Viewing the Connecting Role of the 15th Five-Year Plan Period from the Perspective of the Grand View of History

The proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, reviewed and approved at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, makes the major judgment that “the 15th Five-Year Plan period occupies an important connecting role in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization.” This has important guiding significance for our adherence to the grand view of history on the new journey of the New Era, for our profound understanding of the historical process of Chinese-path modernization, and for our accurate grasp of the main theme, main line, mainstream, and essential nature of the history of New China.

党的二十届四中全会审议通过的《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》，作出“‘十五五’时期在基本实现社会主义现代化进程中具有承前启后的重要地位”的重大判断，对我们在新时代新征程坚持大历史观，深刻认识中国式现代化的历史进程，准确把握新中国史的主题主线、主流本质有重要指导意义。

A Historical Process of Stepwise Progression

阶梯式递进的历史进程

General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “From the First Five-Year Plan to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the consistent theme is to build China into a modern socialist country.” Examining the development process of Chinese-path modernization from the perspective of the grand view of history, we can see that it presents distinct characteristics of stepwise progression. From the gradual establishment of an industrial foundation after the founding of New China, to the economic takeoff after reform and opening up, and then to the completion of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in the New Era and the commencement of a new journey to comprehensively build a modern socialist country, each historical stage builds on the achievements of the previous stage, continuously advancing toward higher goals under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Among these, formulating medium- and long-term plans to guide economic and social development is an important way for our Party to govern the country and promotes the continuous development of Chinese-path modernization.

习近平总书记指出：“从第一个五年计划到第十四个五年规划，一以贯之的主题是把我国建设成为社会主义现代化国家。”以大历史观考察中国式现代化的发展历程，可以看到它呈现出鲜明的阶梯式递进特征。从新中国成立后逐步奠定工业化基础，到改革开放后经济腾飞，再到新时代以来全面建成小康社会并开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程，每一个历史阶段都以前一阶段的成果为基石，在中国共产党领导下不断向着更高目标迈进。其中，通过制定中长期规划指导经济社会发展，是我们党治国理政的一种重要方式，推动中国式现代化不断向前发展。

Before the founding of New China, facing the reality of poverty and weakness, many insightful people proposed advancing China’s modernization in a planned manner. However, under the oppression of the “three big mountains” [1]1 The “three big mountains” refers to imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism, which Mao Zedong identified as the oppressive forces weighing on the Chinese people before 1949., old China was utterly incapable of realizing this dream. Only after the Communist Party of China united and led the Chinese people through arduous and bloody struggles, won the victory of the New Democratic Revolution, and established a new China where the people are the masters of the country, was the fundamental social condition created for advancing China’s modernization in a planned way.

新中国成立前，面对积贫积弱的社会现实，不少有识之士提出有计划地推进中国的现代化建设。但是，在“三座大山”的压迫下，旧中国根本不可能实现这一梦想。中国共产党团结带领中国人民经过浴血奋战，夺取新民主主义革命的胜利，建立了人民当家作主的新中国，才为有计划地推进中国的现代化事业创造了根本社会条件。

After the founding of New China, we carried out the socialist revolution and established the basic system of socialism, laying the fundamental political prerequisite and institutional foundation for modernization. The Communist Party of China proposed to strive to build China into a powerful socialist country with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern national defense, and modern science and technology. Starting in 1953, it led the implementation of several Five-Year Plans, enabling New China to establish an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, providing valuable experience, theoretical preparation, and material foundation for modernization.

