The 15th Five-Year Plan Contributes Chinese Wisdom to Global Development

Development is an eternal theme of human society and a lasting driving force for humanity to overcome difficulties together and march toward the future. The world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, accelerating in their evolution, and global development faces unprecedented challenges. Against this backdrop, the proposal for China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, reviewed and adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, systematically outlines a strategic blueprint for China’s economic and social development over the next five years, centered on comprehensively building a modern socialist country and achieving the second centenary goal. This important document not only concerns the Chinese people’s aspirations for a better life but also, with its broad vision, firm resolve, systematic approach, and forward-looking layout, contributes Chinese wisdom to the international community’s joint efforts to address global development challenges and promote shared global development.

发展，是人类社会永恒的主题，也是人类共克时艰、共赴未来的持久动能。世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，全球发展面临前所未有的挑战。在此背景下，党的二十届四中全会审议通过的中国“十五五”规划建议，围绕全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标，系统擘画了未来五年中国经济社会发展的战略蓝图。这一重要文件，不仅关乎中国人民对未来美好生活的向往，更以其宏阔视野、坚定决心、系统方案和前瞻布局，为国际社会携手应对全球发展挑战、推动全球共同发展贡献了中国智慧。

Seizing the Initiative in Development through High-Quality Development

以高质量发展争取发展主动

“Those who observe the situation are clear-sighted; those who follow the trend are wise.” Correctly understanding and grasping the situation facing China’s development is a prerequisite for formulating a scientific development plan. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC pointed out that during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China’s development environment is undergoing profound and complex changes, and the country is in a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, with increasing uncertainties and unpredictable factors. This scientific judgment demonstrates the Party’s precise grasp of the internal logic of China’s development and its external environment.

“察势者明，趋势者智。” 正确认识和把握我国发展面临的形势，是制定科学发展规划的前提。党的二十届四中全会指出，“十五五”时期我国发展环境面临深刻复杂变化，我国发展处于战略机遇和风险挑战并存、不确定难预料因素增多的时期。这一科学判断，彰显了我们党对中国发展内在逻辑与外部环境的精准把握。

Concentrating efforts on handling China’s own affairs well. From the First Five-Year Plan to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the CPC has led the Chinese people through successive five-year plans (programs) to create two miracles rarely seen in the world: rapid economic development and long-term social stability. The proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan states that during this period, China will coordinate both domestic and international imperatives, adhering to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability. This guiding ideology fully demonstrates the confidence and determination of the CPC and the Chinese people in the Chinese path, Chinese governance, and Chinese rationale. This confidence stems from the fundamentals of China’s economy—its stable foundation, multiple advantages, strong resilience, and great potential—and from favorable conditions such as the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the super-large market, the complete industrial system, and abundant human resources. This determination is reflected in the strategic resolve of the Party, uniting and leading the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to overcome difficulties, confront risks, and meet challenges with a historical initiative spirit, concentrating on handling China’s own affairs well.

集中力量办好自己的事。从“一五”计划到“十四五”规划，中国共产党领导中国人民通过五年规划（计划）接续奋斗，创造了世所罕见的经济快速发展和社会长期稳定两大奇迹。“十五五”规划建议指出，“十五五”时期中国将统筹国内国际两个大局，坚持稳中求进工作总基调。这一指导思想，充分彰显了中国共产党和中国人民坚定中国之路、中国之治、中国之理的信心和决心。这份信心，源自我国经济基础稳、优势多、韧性强、潜能大的基本面，源自中国特色社会主义制度优势、超大规模市场优势、完整产业体系优势、丰富人才资源优势等有利条件。这份决心，体现在我们党团结带领全国各族人民，以历史主动精神克难关、战风险、迎挑战，集中力量办好自己的事的战略定力上。

Accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will guide development with the new development philosophy, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, strengthen the domestic economic cycle, smooth the dual domestic and international circulations, and promote sustained and healthy economic development and comprehensive social progress. China will enhance high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, break through bottlenecks in key core technologies, improve the resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains, and solidify the foundation of the modern industrial system. China will also comprehensively advance rural revitalization and coordinated regional development, tap into the potential of domestic demand, and continuously consolidate the material foundation for comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

加快构建新发展格局。“十五五”时期，中国将以新发展理念引领发展，因地制宜发展新质生产力，做强国内大循环，畅通国内国际双循环，推动经济持续健康发展和社会全面进步。中国将通过强化高水平科技自立自强，突破关键核心技术瓶颈，提升产业链供应链韧性与安全水平，筑牢现代化产业体系根基。中国还将通过全面推进乡村振兴与区域协调发展，挖掘内需潜力，不断夯实全面建设社会主义现代化国家的物质基础。

Empowering Shared Development through High-Level Opening Up

以高水平对外开放赋能共同发展

“China’s development cannot be separated from the world, and the world’s prosperity also needs China.” The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasized expanding high-level opening up and creating a new situation of win-win cooperation. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will further expand independent opening up, actively participate in the reform of the global economic governance system, firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, promote the building of an inclusive, mutually beneficial, and win-win international economic order, and share opportunities and achieve common development with countries around the world.

“中国的发展离不开世界，世界的繁荣也需要中国。”党的二十届四中全会强调，要扩大高水平对外开放，开创合作共赢新局面。“十五五”时期，中国将进一步扩大自主开放，积极参与全球经济治理体系改革，坚定维护多边贸易体制，推动构建普惠包容、合作共赢的国际经济秩序，与世界各国共享机遇、共同发展。

Adhering to high-level opening up. Opening up brings progress, while isolation inevitably leads to backwardness. “China’s door of opening up will not close; it will only open wider.” Faced with rising protectionism and unilateralism, China chooses to meet challenges with greater opening up. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will steadily expand institutional opening up in rules, regulations, management, and standards, continuously create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment, and constantly expand space for two-way investment cooperation. China will promote the optimization and upgrading of trade in goods, innovate mechanisms for trade in services, and expand new business forms such as digital trade, so that more high-quality Chinese products and services can benefit global consumers, and specialty goods from countries around the world can more conveniently enter the Chinese market.

坚持高水平对外开放。开放带来进步，封闭必然落后。“中国开放的大门不会关闭，只会越开越大。”面对保护主义、单边主义抬头，中国选择以更大的开放应对挑战。“十五五”时期，中国将稳步扩大规则、规制、管理、标准等制度型开放，持续打造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境，不断拓展双向投资合作空间。中国将推动货物贸易优化升级，创新服务贸易机制，拓展数字贸易等新业态，让更多优质的中国产品和服务惠及全球消费者，也让世界各国的特色商品更便利地进入中国市场。

High-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative is the top-level design for China’s opening up and economic diplomacy in the New Era and an important international cooperation platform for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Standing at a new historical starting point, China will continue to adhere to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, strengthen strategic alignment with partner countries, and enhance the overall planning and management of cooperation. On the basis of deepening the “hard connectivity” of infrastructure, the “soft connectivity” of rules and standards, and the “heart-to-heart connectivity” among the peoples of partner countries, China will coordinate the advancement of major landmark projects and “small yet smart” livelihood projects, assist relevant countries in common development, and inject lasting impetus into global connectivity and the common prosperity of all countries.

