BEIJING: The Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded a pivotal meeting last week, approving recommendations for the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, a roadmap that will steer national development through 2030.
At the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, held from Oct. 20 to 23, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, framed the next five years as a “window of opportunity” to secure strategic initiative amid intensifying global competition and to make decisive progress toward the goal of basically achieving socialist modernization.
China will face both strategic opportunities and risks and challenges in development, along with increasing uncertainties and unforeseen factors over the next five years, according to a communique released after the meeting.
China has set the target of basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035, a milestone it seeks to reach through three consecutive five-year plans — the 14th, 15th and 16th — spanning 2021 to 2035.
Setting mid- and long-term objectives to guide social and economic development has long been a central tool in how the CPC governs the country. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, China eliminated extreme poverty and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, accomplishing its major development goals on schedule.
Xi described the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period as a critical stage for reinforcing the foundations and pushing ahead on all fronts toward the 2035 modernization goal.
“It is important that we seize this window of opportunity to consolidate and build on our strengths, remove development bottlenecks, shore up areas of weakness, and seize the strategic initiative amid intense international competition,” Xi told officials at the session.
The recommendations reaffirm “high-quality development” as the central theme of China’s economic and social agenda for the next five years, and demands adherence to the central task of pursuing economic development.
Xi noted that a key benchmark for achieving the 2035 goal is raising China’s per capita GDP to be on par with that of a mid-level developed country. To reach that goal, he said, the economy must “maintain an appropriate growth rate” during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
China’s GDP surpassed 100 trillion yuan (14.11 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters of this year, growing 5.2 percent from a year earlier, a performance that underscores the resilience of the Chinese economy amid a web of domestic and global challenges.
The recommendations set clear objectives for 2026-2030: significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, and further advances in strengthening the national security shield.
The recommendations call for “building a modern industrial system and strengthening the foundation of the real economy,” adding that China will work to maintain a reasonable share of manufacturing in the national economy and develop a modern industrial system driven by advanced manufacturing.
Reform and innovation will also be defining features of the upcoming plan. New initiatives, such as strengthening indigenous innovation, rolling out an “AI Plus” initiative to empower industries, and promoting balanced investment in both physical assets and human capital, are expected to shape China’s future development trajectory.
On fostering new quality productive forces — a key strategic task for the coming five years — Xi emphasized that such efforts must be grounded in local resource endowments and feasibility.
“In highlighting the need to develop new quality productive forces in line with local conditions in the document, we aim to guide all parties concerned to adopt a sound, rational, and realistic approach in their work and refrain from rushing headlong into new initiatives,” Xi said at the plenum.
Throughout the 20,000-character document, the people-centered vision runs through every section.
“The section on guiding principles highlights the need to make solid progress toward realizing common prosperity for all. This also represents an overall requirement for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period,” Xi said.
Xi called for strengthening inclusive, basic and safety-net public services, promoting equal access, and better meet people’s needs in employment, education, healthcare, housing, elderly care, marriage, childcare, and other areas — all to enhance people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.
As one grassroots participant attending the plenary session put it, “The document speaks of top-level design but carries genuine care for ordinary people. It’s not only a grand blueprint for the nation’s development, but also a vision of better life for everyone.”
Ultimately, China’s modernization is the undertaking of its 1.4 billion people. “The immutable goal of our modernization drive is to meet the people’s aspirations for a better life,” Xi said.