新中国成立后，我们进行社会主义革命，确立社会主义基本制度，为现代化建设奠定根本政治前提和制度基础。中国共产党提出要努力把我国建设成为一个具有现代农业、现代工业、现代国防和现代科学技术的社会主义强国，从1953年开始领导实施几个五年计划，使新中国建立起独立的比较完整的工业体系和国民经济体系，为现代化建设提供了宝贵经验、理论准备、物质基础。

After reform and opening up, the “Five-Year Plan” gradually transformed into a more strategic and guiding “Five-Year Plan” under the conditions of the socialist market economy. On the one hand, we placed greater emphasis on the role of the market in resource allocation. On the other hand, we placed greater emphasis on the strategic orientation and macro-guidance of the plan, promoting comprehensive, balanced, and sustainable economic and social development. Through several Five-Year Plans, we achieved a historic breakthrough from a relatively backward state of productive forces to becoming the world’s second-largest economy, and realized a historic leap in people’s lives from inadequate food and clothing to moderate prosperity overall and then to moderate prosperity in all respects, providing institutional guarantees full of new vitality and material conditions for rapid development for Chinese-path modernization.

改革开放后，“五年计划”逐步向社会主义市场经济条件下更具战略性和指导性的“五年规划”转变。一方面，我们更加注重发挥市场在资源配置中的作用。另一方面，我们更加注重规划的战略导向与宏观指导，促进经济社会全面协调可持续发展。通过几个五年规划（计划），推动我国实现了从生产力相对落后的状况到经济总量跃居世界第二的历史性突破，实现了人民生活从温饱不足到总体小康、奔向全面小康的历史性跨越，为中国式现代化提供了充满新的活力的体制保证和快速发展的物质条件。

As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the “Five-Year Plan” placed greater emphasis on innovation-driven development, high-quality development, and common prosperity, incorporating ecological civilization construction, scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, and the national security system into the strategic overall situation. This drove historic achievements and historic transformations in the cause of the Party and the state, providing more complete institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force for Chinese-path modernization. In particular, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national power reached new heights, Chinese-path modernization took new solid steps, and the new journey toward the second centenary goal [2]2 The second centenary goal is the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the 21st century, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. got off to a good start.

中国特色社会主义进入新时代，“五年规划”更加强调创新驱动、高质量发展和共同富裕，将生态文明建设、科技自立自强、国家安全体系等纳入战略全局，推动党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，为中国式现代化提供了更为完善的制度保证、更为坚实的物质基础、更为主动的精神力量。特别是“十四五”时期，我国经济实力、科技实力、综合国力跃上新台阶，中国式现代化迈出新的坚实步伐，第二个百年奋斗目标新征程实现良好开局。

A Critical Period for Laying a Solid Foundation and Exerting Full Force

夯实基础、全面发力的关键时期

The proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development points out that “the 15th Five-Year Plan period is a critical period for laying a solid foundation and exerting full force to basically realize socialist modernization.” The grand view of history emphasizes both the continuity of history and the important role of key time nodes. The 15th Five-Year Plan period holds a special and important historical position in the process of social modernization. Since the New Era, we have proposed to comprehensively build a great modern socialist country, with the overall strategic arrangement divided into “two steps” [3]3 The “two steps” refer to the strategic arrangement for building a modern socialist country: first, basically realize socialist modernization from 2020 to 2035; second, build China into a great modern socialist country from 2035 to the middle of the 21st century.: basically realizing socialist modernization from 2020 to 2035; and building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful from 2035 to the middle of this century. The 15th Five-Year Plan period is precisely the key stage for laying a decisive foundation for achieving the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization. This period connects the past and the future; it must both consolidate and expand the major achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and create conditions for the full sprint of the 16th Five-Year Plan period. It determines the success or failure of the overall situation of Chinese-path modernization and is an important strategic window period for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must firmly grasp historical opportunities, adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, and ensure decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization.

《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》指出，“‘十五五’时期是基本实现社会主义现代化夯实基础、全面发力的关键时期”。大历史观既强调历史的延续性，又突出关键时间节点的重要作用。“十五五”时期在社会现代化进程中有着特殊的重要历史地位。新时代以来，我们提出全面建成社会主义现代化强国，总的战略安排分“两步走”，即从2020年到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化；从2035年到本世纪中叶把我国建设成为富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国。而“十五五”时期正是为基本实现社会主义现代化目标奠定决定性基础的关键阶段。这一时期承前启后，既要巩固拓展“十四五”时期取得的重大成就，又要为“十六五”时期的全面冲刺创造条件，决定着中国式现代化建设全局的成败得失，是中华民族伟大复兴的重要战略窗口期，必须牢牢把握历史机遇，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展。

