Global Times: Xi stresses high-quality 15th Five-Year Plan compilation

BEIJING, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- President Xi Jinping has stressed sound, democratic, and law-based decision-making to ensure China's next five-year plan for national economic and social development is formulated in high quality, Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on the work concerning the compilation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).

Xi noted that the scientific formulation and consistent implementation of five-year plans stand as an important piece of experience in the CPC's approach to governing the country, per Xinhua.

The formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan holds immense significance for fully realizing the strategic initiatives outlined at the 20th CPC National Congress and advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said.

The Chinese leader emphasized the importance of integrating top-level design with seeking advice from the public, enhancing research and discussions, and building broad consensus, Xinhua reported.

Starting from 2026, China will embark on the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development.

Currently, the CPC Central Committee is organizing the drafting of proposals for this plan, and relevant departments are gearing up to solicit opinions and suggestions from officials, the general public, as well as experts and scholars through various channels in the near future.

China's five-year plan is a key guiding document for medium-to-long-term economic and social progress, which outlines the country's overall goals, major tasks and policy orientation across various sectors over a five-year period, according to Xinhua.

Since its first launch in the 1950s, the five-year plan has been serving as a blueprint for China's overall development. The formulation process operates through a well-structured framework that combines the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with extensive democratic participation.

In 2020, Xi led the drafting group for proposals for formulating the 14th five-year plan and long-range objectives through 2035. He presided over seven symposiums within three months to seek suggestions from representatives from all walks of life, Xinhua reported.

High-quality development

The 15th Five-Year Plan of the country will be a crucial five-year plan for China to achieve the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035, analysts said.

"The planning must focus on the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization, with a view to building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation," Xi said at a symposium on China's economic and social development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) on April 30, 2025.

In planning economic and social development for the next five years, it is necessary to adapt to changing situations and grasp strategic priorities, said Xi.

"We must unswervingly manage our own affairs well, and stay committed to expanding high-standard opening up," the Chinese leader said, per Xinhua.

Speaking after listening to opinions and suggestions from leading officials of several provincial regions, Xi said higher strategic priority must be given to fostering new quality productive forces in line with local conditions in the next five years, Xinhua reported.

Xi chaired a CPC leadership meeting on economic situation and work on April 25. It was noted at the meeting that China has seen its economy improve this year, with public confidence continuously boosted and solid progress made in high-quality development.

Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times that the scale of China's economic development has further expanded and substantial progress has been made in high-quality development. The new plan is set to address current and new situation, grasp new development opportunities.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, attention should be paid to the new changes and opportunities brought by technological advancements, represented by artificial intelligence and the digital economy, Li said, adding that strategic deployments are needed to deeply integrate these new technologies with industrial advantages to ensure that China stands at the forefront of the new wave of technological revolution.

Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, told the Global Times thatthe country's upgrading manufacturing sector lays a solid foundation for high-quality development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Improving people's livelihoods will also remain a central focus, Su said, listing areas including raising household incomes, expanding consumption, strengthening the private economy, and stabilizing employment.

Ensuring devt and security

At the April 30 symposium in Shanghai, Xi said that greater emphasis should be placed on ensuring both development and security, with a comprehensive assessment of domestic and external risks and challenges.

The CPC leadership meeting on April 25 noted that foundation for China's sustained economic recovery needs to be further consolidated, and the country faces increasing impact from external shocks, according to Xinhua.

The meeting noted that it is imperative to coordinate domestic economic work and endeavors in the international economic and trade field, unswervingly manage the country's own affairs well, stay committed to expanding high-standard opening up, focus on keeping employment, businesses, markets and expectations stable, and deal with the uncertainty of drastic changes in the external environment with the certainty of the country's high-quality development.

According to Li, assessing the development environment and emerging trends is a critical part in drafting the development plan.

Regarding the international environment, the world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation; the competition among major powers has further intensified, and geopolitical conflicts and security risks have increased as well, Su remarked.

These challenges also contain new opportunities – the domestic circulation may be further strengthened during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and new quality productive forces further develop to promote more balanced cross-regional and urban-rural growth, Su said.

The status of countries along the Belt and Road in China's foreign trade will continue to rise. The momentum in services and digital trade is likely to persist, with more competitive Chinese products and services expected to enter the global market during the upcoming period, according to the expert.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told the Global Times that "In a time of rising global uncertainty marked by geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and environmental challenges, the long-term orientation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan will provide much-needed stability and predictability for both domestic stakeholders and international partners, including investors and multilateral institutions."

Building on China's tradition of setting clear, measurable objectives and executing them with discipline, it will serve as a dependable roadmap for those engaged in trade, infrastructure, and supply chain cooperation with China, Kin Phea noted.

Crucially, it is likely to align with China's 2035 modernization goals and its 2060 carbon neutrality pledge, reinforcing a trajectory of gradual, well-calibrated reform.

In an increasingly uncertain global environment, China's systematic and forward-looking planning continues to serve as a global stabilizing force, offering great opportunity to a wide array of stakeholders, said the expert.

This article first appeared in Global Times:  https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1334432.shtml 

SOURCE Global Times