study to analyze the primary issues currently existing in SOE Party building holds significant reference value for deepening theoretical and policy research on the subject.

Subsequently, the two parties held a symposium to engage in an extensive and in-depth discussion on "the integration of Party affairs and industry" within SOEs. Members of the Research Office shared their personal insights on the issue. It was deeply recognized that since the 18th Party Congress, the Party has attached great importance to Party building in SOEs; fundamentally, this is determined by the nature, status, and role of state-owned enterprises. As Xi Jinping emphasized in his speech at the National Conference on Party Building in State-Owned Enterprises, we must strengthen and improve the Party's leadership over SOEs and enhance Party building within them. This ensures that SOEs become the most reliable pillar for the Party and the state; a vital force for resolutely implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee; a vital force for implementing the new development philosophy and comprehensively deepening reform; a vital force for implementing the "going out" strategy and the "Belt and Road" Initiative; a vital force for strengthening comprehensive national strength, promoting economic and social development, and ensuring and improving people's livelihoods; and a vital force for our Party to achieve victory in the great struggle with many new historical features ^[2]. Through the symposium, we fully recognized the necessity and importance of strengthening Party building in SOEs, and the need to correctly handle the relationships between the Party's leadership and Party building, between the Party's leadership and corporate governance, and between Party building and business development.

The "dual integration and dual promotion" of Party building and business is both an important theoretical and practical subject. To effectively demonstrate the unique advantage of SOEs—upholding the Party's leadership and strengthening Party building—we must ensure that Party building and business operations are planned, deployed, implemented, and evaluated together, thereby avoiding the "two layers of skin" ^[3] (decoupling) between the two. By taking all factors into account, we can achieve the coordinated and integrated advancement of Party building and business. Party building should be carried out in close connection with business operations, giving full play to the leading role of Party building, the role of Party branches as "fighting fortresses," and the exemplary vanguard role of Party members to promote high-quality development. Conversely, business development results should be used to test the effectiveness of Party building, achieving a state where Party building and business operations converge in the same direction and merge deeply. Through this session, the two sides reached a consensus on several issues regarding SOE Party building and planned further collaborative research projects.