They are meant to ensure that he or she does not evade taxes, produce sub-standard goods, or otherwise break the law. He and his managers, he stresses, make all the decisions in the company. Even if the debate ends with a ruling that strips him of his party membership, Hu Gang says he won't be greatly bothered. If you say I can't be a party member, I don't feel anything in particular. Discrimination against the private sector has eased in the last two years.
Private companies can now get bank loans more easily.
They can also list openly on China's stock exchanges. Newland Computer listed in August last year, soon after the policy changed to accommodate private businesses. But the party's lingering suspicion toward the private economy still keeps private businesses out of lucrative sectors that the party deems strategically sensitive. Hu Gang is outraged that as part of its WTO agreement with the United States, China agreed to allow foreign companies to invest in its telecoms companies, while it still prohibits Chinese private businesses from doing the same. The likely outcome of the debate is unclear.