| "The CPC Central Committee always values the development of the non-public sector of the economy and is supportive of them, which has not changed and will not change," he said. "We will create better conditions for the development of private businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises." On Thursday afternoon, Xi was briefed by officials of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the provincial government about their work, acknowledging the progress they had made. "The development of Guangdong in the past four decades proved that reform and opening-up is the sure way to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and decides China's fate," Xi said. Instructing the province to deepen reform and opening-up, Xi said concrete efforts were needed to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, bring opening-up to a higher level and the Guangdong pilot free trade zone to a high standard. Stressing high-quality development, Xi asked the province to expand real economy, enhance environmental protection, improve people's livelihoods, and encourage enterprises to play an active part in innovation. Underlining balanced and coordinated development, he instructed the province to speed up rural vitalization, work for the coordinated development of different regions and promote rule of law. Asking the province to strengthen Party leadership and Party building, Xi said they should firmly safeguard the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, strictly enforce political discipline and rules, adopt the right approach in selecting and appointing officials, regulate officials' exchanges with business people, and form a new type of cordial and clean relationship between government and business. | 
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