Published by ChinaMNC · Liangxi

What Xi Jinping's Latest Directive on a 'Higher-Level Safe China' Means for Foreign Founders Operating in China

A policy readout for foreign founders: how Beijing's renewed push for a higher-level Safe China, conveyed at the September 28 Safe China work conference, frames the security, governance and public-safety environment in which foreign-invested companies register and operate.

Why This Directive Matters to Foreign Founders

For foreign entrepreneurs setting up or running a company in China, national security and social governance policy is not abstract. It shapes how regulators approach public safety, risk prevention, data and operational compliance, and how local authorities organize their oversight. A recent top-level directive on building a "higher-level Safe China," followed by a national work conference in Beijing, sets the tone for that environment. Below is a practical readout of what the source actually says, and how to think about it as a founder.

What the Directive Says

The assessment of progress

According to Xinhua's report of September 28, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, issued important instructions on building a higher-level Safe China. The directive states that since the 18th Party Congress, Safe China construction has produced notable results, that the situation in which people live and work in peace and society remains stable and orderly has been further consolidated, and that China has become one of the safest countries in the world. Note that the source presents this as an official assessment; no supporting statistics are provided.

The forward-looking priorities

For the new journey ahead, the directive calls for guidance by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, unswerving implementation of the overall national security concept, and upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership. It emphasizes coordinating development and security, combining punishment and prevention with attention to both symptoms and root causes, strengthening the rule-of-law foundation and technology-enabled capacity, building up the national security system and capabilities, raising the level of public safety governance, improving the social governance system, and preventing and defusing risks of various kinds. The stated aim is continued effort toward a country that is safer, a society more orderly, governance more effective and people more satisfied, so that a higher-level Safe China safeguards the steady and sustained advance of Chinese-style modernization.

The Work Conference and Its Messages

The Safe China work conference was held in Beijing on September 28, where the directive was conveyed. Chen Wenqing, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, addressed the meeting. He described the directive as setting out a blueprint and direction, said Safe China's achievements are widely recognized and that "safety" has become a notable marker of China's governance, attributed this to the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core and to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought, and called for implementing the overall national security concept, combining punishment and prevention, addressing both symptoms and root causes, and forming joint forces under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee.

Wang Xiaohong, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Public Security, said in his concluding remarks that the directive should be studied and implemented, that the conference's arrangements should be followed, and that work should be anchored to the "four more" goals — reinforcing implementation through stronger ideological guidance, focus on key tasks, innovative methods, stronger grassroots foundations and a sounder work framework — to open new ground in Safe China construction. The meeting also awarded designations to 60 Safe China demonstration cities and 160 demonstration counties, with recognized representatives exchanging remarks. Zhang Jun and Ying Yong attended.

Practical Implications for Foreign Founders

• Expect continued emphasis on risk prevention. The directive's language on preventing and defusing risks and on public safety governance signals sustained regulatory attention to safety and order. Build compliance and risk-management routines into your China entity from registration onward.
• Governance quality is framed as a selling point. Official statements describe safety and order as markers of China's governance. For founders, this is context for how local authorities may present their environment; treat it as official framing rather than an independent assessment.
• Rule of law and technology are named tools. The directive cites a rule-of-law foundation and technology-enabled capacity. Keep documentation, licensing and reporting systems orderly and digitized where required.
• Local demonstration areas may matter. The 60 cities and 160 counties designated at the conference are officially recognized for Safe China work. If you are choosing a registration or operating location, these designations are public signals of local governance priorities, though the source gives no details on what they mean for firms.
• Coordination of development and security. The directive pairs development with security. For founders, that means growth plans and security-related compliance should be considered together, not separately.

What the Source Does Not Say

The report contains no new registration procedures, tax measures, investment incentives, timelines or sector-specific rules for foreign companies. It is a political and policy directive plus a conference readout. Founders should not read specific operational requirements into it. For concrete steps on entity registration, licenses or compliance obligations, consult the relevant regulator or a qualified professional.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.