China's new five-year plan. Beijing has set economic and strategic goals for 2026-30

At the 4th plenum of the Central Committee that ended on Thursday, the Communist Party of China (CCP) set economic and strategic goals for 2026-2030. The new plan aims to combine “rapid economic development” with strengthening national security.

In a statement published after the plenum, which lasted four days in Beijing behind closed doors, the CCP emphasized that the years 2026-2030 will be “a key time to lay the foundations and fully accelerate towards realizing socialist modernization.”

The main goals for the upcoming five-year plan include achieving “significant results in high-quality development” and “further significant steps towards shared prosperity for the whole nation.”

They are to be a key element of the strategy “strong stimulation of consumption” and expansion of the “powerful domestic market”to speed up building a new development model in which internal demand will be the strategic basis. The party called for a merger “investing in people with investing in goods.”

The Chinese economy is currently in crisis, mainly due to the real estate crisis and weak domestic consumption due to loss of confidence and rising youth unemployment. This encourages citizens to reduce spending. The authorities have tried to address this problem by offering subsidies for car purchases and introducing incentive programs, but the effects of these measures remain moderate.

In the context of global challenges, the CPC notes that the world is undergoing “profound and complex changes” and the coming five-year period will be characterized by “the simultaneous occurrence of strategic opportunities and risks, with an increase in unpredictable factors.” These elements are not defined in the message.

The Central Committee called for maintaining “strategic determination” and “increasing the sense of certainty of victory”, the Central Committee stressing the need to be “courageous and good at fighting” in the face of “great challenges of raging storms”.

Particular emphasis was also placed on modernizing industry and strengthening the country's defense capabilities.

The CCP announced building a modern industrial systememphasizing the need to “maintain a reasonable share of the manufacturing industry” and develop “new, high-quality productive forces” driven by autonomous innovation and breakthrough technologies. The goal – it was emphasized – is China's domination in the new scientific and technological revolution.

On security, the CCP pledged to “promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities.”

It also announced its intention to “achieve the centennial goals of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on schedule.” In line with these goals, the PLA is to become a world-class army, and defense is to be modernized based on “military strategy of a new era”.

Simultaneously By 2035, China is expected to achieve “a GDP per capita level similar to that of moderately developed countries.”

Authorities in Beijing announced at the end of September that China, the world's second largest economy, will no longer apply for the benefits of developing country status in the World Trade Organization (WTO), although it will formally retain this status.

During the plenary session, it was emphasized that governing the country must start with governing the party, because only when the party prospers can the country be strong. The more effective management and self-discipline in the party, the better economic and social development is secured, it added.

The statement called for closer unity around the party's Central Committee, headed by Xi Jinping, and for further “writing the chapter of history about the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability.”

The Fourth Plenum was held on October 20-23 in Beijing with the participation of 168 full members of the Central Committee and their 147 deputies.

The new five-year plan will be formalized and adopted in March during the so-called two sessions, i.e. parallel sessions of China's façade parliament – the National People's Congress – and the People's Political Consultative Conference of China, which serves as an advisory body to the government.

From Beijing Krzysztof Pawliszak (PAP)

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