On October 21, the 2025 Shanghai Private Sector Ideals and Beliefs Report Meeting and themed event titled “Original Aspiration as Torch, Wisdom Creates Future” was held at the Nine Trees (Shanghai) Future Art Center.

During the event, four business leaders delivered TED-style speeches that vividly interpreted the spirit of entrepreneurship and sense of responsibility. Their presentations included “Carrying the Journey with Three Loves,” “Bringing Innovation into Factories: AI Driving the New Future of Flexible Manufacturing,” “Open Source Distributed Operating System: Decades and More Decades,” and “Family and Country United, Everlasting Foundation.”

One speaker shared a journey spanning 44 years centered around “love for the country, love for passengers, and love for employees,” discussing foundational Party building, industrial development serving the nation, and serving the people. Another presenter described how their enterprise actively integrates into China’s manufacturing and high-quality development trends, empowering small and medium enterprises through industrial internet and promoting smart manufacturing exploration. A third speaker elaborated on persisting with independent research and development, aiming to break foreign monopolies and strengthen China’s digital foundation. The final presenter shared practical explorations of integrating enterprise development into the national context and serving people’s livelihoods through digital transformation.

The four entrepreneurs’ speeches contained both reflections on their original entrepreneurial aspirations and value persistence, as well as deep considerations about industry bottlenecks and future development, generating strong resonance among the audience.

In recent years, systematic practices including theoretical education, innovative carrier development, youth inheritance empowerment, service-oriented development support, and responsibility cultivation have been implemented to promote the steady advancement of the private economy on the track of high-quality development.

During the themed activity segment, various districts and business associations presented multi-level, multi-perspective displays of diverse approaches and effective carriers for ideals and beliefs education through immersive Party lessons, intangible cultural heritage theme shows, recitations, clapper talk performances, and situational performances.

Event scene

The event featured a singing performance titled “Original Aspiration as Torch” that further consolidated the spiritual strength of “shared direction and forging ahead.”

This event established a platform for ideological exchange and experience sharing among Shanghai’s private sector representatives, strengthening consensus around core principles. It promoted the alignment of private enterprise innovation practices with Shanghai’s development strategy, gathering momentum for the private economy to contribute to modernization and high-quality development. The event also continued to optimize the favorable ecosystem for private economic development through government-enterprise coordination and chamber collaboration, providing rich spiritual nourishment for cultivating the new generation of private entrepreneurs.

Nine Trees (Shanghai) Future Art Center

The Nine Trees (Shanghai) Future Art Center is a modern cultural venue that opened in 2020 in Fengxian District, Shanghai. Designed with a futuristic architectural style, it aims to be a hub for performing arts, including theater, music, and digital art experiences. Its mission is to blend technology with artistic expression, reflecting Shanghai’s vision as a global center for innovation and culture.

immersive Party lessons

“Immersive Party lessons” are a modern, technology-driven form of political education developed by the Communist Party of China. They use virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other interactive media to create engaging simulations of historical events and Party achievements. The aim is to make ideological training more vivid and accessible, particularly for younger generations, by allowing them to “experience” pivotal moments like the Long March or the founding of the People’s Republic.

intangible cultural heritage theme shows

“Intangible cultural heritage theme shows” are live performances that showcase elements of a culture’s living traditions, such as music, dance, rituals, and oral traditions. These shows are designed to preserve and promote cultural practices recognized by organizations like UNESCO as intangible heritage. They bring history to life by dramatizing traditional stories and art forms that have been passed down through generations.

recitations

“Recitations” refers to the cultural practice of performing poetry or sacred texts from memory, often in a rhythmic or melodic style. This oral tradition has ancient roots across civilizations, from the epic recitations of Homer in Greece to the memorization and chanting of the Quran in Islamic culture. It has historically been a primary method of preserving and transmitting literature, religious texts, and communal history before the widespread use of writing.

clapper talk performances

Clapper talk is a traditional Chinese folk performance art that originated during the Tang Dynasty and became widely popular in the Ming and Qing eras. It involves rhythmic storytelling accompanied by the percussive sounds of bamboo clappers, often featuring humorous or moral tales. This art form remains a vibrant part of regional cultural heritage, particularly in northern China.

situational performances

“Situational performances” are a form of site-specific art where the performance is created for and inseparable from a particular location, often a public or non-traditional space. This genre, which became prominent in the 1960s and 70s through movements like Fluxus and Happenings, uses the unique history, architecture, and social dynamics of a place as an integral part of the artwork. The goal is to create a unique, often immersive experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere, directly engaging the audience within that specific environment.

singing performance

A singing performance is a cultural expression found across all societies, typically involving a vocalist or group using their voices to convey music, stories, and emotion. Its history is ancient, with origins in rituals, storytelling, and communal gatherings, evolving over centuries into diverse genres from classical opera to modern popular music. These performances serve to preserve cultural heritage, entertain, and create shared emotional experiences for audiences.

government-enterprise coordination

“Government-enterprise coordination” is not a physical place or cultural site, but a key economic governance model, most notably associated with China. It describes a system where the state and businesses work in close partnership to achieve national economic goals, often through strategic planning, policy guidance, and resource allocation. This approach has been a foundational element in China’s rapid industrial development and economic growth since the late 20th century.