China adopts National Development Planning Law to strengthen Five-Year Plan System

BEIJING: Lawmakers in China on Thursday adopted the National Development Planning Law at the closing meeting of the fourth session of the National People's Congress (NPC), aiming to strengthen the country’s long-standing development planning framework.

The legislation seeks to cement China’s planning mechanism as a central pillar of national development. Over the decades, the country has implemented 14 five-year plans, which officials say have played a crucial role in driving its rapid economic transformation.

At the same session, lawmakers also approved the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development.

Officials described the new law as a significant step toward institutionalising China’s established practice of guiding economic growth and development through five-year planning cycles.

The legislation is also designed to enhance coordination among various planning policies by strengthening top-level design and strategic alignment.

Tong Weidong, director of the State Law Department at the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, said the law would provide a legal framework ensuring the continuity, stability and authority of national development plans.

He added that such legal certainty would help create stable expectations for social capital, including foreign investors, by reinforcing confidence in China’s long-term economic planning system.

China's national legislature holds closing meeting of annual session

The 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, held the closing meeting of its fourth session on Thursday.

Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders attended the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

At the meeting, lawmakers approved the government work report and the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development.

They voted to adopt the Ecological and Environmental Code, the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law and the National Development Planning Law.

Lawmakers voted to pass a resolution on the implementation of the 2025 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2026 plan for national economic and social development and approved the 2026 plan.

They voted to pass a resolution on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2025 and on the central and local budgets for 2026, and approved the central budget for 2026.

Lawmakers voted to adopt a resolution on the work report of the NPC Standing Committee, a resolution on the work report of the Supreme People's Court and a resolution on the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

They also voted to adopt a decision on approving the report of the NPC Standing Committee on the work of the overhaul of laws and the proposed handling of certain laws and decisions.

Zhao Leji delivered a speech at the closing meeting.