The grand view of history also requires us to broaden our perspective and consider issues from the relationship between China and the world. The changes unseen in a century in the world today are accelerating. From an international perspective, international forces are undergoing profound adjustments, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs; at the same time, the world is intertwined with chaos and change, turbulence is intensifying, geopolitical conflicts are frequent and prone to occur, and great-power games are becoming more complex and intense. All of this brings enormous challenges to China’s development and security during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

大历史观还要求我们放宽视野，从中国与世界的关系着眼思考问题。当今世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，从国际看，国际力量发生深刻调整，新一轮科技革命和产业变革加速突破；同时世界变乱交织、动荡加剧，地缘冲突易发多发，大国博弈更加复杂激烈。这一切都给“十五五”时期我国的发展与安全带来了巨大的挑战。

However, at the same time, China’s economic foundation is stable, with many advantages, strong resilience, and great potential. The supporting conditions and basic trends for long-term improvement have not changed. The superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics in concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks will be further highlighted in responding to risks and challenges and promoting major innovations. The huge domestic demand potential contained in the super-large market, the strong supply capacity formed by the complete industrial system, and the large-scale, high-quality talent team constitute a solid foundation for China to respond to changes and open up new situations. All of these provide many favorable factors for us to proactively manage international space, shape the external environment, and properly handle complex situations.

但是与此同时，我国经济基础稳、优势多、韧性强、潜能大，长期向好的支撑条件和基本趋势没有变。中国特色社会主义制度集中力量办大事的优越性，在应对风险挑战、推动重大创新中将进一步凸显。超大规模市场蕴藏的巨大内需潜力、完整产业体系形成的强大供给能力，以及规模宏大、素质优良的人才队伍，构成了我国应对变局、开拓新局的坚实基础。这些都为我们主动运筹国际空间、塑造外部环境、妥善应对复杂局面提供了诸多有利因素。

In short, changes contain opportunities, and challenges inspire fighting spirit. We must strengthen the Four Confidences [4]4 The Four Confidences refers to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics., maintain strategic focus, enhance confidence in victory, actively recognize, respond to, and seek change, and strive to create a new situation in Chinese-path modernization.

总之，变局蕴含机遇，挑战激发斗志。我们必须坚定“四个自信”，保持战略定力，增强必胜信心，积极识变应变求变，奋力开创中国式现代化建设新局面。

Striving to Create a New Situation with a Spirit of Historical Initiative

以历史主动精神奋力开创新局面

The proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development emphasizes that realizing socialist modernization “requires unremitting efforts and continuous struggle.” Facing the heavy responsibility entrusted by history, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must, with a stronger spirit of historical initiative, overcome difficulties, combat risks, and meet challenges, winning strategic initiative at the key node that connects the past and the future.

《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》强调，实现社会主义现代化，“需要不懈努力、接续奋斗”。面对历史赋予的重任，“十五五”时期，我们必须以更强的历史主动精神，克难关、战风险、迎挑战，在承前启后的关键节点上赢得战略主动。

First, build a modern industrial system and consolidate and strengthen the foundation of the real economy. The focus is to adhere to the direction of intelligence, green development, and integration, accelerate the building of a manufacturing powerhouse, a quality powerhouse, an aerospace powerhouse, a transportation powerhouse, and a cyber powerhouse, maintain a reasonable proportion of manufacturing, and build a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone.

一是建设现代化产业体系，巩固壮大实体经济根基。重点是坚持智能化、绿色化、融合化方向，加快建设制造强国、质量强国、航天强国、交通强国、网络强国，保持制造业合理比重，构建以先进制造业为骨干的现代化产业体系。

Second, further deepen reform comprehensively and expand high-standard opening up. Adhere to the combination of an effective market and a competent government, build a high-level socialist market economy system, and resolutely break through the blockages and bottlenecks hindering the construction of a unified national market. Adhere to open cooperation and mutual benefit, actively expand independent opening up, promote innovative development of trade, expand the space for two-way investment cooperation, and build the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality.

