The fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, concluded on Thursday with the adoption of the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, which sets China's strategic direction for 2026–2030, a critical period bridging past achievements and future modernization goals.

Domestic and international experts share their insights on how this period will shape China's long-term trajectory amid a complex global landscape and how the new blueprint will help China drive high-quality growth, and enhance technological self-reliance.

What makes the 15th Five-Year Plan so important?

Zhang Xiaojing, professor of Economics and Director of the National Institution for Finance and Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted the role of the five-year plan as a strategic bridge.

"The advancement of Chinese modernization is a process of continuous endeavor," Zhang said. "Each five-year plan plays a vital role in connecting past progress with future goals."

According to Zhang, the 15th Five-Year Plan period represents a phase in which China will strengthen its foundations and move forward at full speed.

He stressed that the five-year planning system itself embodies China's institutional strengths in governance. "Through five-year plans and even longer-term blueprints like the two-step development strategy, China provides a structured, sequenced vision for the future," he said.

Such planning, Zhang argued, creates predictability in an unpredictable world. "This stable expectation is not only vital for China's own development, but also contributes significantly to global macroeconomic stability."

Einar Tangen, a senior fellow at the Center for International Government Innovation, added an international perspective, highlighting the continuity of the five-year plan system during an interview with CGTN.

The 15th Five-Year Plan builds on the strengths of the 14th's. China's planning system ensures follow-through, unlike many countries where short-term political cycles dominate. Planning and delivery are absolutely essential.

What opportunities and challenges lie ahead during the 15th Five-Year Plan period?

In a complicated external environment, China should comprehensively deepen reform and promote interplay between an efficient market and a well-functioning government, Zhang explained.

He emphasized that China's path forward lies in "doing our own job well." Key priorities include developing new quality productive forces, establishing mechanisms for high-quality growth, and improving the socialist market economy.

Tasks such as building a unified national market, expanding domestic demand, and enhancing economic resilience will be urgent and essential. "Only by managing our own affairs well," Zhang said, "can we better respond to changes in the external environment."

How can China address these opportunities and challenges?

Zhang pointed to the emphasis on technological self-reliance as one of the most significant signals from the recent plenary session.

"When we talk about domestic circulation, people often focus on demand – how to stimulate consumption," he noted. “But in fact, the supply side is even more critical. If our industrial and supply chains lack resilience, the circulation simply cannot function."

He added that strengthening science and technology is not just a response to current global pressures, but also the foundation of China's long-term competitiveness. "A technologically strong nation has a stronger voice internationally. Without technological power, there can be no true influence," Zhang said.

What new changes and priorities will shape economic and social development?

Qu Qiang, a fellow at the Belt and Road Research Center for Minzu University of China, outlined three key directions from the plenary communique: domestic upgrading and reform, institutional opening-up, and technology self-sufficiency.

"China will insist on domestic reform and upgrading to nurture new market demand and renovate the economic structure," Qu told CGTN. He pointed out targets such as increasing service-sector consumption to over 50 percent of GDP, linking fiscal, monetary, labor, and education policies to consumption, human resources, and talent development.

Qu also highlighted institutional reform, including the development of a high-level market economy, optimization of factor allocation, and deeper integration with global trade arrangements like CPTPP and RCEP.

Finally, he stressed technology, noting that self-sufficiency in AI, quantum computing, fusion energy, and biotech will support the shift from quantity-based growth to a high-productivity, innovation-driven economy.

Zhang also believes that the emphasis on high-level scientific and technological self-reliance will continue to shape China's development goals. "It's the key to building a secure and resilient domestic economy and achieving real strength in the international arena," he said.

Beyond innovation, Zhang stressed the need for stronger industrial and supply chain security. "If we are vulnerable in key sectors, domestic circulation cannot operate effectively," he warned.

What signals are released in the emphasis on the real economy?

"I think the focus of economic development must remain on the real economy, with manufacturing at its core," Zhang said.

He observed that even developed economies are now promoting re-industrialization and manufacturing re-shoring. "This shows that manufacturing competition is becoming a key strategic battleground globally," he said.

"Maintaining a reasonable share of manufacturing," Zhang added, "is vital for ensuring economic security. We cannot afford to lose this 'war' – manufacturing remains the anchor of China's economic stability and competitiveness."