我们清楚地看到，我国的经济发展还存在不少问题。例如，一些国有企业生产经营困难，下岗和失业人员增多，经济整体素质和效益不高。

We are fully¹ aware that there are still quite a few problems in our economic development. For example, some state-owned enterprises are experiencing difficulties in production and business operation, which has led to increased unemployment and poor economic profits.

国有企业改革是当前经济体制改革的重点。我们要用三年时间，通过改革、改组、改造和加强管理，使大多数国有大中型亏损企业摆脱困境，并在本世纪末使大多数国有大中型骨干企业初步建立现代企业制度。

The reform of state-owned enterprises is considered the principle task of China’s current economic restructuring endeavor. It is proposed that within about three years, through reform, reorganization, upgrading and improved management, most of the large and medium-sized state owned loss-making enterprises should have been extricated² from their predicament, and a modern enterprises system in the bulk of large and medium-sized state-owned hey enterprises should have been establishes initially³ by the end of the century.

国有企业改革的指导思想和基本任务如下：第一，把国有企业改革作为经济体制改革的中心环节，以建立现代企业制度为方向，切实转换企业经营机制。第二， “抓大放小”， 对国有企业进行战略性改组。第三， 探索和发展公有制的多种实现形式。第四，把改革同改组、改造、加强管理结合起来。第五， 鼓励兼并、规范破产、下岗分流、减员增效和实施再就业工程。第六，推进以建立社会保障制度为重点的配套改革。

The following constitutes the guidelines and basic tasks for the reform of state-owned enterprises: First, we should take the reform of state-owned enterprises as the pivotal point in economic restructuring, and strive to change their operating mechanism⁴, with the establishment of a modern enterprises system as our orientation⁵. Second, we should carry out a strategic reorganization of state-owned enterprises by learning to manage large enterprises well while relaxing control over small ones. Third, we should explore various forms for realizing public ownership. Fourth, we should combine our efforts to reform enterprises with efforts to reorganize, upgrade and exercise more effective management of them. Fifth, we should encourage mergers⁷, standardize⁸ bankruptcy⁹ procedures, redirect laid-off workers, increase efficiency by reducing redundant¹⁰ staff and implement¹¹ re-employment programs. Sixth, we should promote supportive reforms focusing on the establishment of a social security system.

在一些重要行业和关键领域，鼓励组建大型企业集团，增强在国内外市场的竞争能力。发展企业集团要坚持以市场为导向，打破部门、地区和所有制的界限，支持强强联合，实现优势互补。加快国有企业的改组和调整，鼓励优势企业兼并困难企业，使资源得到有效利用。对长期亏损、扭亏无望的企业实施规范破产。各级政府要关心和支持分流企业富余人员、提高效益的工作。

In important industries and priority fields, the establishment of large enterprise groups should be encouraged in order to increase their competitiveness in both domestic and foreign markets. In boosting enterprise groups, we should persist in taking the market as our orientation, break departmental, regional and ownership barriers, and support association between strong enterprises so that they will take advantage of each other’s strengths. In accelerating the reorganization and readjustment of state-owned enterprises, we should encourage strong enterprises to merge⁶ with difficulty-ridden ones so as to make more efficient use of resources. We should declare bankrupt according to regulations those loss-making enterprises whose long-time difficult situation is unlikely to end. Government at all levels should be concerned about and support the effort of redirecting surplus employees of enterprises to improve business efficiency.

要积极稳妥地进行股份制和股份合作制的改革。对具备条件的大中型企业实行规范的公司制，根据市场情况，允许一些企业上市发行股票。企业改制要真正转变经营机制，实行政企分开，明确国家和企业的权利和责任，完善内部管理制度，防止国有资产流失。要采取从改组、联合、兼并、租赁、承包经营和股份合作制、出售等形式，加快搞活国有小企业的步伐。要把经营自主权真正放给企业，实行自负盈亏，使小企业能够更加灵活地适应市场。

Reform will take place actively¹² and steadily¹³ in matters concerning the establishment of the joint¹⁴ share system and the joint stock cooperative system. We shall corporatize large and medium-sized enterprises in a standard way where conditions permit, allowing some enterprises to be listed and issue stocks in accordance with market conditions. In the reform of enterprises, we shall overhaul¹⁵ their operational procedures, separate government functions from enterprise management, and delineate the rights and responsibilities of the state and enterprises. Meanwhile, we should improve the internal management system and prevent the devaluation of state assets. We should accelerate the pace of relaxing control over small state-owned enterprises and invigorating them by way of reorganization, association, merging¹⁶, leasing, contract operation, the joint stock cooperative system and sell-off. We should make sure that the right to independent operation is delegated to small enterprises so that they can be responsible for their own profits and losses and adapt themselves to the market in a more flexible way.

企业管理部门要转变观念，使生产经营和内部管理适应市场的要求。在任何时候都要重视加快技术进步和新产品开发。要不断调整产品结构，加强市场营销，改善售后服务，降低成本，提高质量，增强竞争能力。

The management of enterprises should change their outdated¹⁷ way of thinking so that production, operation and internal management can meet the needs of the market. At any time, importance must be attached to the work of speeding up technological¹⁸ progress and developing new products. We must readjust the product mix on a regular basis, improve marketing¹⁹ and after-sale services, reduce production cost and upgrade quality, so as to become stronger competitors in the market.