The annual China Development Forum (CDF) will be held in Beijing from March 22 to 23, 2026, under the theme "China in its 15th Five-Year Plan Period: Advancing High-Quality Development and Creating New Opportunities Together." The forum is expected to highlight China's role as a key engine of global development and explore avenues for shared growth in an increasingly fragmented world.

The forum, often regarded by foreign guests as "China's Davos," will host 13 thematic seminars and several closed-door discussions, covering topics ranging from macroeconomic policy, consumption growth, and health industry development to global green transition, new energy, technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development.

Organized by the Development Research Center of the State Council and hosted by the China Development Research Foundation, the forum has, since its inception in 2000, become a key platform for dialogue among Chinese government leaders, global business executives, international organizations, and scholars from China and abroad.

This year's forum is particularly significant as it marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), set against the backdrop of a fragile global economic recovery and rising protectionism. International participants will closely examine how China's strategic development agenda could create new opportunities for global growth and cooperation.

According to the 15th Five-Year Plan, high-quality development remains China's primary goal. The plan aims to maintain GDP growth within a reasonable range while optimizing industrial structures and improving development quality. By 2035, China aims to double per capita GDP from 2020 levels, reaching the medium-high income range and laying a solid foundation for long-term economic stability.

The plan emphasizes technological self-reliance, with total R&D investment expected to grow over 7% annually, generating major original, landmark, and leading-edge scientific achievements. Reform and opening-up will also continue, with initiatives to improve market vitality, build a high-level foreign investment system, and promote fairer, more competitive business environments.

Green development is another cornerstone. The plan calls for the widespread adoption of clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy systems, with carbon peak goals achieved in 2030 and a shift toward sustainable production and lifestyles.

China's development brings global opportunities

International observers see China's development path as a source of global opportunities.

Carl F. Fey, a professor at BI Norwegian Business School, praised China's continuing openness to foreign investment and high-level initiatives such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), noting that a more open China creates new opportunities for the world.

"Based on the new Five-Year Plan, China is moving toward higher-level opening. This is undoubtedly good for both China and the world," Fey told China Media Group (CMG) in a recent interview. He said the import expo is an "excellent example." "Unlike most countries, which prioritize sending domestic firms abroad, China actively facilitates foreign enterprises to enter its market, creating new channels for international cooperation," said Fey.

He highlighted China's growing green economy competitiveness and expressed anticipation that the 15th Five-Year Plan period would see deeper international cooperation on green transition projects, including offshore wind and electric vehicles, areas where China and Norway have significant cooperation potential.

In 2025, China's economy grew 5%, surpassing 140 trillion yuan (about $20.4 trillion) for the first time. The government has set a 2026 GDP growth target of 4.5% to 5%, with efforts to exceed expectations.

Philippe Mornier, a Swiss business leader and former executive director of the Greater Geneva Bern area, noted that China's steady growth is vital not only for domestic employment and income growth but also for the global economy.

"During the 14th Five-Year Plan, China's economy grew by roughly $1 trillion annually, creating huge demand for goods, machinery, services, and consumer products, benefiting many countries worldwide," Mornier told CMG.

Under the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will continue to leverage its domestic market as a strategic pillar, boosting consumption and investment, while steadily expanding institutionalized openness to provide better conditions for foreign businesses and share development opportunities globally.

Against this backdrop, the 2026 China Development Forum will provide a unique platform for global leaders to engage with China's strategic priorities, explore emerging sectors and discuss opportunities for international cooperation in technology, green development and innovation-driven growth.