Wang Huning's United Front Work on Private Enterprises, Xi Jinping Challenges Trump

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently held a United Front meeting with private enterprises. On the left is Wang Huning, and on the right is Xi Jinping. (Qing Yu / People News illustration)

[People News] Q: Why is Wang Huning presiding over Xi Jinping’s symposium with private enterprises?

A: There are two reasons:

1. Wang Huning is in charge of the United Front Work, and private enterprises are not considered part of the CCP's inner circle—at most, they are a middle force and a target of the United Front. Thus, it aligns with the division of responsibilities among the Politburo Standing Committee for Wang to preside over the meeting.

2. Li Qiang and Cai Qi were unwilling to host the meeting, arguing that it was too important and should be chaired by the "Boss" (Xi Jinping) himself, as they did not want to steal his spotlight. In the end, Xi still let Wang Huning preside.

Among the top leadership, Li Qiang is the main advocate for private enterprises. He has an affinity for Jack Ma, stemming from Zhejiang’s strong business traditions and his role as Premier. As long as he is not as incompetent as Li Peng, he is bound to support the private sector. Without private enterprises, the Premier—who is responsible for the economy—would be completely powerless. If the economy collapses, the Premier would be the first to be blamed.

Wu Manshan: Xi’s decision to hold this symposium reminds me of the literary and arts symposium he convened over a decade ago. Back then, I predicted that it would be both his first and last meeting with the cultural sector. Now, with such a high-profile meeting for private enterprises, is this just a spur-of-the-moment decision by Xi, or was it pushed by Li Qiang and others?

A: When Xi held the symposium with the cultural sector, he was rallying a new generation of propagandists for his era—figures like Zhou Xiaoping and Hua Qianfang. Where are they making a living now? This time, at the private enterprise symposium, many rising tech stars attended. Compared to Zhou Xiaoping, they are leading deep technological exploration. Both Li Qiang and Wang Huning likely persuaded Xi to acknowledge the struggles of private enterprises. Several recent major events have deeply affected Xi: TikTok influences hundreds of millions in the U.S., to the extent that America is pushing for its forced sale—this battle is still ongoing. DeepSeek AI (a Chinese AI startup) shook the U.S. stock market upon its release. These are not state-owned enterprises; Xi has realized that private businesses can serve the Party just as effectively as weapons. In a sudden epiphany, he decided it was time to bring back figures like Jack Ma. A famous figure once said: "Utilizing you is something the Party and the government are forced to do. Eliminating you is our sacred mission as Communists."

Wu Manshan: Sun Dawu was a model private entrepreneur, even an exemplar of common prosperity. But since no other business leaders dared to speak up for him, does this mean that their own fate could eventually end the same way?

A: In recent years, private enterprises and non-state tech giants have faced constant threats, continuously donating billions to the government while cutting jobs to survive. Their situation is dire—who among them dares to speak out for Sun Dawu?

This symposium might slightly ease their predicament, but Xi’s real intention is to make them contribute more to the Party and the state. When greater crises emerge, they will still be expected to "feed" the Party—whether by giving up profits or making personal sacrifices. Xi truly favors a state-controlled economy. He will not rest until private enterprises are fully integrated into the Party-state financial system.

Wu Manshan: The CCP’s approach to private enterprises follows a cycle of deception and plunder—deceive, exploit, and then repeat—until the private economy is completely eradicated.

A: Perhaps it will all end in mutual destruction.

Q: There were rumors recently that Xi harshly scolded Wang Yi. Now Wang Yi is actively participating in European forums. Does this mean China has no one else to handle diplomacy?

A: Due to the unique nature of diplomacy, Xi’s personally favored diplomat, Qin Gang, has already been purged. Wang Yi is now irreplaceable. Wang Yi is a shrewd figure—acting as Xi’s mouthpiece on the international stage while also serving as a convenient scapegoat when things go wrong. The CCP’s misjudgment of the U.S. elections was largely due to American mainstream media’s misleading reports and fake polling data. China’s loss of influence in Washington is more a consequence of Beijing’s support for Russia and its global expansion than diplomatic failures.

Q: How do you, as someone in the U.S., view Wang Yi challenging Trump on behalf of Xi Jinping?

Wu Manshan: Wang Yi is cautiously provoking Trump, warning that if Trump suppresses the CCP, Xi Jinping will fight to the end. But Trump is currently focusing elsewhere—wrapping up multiple wars first. Then, he will crack down on domestic corruption, the deep state, and leftist ideology.

In my view, Trump is not launching a Cultural Revolution; rather, he is putting an end to the global Cultural Revolution initiated by the Democratic Party's left wing. They have undermined traditional values through DEI-driven political correctness, triggering a comprehensive ideological upheaval worldwide—ranging from environmental policies to the redefinition of gender and family, down to restroom signage and usage. The chaos extends to transgender men competing in women's sports, infringing upon the rights of biological women, and university students regularly staging protests to denounce their professors. Trump will also expand his fight against extreme leftist cultural movements in Europe. JD Vance’s speech in Munich was merely the beginning of a broader effort to defend traditional values against the radical left’s Cultural Revolution.

His other major front will be to politically, economically, and militarily crush the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He will not tolerate the CCP’s expansion in the South China Sea and the South Pacific, and he will further constrain China's encroachment into South America—America’s backyard.

Beyond his aggressive "wolf warrior" rhetoric, Wang Yi is facing a Trump administration that has already assembled a team specifically to counter the CCP. Over the next four years, Xi Jinping will face a dual challenge: Domestic economic collapse – Rising public discontent and internal turmoil. International isolation – China increasingly abandoned and marginalized on the world stage. Xi is in for a tough battle ahead.

(Source: Wu Zuo-lai, X Platform)