二是进一步全面深化改革，扩大高水平对外开放。坚持有效市场和有为政府相结合， 构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，坚决破除阻碍全国统一大市场建设的卡点堵点。坚持开放合作、互利共赢，积极扩大自主开放，推动贸易创新发展，拓展双向投资合作空间，高质量共建“一带一路”。

Third, build a strong domestic market and promote coordinated regional development. Adhere to the strategic basis of expanding domestic demand, adhere to the close integration of improving people’s livelihoods and promoting consumption, and investing in things and investing in people, and enhance the endogenous driving force and reliability of the domestic economic cycle. Leverage the synergistic effects of the regional coordinated development strategy, major regional strategies, the main functional area strategy, and the new urbanization strategy, enhance the coordination of regional development, promote interconnected regional development, optimize the spatial development pattern of the national territory, deeply advance people-centered new urbanization, and strengthen the development, utilization, and protection of the ocean.

三是建设强大国内市场，促进区域协调发展。坚持扩大内需这个战略基点，坚持惠民生和促消费、投资于物和投资于人紧密结合，增强国内大循环内生动力和可靠性。发挥区域协调发展战略、区域重大战略、主体功能区战略、新型城镇化战略叠加效应，增强区域发展协调性，促进区域联动发展，优化国土空间发展格局，深入推进以人为本的新型城镇化，加强海洋开发利用保护。

Fourth, promote a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and build a beautiful China. Taking the peak carbon and carbon neutrality targets as the driving force, coordinate efforts to reduce carbon emissions, cut pollution, expand green spaces, and promote growth; accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of production and lifestyles; build a new energy system; strengthen ecological security barriers; and enhance the momentum for green development.

四是推动经济社会发展全面绿色转型，建设美丽中国。以碳达峰碳中和为牵引，协同推进降碳、减污、扩绿、增长，加快生产生活方式绿色低碳转型，构建新型能源体系，筑牢生态安全屏障，增强绿色发展动能。

Fifth, increase efforts to ensure people’s livelihoods and solidly advance common prosperity. Adhere to the principle of doing one’s best within one’s means; strengthen public welfare, basic, and safety-net livelihood construction; promote high-quality and full employment; improve the income distribution system; run education to the satisfaction of the people; improve the social security system; promote high-quality development of real estate; accelerate the building of a healthy China; promote high-quality population development; and steadily advance the equalization of basic public services.

五是加大民生保障力度，扎实推进共同富裕。坚持尽力而为、量力而行，加强普惠性、基础性、兜底性民生建设，促进高质量充分就业，完善收入分配制度，办好人民满意的教育，健全社会保障体系，推动房地产高质量发展，加快建设健康中国，促进人口高质量发展，稳步推进基本公共服务均等化。

Sixth, coordinate development and security, and build a solid national security barrier. Adhere to a holistic approach to national security; improve the national security system; strengthen national security capacity building in key areas; raise the level of public safety governance; improve the social governance system; and build a higher-level “Safe China.”

六是统筹发展和安全，筑牢国家安全屏障。坚持总体国家安全观，健全国家安全体系，加强重点领域国家安全能力建设，提高公共安全治理水平，完善社会治理体系，建设更高水平的“平安中国”。

The 14th Five-Year Plan period will be an important historical stage in the process of Chinese-path modernization. Only by adhering to the grand view of history, grasping the laws of history, and planning the future with a world vision and a holistic perspective can we carry forward the historical initiative and paint a magnificent chapter of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the magnificent picture of the times.

“十五五”时期将是中国式现代化进程中的重要历史阶段。唯有坚持大历史观，把握历史规律，以世界眼光、全局视野谋划未来，才能发扬历史主动精神，在波澜壮阔的时代画卷中绘就中华民族伟大复兴的壮丽篇章。

(The author is an associate researcher at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系中国社会科学院当代中国研究所副研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