This project explores the evolution of China’s largest companies, totalling 5-6,000. These companies are the movers and shakers of the country’s new economy. They include: (1) non-financial SOEs under the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) and financial SOEs and several state-owned entities under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance; (2) companies (exclusive of the above) on the Fortune China 500 list, the top 500 company list compiled by the Chinese Enterprise Directors Association (CEDA), the list of top 500 private enterprises compiled by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), and the list of Hurun China 500 Most Valuable Private Companies. The main task of our work is to undertake a comprehensive survey of these companies concerning their organisational forms, ownership structures, business activities, and growth trajectories. This will provide a solid foundation on which to investigate their many-sided roles in China’s economic development, as well as the economic challenges the country faces.