Xi Jinping Chairs Symposium on Economic and Social Development during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period for Several Provinces, Autonomous Regions, and Municipalities

On the morning of April 30, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a symposium in Shanghai on economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, attended by representatives from several provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that this year marks the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan; while accelerating the implementation of the plan’s goals and tasks, it is essential to adapt to changing circumstances, focus on strategic priorities, and make well-informed plans for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Li Qiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, and Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium.

At the symposium, Sun Shaocheng, Secretary of the CPC Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee; Chen Jining, Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee; Wang Hao, Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee; Wang Zhonglin, Secretary of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee; Huang Kunming, Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee; and Hu Changsheng, Secretary of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee, each delivered remarks, drawing on their respective work experiences to put forward opinions and suggestions on economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

After listening to the remarks of all participants, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. He emphasized that the scientific formulation and successive implementation of five-year plans represent a key experience in our Party’s governance and state administration, as well as a significant political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In planning economic and social development for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is imperative to accurately grasp the stage-specific requirements of this period, keep in mind the great cause of building a modern socialist country and achieving national rejuvenation, and closely focus on the goal of basically achieving socialist modernization. To this end, we must rationally set objectives and tasks and propose guiding principles and concrete measures for each sector. For the objectives and tasks across all areas, thorough analysis and rigorous justification are essential to ensure that they are scientifically sound, precisely targeted, and attainable within the prescribed time frame. We must adopt a holistic approach to planning, identify and prioritize the critical and decisive factors, carefully manage the pace and progress, and place particular emphasis on consolidating and expanding our strengths, breaking through bottlenecks and sticking points, addressing weaknesses and shortcomings, and enhancing quality and efficiency—while maintaining alignment with the overall goals.

Xi Jinping pointed out that in planning economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is essential to proactively anticipate the impact of evolving international conditions on China and to make timely adjustments and optimizations to the national economic layout in response to such developments. We must unswervingly focus on doing our own work well, steadfastly expand high-standard opening-up, adopt a range of measures to stabilize employment, support enterprises, maintain market stability, and bolster market expectations, thereby effectively underpinning the economy’s fundamental performance. At the same time, we should accelerate the establishment of a new development paradigm and comprehensively promote high-quality development. Greater emphasis must be placed on coordinating development with security, taking into account both domestic and external risks and challenges in a holistic manner, improving the national security system, and strengthening our capacity to safeguard national security. By advancing high-efficiency governance, we can foster a virtuous cycle of high-quality development and high-level security, and by establishing a new security framework, we can provide robust support for the new development paradigm.

Xi Jinping emphasized that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is imperative to accord a more prominent strategic position to the development of new-quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, with scientific and technological innovation as the driving force and the real economy as the foundation. We must simultaneously advance the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, vigorously develop emerging industries, proactively plan for future industries, and accelerate the building of a modern industrial system. It is essential to improve the national innovation system, stimulate the vitality of all types of innovation entities, aim at the forefront of global science and technology, continuously intensify efforts to strengthen basic research and enhance original innovation capabilities, and promptly tackle key core technologies and cutting-edge technologies. Moreover, we must coordinate and promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, thereby solidifying the foundational and strategic support for the development of new-quality productive forces.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese modernization is a socialist modernization characterized by common prosperity for all the people. In planning economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must remain true to our original aspiration, take benefiting the people as the fundamental value orientation, ensure and improve living standards in the course of development, and steadily advance common prosperity. We need to conduct in-depth research into effective measures for optimizing regional development patterns, promoting balanced regional development, consolidating and expanding the achievements made in poverty alleviation, advancing all-round rural revitalization and integrated urban–rural development, and accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, so as to steadily increase the incomes of both urban and rural residents. We should also formulate and introduce a number of well-balanced, widely accessible policies and initiatives to address the urgent, difficult, and pressing concerns of the people. When it comes to matters that directly affect the lives of ordinary people, practicality is key; all policies and measures must be concrete, effective, and grounded in reality, while adhering to the principle of doing our utmost within our capabilities.

Xi Jinping emphasized that, in planning economic and social development for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, all regions must accurately position themselves within the overall national context and strengthen the alignment of their plans. They should conduct thorough research and investigations, uphold the unity of goal-oriented and problem-oriented approaches, and, when formulating development strategies and policy measures, pay close attention to highlighting their unique characteristics and leveraging their comparative advantages.

He Lifeng and Wu Zhenglong attended the symposium, which was also attended by leading officials from relevant departments of central and state organs as well as from the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government.