高质量共建“一带一路”。共建“一带一路”倡议是新时代中国对外开放和经济外交的顶层设计，是推动构建人类命运共同体的重要国际合作平台。站在新的历史起点上，中国将继续坚持共商共建共享原则，加强与共建国家战略对接，强化合作规划统筹管理。在深化基础设施“硬联通”、规则标准“软联通”、同共建国家人民“心联通”的基础上，中国将统筹推进重大标志性工程和“小而美”民生项目建设，助力相关国家共同发展，为全球互联互通和世界各国共同繁荣注入持久动力。

Ensuring Development Security through Building a Peaceful China

以平安中国建设保障发展安全

Coordinating development and security, enhancing awareness of potential dangers, and remaining vigilant in times of peace is a major principle of the Party’s governance. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC elevated “coordinating development and security” to a new historical height, emphasizing consolidating security through development and seeking development within security, enhancing economic and social resilience, and safeguarding the new development pattern with a new security architecture. This important exposition profoundly reveals the dialectical unity of development and security, demonstrating China’s strong will and strategic wisdom in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests in the process of advancing modernization.

统筹发展和安全，增强忧患意识，做到居安思危，是我们党治国理政的一个重大原则。党的二十届四中全会将“统筹发展和安全”提升到新的历史高度，强调在发展中固安全，在安全中谋发展，增强经济和社会韧性，以新安全格局保障新发展格局。这一重要论述，深刻揭示了发展和安全的辩证统一关系，彰显了中国在推进现代化进程中维护国家主权、安全、发展利益的坚强意志和战略智慧。

Building a higher-level Peaceful China. Building a Peaceful China is an important component of Chinese-path modernization. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, facing a complex situation with increasing external risks and challenges, China will coordinate high-quality development and high-level security, focus on advancing the modernization of the national security system and capacity, and improve the national security system. China will focus on strengthening national security capacity building in emerging fields such as the internet, data, artificial intelligence, biology, ecology, nuclear energy, outer space, deep sea, polar regions, and low-altitude airspace, effectively prevent and defuse various risks and challenges, and ensure that the giant ship of China’s development does not deviate from its course due to “black swan” or “gray rhino” events. China’s emphasis on and protection of its own security is in itself an important contribution to world peace and stability.

建设更高水平平安中国。建设平安中国是中国式现代化的重要内容。“十五五”时期，面对外部风险挑战增多的复杂形势，中国将统筹高质量发展和高水平安全，着力推进国家安全体系和能力现代化，健全国家安全体系。中国将重点加强网络、数据、人工智能、生物、生态、核、太空、深海、极地、低空等新兴领域国家安全能力建设，有效防范化解各种风险挑战，确保中国发展的巨轮不因“黑天鹅”“灰犀牛”事件而偏离航向。中国对自身安全的重视和守护，本身就是对世界和平稳定的重要贡献。

Adhering to the path of peaceful development. The Chinese nation has always been a peace-loving nation, and taking the path of peaceful development is a strategic choice made by China based on its national conditions, cultural traditions, and fundamental interests. China has proposed and actively implemented the Global Security Initiative, advocating a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, opposing all forms of hegemonism and power politics, opposing “long-arm jurisdiction” and unilateral sanctions, and advocating the peaceful resolution of international disputes through dialogue and consultation. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will be committed to maintaining the overall stability of major-country relations, strengthening solidarity and cooperation with the Global South, deepening international law enforcement and security cooperation, and promoting the improvement of global security governance. As a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order, China will continue to firmly uphold international fairness and justice, safeguard the common interests of the people of all countries, and steer the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction. China will use its own achievements in peaceful development to provide security guarantees for global development and inject more stability and positive energy into a turbulent and changing world.

坚持走和平发展道路。中华民族历来是爱好和平的民族，走和平发展道路是中国基于自身国情、文化传统和根本利益作出的战略抉择。中国提出并积极践行全球安全倡议，主张共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全观，反对一切形式的霸权主义和强权政治，反对“长臂管辖”和单边制裁，主张通过对话协商和平解决国际争端。“十五五”时期，中国将致力于维护大国关系总体稳定，加强与全球南方团结合作，深化国际执法安全合作，推动完善全球安全治理。作为世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者，中国将继续坚定捍卫国际公平正义，维护各国人民共同利益，引领国际秩序朝着更加公正合理的方向发展。中国将以自身和平发展成就，为全球发展提供安全保障，为动荡变革的世界注入更多稳定性和正能量。

Leading Innovative Development through Chinese-Path Modernization

以中国式现代化引领创新发展

Looking at the process of world modernization, innovation has always been the core engine driving development. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasized that during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China’s economic and social development should take reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force. In the proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan, “innovation” is mentioned 61 times. In 2025, China’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index rose from 34th in 2012 to 10th. The successful experience of Chinese-path modernization in leading innovative development provides important inspiration and new options for humanity’s common march toward modernization.

