Promising outlook for private enterprises

Government policies, economic conditions, market opportunities, technological advancements all point to significant potential for growth of nonpublic sector

In 1983, Peng Fan, a 20-year-old graduate from Sichuan province, found himself at the doorstep of a gritty machine tool foundry in Yinchuan, nestled among the windswept landscapes of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

As Peng looked at the yellow sand and worn-out factory, little did he realize that this very spot would grow into a global powerhouse in 3D printing.

At the time, Yinchuan was considered less developed, but the stark reality he was seeing far exceeded his imagination: workers with faces smeared black, dust filling the workshops, outdated production equipment and products limited to making manhole covers.