In fact, conflating the interests of the Chinese Communist Party with the interests of businesses operating in China is what makes China Inc. work. For the last 30 years, China has been building a social system that establishes an identity between business and broader political or social interests.
Does this work well in promoting the kind of stability so cherished by the Party leadership? It may be that, in China’s diverse social system, forcing companies to act like cabinet ministers—and cabinet ministers to act like company executives—is a necessary cost of social harmony. Or, it may only be a necessary cost of prolonging the political life of the Chinese Communist Party. As we know from our political catechism, continuing one-party rule and maintaining social stability are really exactly the same thing.