纵观世界现代化进程，创新始终是驱动发展的核心引擎。党的二十届四中全会强调，“十五五”时期我国经济社会发展要以改革创新为根本动力。“十五五”规划建议中，有61次提及“创新”。2025年，中国全球创新指数排名从2012年的第34位升至第10位。中国式现代化引领创新发展的成功经验，为人类共同迈向现代化提供了重要启示与全新选择。

The leadership of the Party is the greatest advantage. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most distinctive feature and the most prominent advantage of Chinese-path modernization, and it is the primary principle that must be upheld in advancing Chinese-path modernization. The Communist Party of China, as the leadership core that oversees the overall situation and coordinates all parties, transforms the political advantage of top-level design into a powerful driving force for innovative development through the “five-year plan” mechanism. [5]5 The “five-year plan” mechanism refers to China’s system of national economic and social development plans formulated every five years, serving as a key tool for the Party and state to set medium-term development goals and priorities. The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a crucial stage for China to consolidate the foundation and exert full efforts in basically realizing socialist modernization, occupying an important position that links the past and the future in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization. Under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, the state and localities will formulate more detailed and complete planning outlines and special plans based on the recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan, thereby ensuring that the national planning system is accurately positioned, with clear boundaries, complementary functions, and unified coordination.

党的领导是最大优势。中国共产党的领导是中国式现代化最鲜明的特征和最突出的优势，是推进中国式现代化必须坚持的首要原则。中国共产党作为总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心，通过“五年规划”机制将顶层设计的政治优势转化为推动创新发展的强大动能。“十五五”时期是我国基本实现社会主义现代化夯实基础、全面发力的关键时期，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。在党中央集中统一领导下，国家和地方将根据“十五五”规划建议制定更为详尽和完善的规划纲要及专项规划，从而确保国家规划体系定位准确、边界清晰、功能互补、统一衔接。

Stimulate the creativity and innovation vitality of the whole society. The recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan point out that it is necessary to fully mobilize the initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity of the whole society in engaging in Chinese-path modernization, and to stimulate the vitality of the whole society in undertaking endeavors, starting businesses, and innovating and creating. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will coordinate the advancement of building a strong nation in education, science and technology, and human resources, comprehensively enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system, and seize the commanding heights of future development through self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology. China will, through the Two Integrations [6]6 The Two Integrations refers to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of China’s traditional culture, a concept central to Xi Jinping Thought. and the empowerment of information technology, stimulate the creativity and innovation vitality of the entire national culture, vigorously promote the flourishing of socialist culture, and enhance the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization. China will further implement the Global Civilization Initiative, deepen international cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, and make greater contributions to the inheritance and innovation of human civilization.

激发全社会创新创造活力。“十五五”规划建议指出，要充分调动全社会投身中国式现代化建设的积极性主动性创造性，激发全社会干事创业、创新创造活力。“十五五”时期，中国将统筹推进教育、科技、人才强国建设，全面提升国家创新体系整体效能，以科技自立自强抢占未来发展制高点。中国将通过“两个结合”与信息技术赋能，激发全民族文化创新创造活力，大力推动社会主义文化繁荣，提升中华文明传播力和影响力。中国将进一步落实全球文明倡议，深化国际人文交流合作，为人类文明传承与创新作出更大贡献。

(The author is a researcher at the Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院研究员）