Another grand meeting, another massive disappointment. President Xi Jinping’s latest summit with business leaders is nothing more than an elaborate stage production that changes absolutely nothing for China’s struggling entrepreneurs and frustrated citizens.
Zhang Wei, a 35-year-old tech entrepreneur from Shenzhen, captured the sentiment perfectly. “It’s the same script every time,” he said with visible frustration. “Fancy hall, expensive suits, zero actual solutions. We’ve seen this show too many times to be surprised anymore.”
The real mood on the ground tells a stark story. Nearly 78% of business leaders feel these meetings are completely useless. An overwhelming 65% believe nothing will improve, and a staggering 82% are seriously considering leaving China. The disconnect between the government’s preformative politics and the real economic challenges could not be more apparent.
What actually happened was predictably mundane: hundreds of photos were taken, endless speeches were delivered, numerous documents were signed, and absolutely no substantial economic reforms were implemented. It was a masterclass in bureaucratic theatre, where appearance trumps substance at every turn.
Li Ming, a small business owner in Beijing, didn’t mince words. “These meetings are like watching paint dry,” he said. “They talk, we listen, nothing changes. It’s been this way for years.” His sentiment resonates across urban and rural China, where hope has been gradually replaced by a weary resignation.
University student Chen Yua represents a generation that sees right through these performances. “My parents’ generation believed in the Party,” she explained. “My generation sees the facade. We understand these are nothing more than elaborate photo opportunities designed to create an illusion of progress.”
The economic reality remains brutal. Youth unemployment continues to hover around 16.2%, foreign investments are in continued decline, and the once-vibrant startup ecosystem is now nearly lifeless. These meetings do nothing to address these fundamental challenges.
CCP’s performative playbook remains unchanged: invite top businessmen, take impressive photos, give long speeches, change absolutely nothing, and then repeat the same performance next year. It’s a cycle of bureaucratic performance that has become tragically predictable.
What businessmen truly want—genuine economic reforms, reduced government interference, real innovation support, and protection of private enterprise—remains frustratingly out of reach. Behind these fake meetings are real human stories of crushed dreams and lost opportunities.
The bottom line is clear: another meeting, another disappointment. The Chinese Communist Party continues its masterclass in doing nothing while appearing to do everything, leaving entrepreneurs and citizens alike increasingly disillusioned and desperate for genuine change.
