19 Mar 2026

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China is embarking on a new journey to advance Chinese modernization as its latest grand blueprint unfolds. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development was approved at the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, earlier this month. "A well-conceived 15th Five-Year Plan and its effective implementation will ensure we have even stronger foundations for basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035," Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, once said. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that socialist modernization can only be realized through a historical process of gradual and ongoing development. It requires the unremitting hard work of one generation after another. Xinhua Headlines: 15th Five-Year Plan to guarantee steady, long-term advancement of Chinese modernization Source: XinhuaEditor: huaxia2026-03-19 00:27:16 A tourist visits a rapeseed flower field as a high-speed train runs past in Longmatan District of Luzhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Feb. 26, 2026. (Photo by Mu Ke/Xinhua) BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China is embarking on a new journey to advance Chinese modernization as its latest grand blueprint unfolds. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development was approved at the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, earlier this month. "A well-conceived 15th Five-Year Plan and its effective implementation will ensure we have even stronger foundations for basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035," Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, once said. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that socialist modernization can only be realized through a historical process of gradual and ongoing development. It requires the unremitting hard work of one generation after another. A researcher displays rolled-up "fiber chips" and a smart tactile glove made by weaving the chips into textiles at Fudan University in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) BUILDING NEW GROWTH MOMENTUM The world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, with the challenges of securing peace, development, security and governance intensifying, while geopolitical risks are increasing, and global economic growth momentum remains weak. Notably, China's economic transformation and upgrading are deepening, with reform efforts tackling deep-seated problems. In addition, new quality productive forces are being fostered at an accelerated pace. "Efforts should be redoubled to gain experience in analyzing new situations and solving new problems," Xi said during China's "two sessions" earlier this month. Developing new quality productive forces is an essential requirement for building a modern industrial system and fueling a powerful engine for advancing high-quality development. As a new driver of future development, new quality productive forces should be cultivated in line with local conditions. It is necessary to leverage local resource endowments, industrial foundations and research capabilities to selectively foster emerging industries, new business models and new growth drivers. Guided by scientific and technological innovation and anchored in the real economy, efforts should be made to speed up the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and foster the growth of emerging industries and future-oriented industries, so as to accelerate the development of a modern industrial system. Meanwhile, improving the national innovation system and stimulating the vitality of various innovation entities remain key priorities. With a focus on the frontiers of global science and technology, sustained efforts should be made to strengthen basic research and enhance original innovation capacity, while intensifying breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields and frontier technologies. Amid a rapidly changing international environment and various uncertainties, focusing on managing the country's own affairs well and enhancing its development quality is crucial in ensuring a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan. For China, it is imperative to advance high-quality development, build a unified national market and expand high-standard opening up to explore global markets. China still faces challenges of uneven and inadequate development, including declining labor demand in traditional industries due to technological and industrial transformations, and growing pressure on public services and social security because of an aging population. Addressing these issues is essential for sustaining growth and ensuring that development benefits all. GLOBAL VISION OF CHINA'S MODERNIZATION PATH "Chinese modernization delivers benefit to the Chinese people and also advances common development of the world. It is a sure path for us to build a stronger nation and realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is also a path we must take to seek progress for humanity and harmony for the entire world," Xi said in a keynote address at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in 2023. These remarks situated Chinese modernization within the historical context of China's relations with the world, highlighting its inclusive character and pursuit of win-win outcomes. Chinese modernization is fundamentally characterized by proactive global engagement. Since the reform and opening up, China's developmental trajectory, guided by successive five-year plans, has been inseparable from international cooperation.    Openness has always been the defining feature of Chinese modernization. From "the world factory" to "the world market," and from a land for global investment to a global innovation hub, each leap in China's development drives cooperation with the world into broader areas and deeper levels.