Background. The relevance of the study is driven by the intensification of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the oil and gas sector and, consequently, by the need to understand the value drivers shaping the behaviour of Chinese partners, given the insufficiently studied mechanisms through which party directives are translated into elements of corporate culture (mission, slogans, goals, values) in industry companies. The relevance of the present study is discernible at three analytical levels: macro, meso, and micro. Macro-level: in the context of a multipolar world and intensifying geopolitical competition, it becomes critically important to understand the mechanisms of influence on the activities of enterprises in strategic industries of partner states. Meso-level: there is an annual increase in the ideological influence of the Chinese Communist Party on state-owned and private economic agents. This trend allows for a reconsideration of the traditional understanding of the relationship between business and politics. Micro-level: in the Russian academic environment, there is a lack of comprehensive studies of primary empirical sources (company websites, charters, executive interviews, data from industry exhibitions) that would allow for formulating the specificity of corporate culture of Chinese companies through the prism of ideological guidelines and Confucian virtues.

Purpose. This article aims to trace the formation, transformation, and institutionalization of the corporate culture concept in the PRC through the prism of Chinese academic discourse; identify the value orientations prevalent among oil and gas companies; and establish the linkage between these values and the internal policy of the Communist Party of China.

Methodology. During the course of this research, the empirical basis was composed of: publicly available constituent documents of Chinese companies, their official websites and corporate presentations; interviews with representatives of drilling equipment manufacturing enterprises; materials from industry exhibitions – the Russian Neftegaz and the Chinese CIPPE (China International Petroleum & Petrochemical Technology and Equipment Exhibition); information from the official websites of the Communist Party of China’s structures; internet-published articles on the CPC’s activities, as well as translations and commentaries on ancient Chinese texts. Through content analysis of corporate websites, surveys of managers, and analysis of constituent documents, it was possible to identify the value orientations that determine the professional activities of the employees of these companies. The application of the comparative-historical method made it possible to trace the evolution of views on labor in general, as well as on human interaction and motivation in particular. Furthermore, this method enabled the description of the influence of Confucian ideas on political attitudes and the establishment of their relationship with the corporate culture of enterprises in the oil and gas sector.

Results. Customer focus, enshrined in common clichés (“customer first”, “customer center”, etc.), is a key operational value for Chinese oil and gas companies. Fundamental business principles include honesty, unity, excellence, innovation, employee support, dedication to business and country, and a long-term focus. Company presentation materials are replete with idioms and general motivational statements that reference traditional culture and exclude specifics. Values such as integrity, responsibility, hard work, and service to the industry are systematically communicated through party documents, speeches by the PRC leadership, public service announcements, and events dedicated to Confucianism. Employee interviews include direct references to Xi Jinping’s teachings, continuing the party line established under Mao Zedong. The oil and gas industry cultivates the image of an “iron man” – a pioneering worker who acts according to the principle of “a drop of oil, a drop of blood” for the sake of the Party and the Motherland. This constitutes the phenomenon of the “spirit of oil,” endorsed by the Chinese President. Thus, through the synthesis of Confucian virtues and business principles developed in the early years of the PRC, the continuity of generations in the process of building socialism with Chinese characteristics is demonstrated.

Practical implications. The results of the study have multi-level practical significance. They can be used by the management of foreign companies closely cooperating with large state-owned corporations (ex. CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC) and their subsidiaries to correctly interpret managerial decisions, minimise risks of misunderstanding, and develop more effective negotiation strategies. In addition, the findings can serve as a basis for methodological recommendations for private businesses in Russia’s oil and gas sector, whose cooperation with China’s oil and gas industry is becoming increasingly systematic and large-scale. Finally, the material is of interest to researchers in related disciplines (Oriental studies, political science, management) who study corporate governance systems in Chinese companies, the mechanisms through which party directives influence corporate management, cross-cultural interaction, value orientations, and other aspects of organisational culture in the PRC.