China's long-term planning code ensures continuity

Editor's note: Sun Siqi is a special research fellow of the Institute for the Study of State Systems, and a research fellow of China Institute of Urbanization, Zhejiang University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. It has been translated from Chinese and edited for brevity and clarity.

2026 marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) period, as the country takes a decisive step toward achieving basic socialist modernization by 2035. At a time when global turbulence and uncertainty are intensifying, many countries see their development strategies frequently altered or abandoned amid changes of government. Against this backdrop, what explains China's ability to maintain policy continuity for over seven decades and consistently pursue a single overarching blueprint? The answer lies in the evolutionary logic of its planning system, the institutional mechanisms that underpin implementation, and the broader practice of international cooperation.

Evolutionary logic: A steady direction and an adaptive path

China's Five-Year Plans are not rigid instruction lists, but strategic arrangements designed to address the priorities of different development stages. In the early years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the First Five-Year Plan focused on initiating industrialization and building a modern industrial system. Following the introduction of reform and opening-up, the central task shifted toward liberating and developing productive forces. In the new era, amid a more complex domestic and international environment, planning priorities have shifted toward high-quality development, high-standard opening-up, and emerging future industries. What has changed are the governance tools and development focus; what remains unchanged is the overarching objective of modernization. With the enactment of the National Development Planning Law in 2026, this continuity has been elevated into a legal institutional framework.

Institutional logic: Three forms of coordination underpinning effective implementation

China's strong implementation capacity in development planning is rooted in the coordinated functioning of three key relationships.

Firstly, central–local coordination under a unified national framework. Under the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China, national plans are translated into state will and implemented in a top-down manner, enabling the mobilization of resources for major national initiatives. At the same time, planning is not a unilateral directive process. It follows a scientific cycle of research, formulation, implementation, and evaluation, while allowing space for local innovation. For example, Zhejiang Province's "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" project has been elevated from a local practice to a national rural revitalization initiative after delivering remarkable results. This mechanism of central coordination combined with local experimentation helps avoid both rigid uniformity and fragmented implementation.

Secondly, the coordinated role of government and market forces. Planning does not replace the market; rather, it defines the boundary between an effective market and a proactive government. The latter provides strategic direction and stable expectations, while the former plays the decisive role in resource allocation. In areas such as basic research, major infrastructure projects, and key core technologies, forward-looking state planning is required. In competitive sectors, however, market mechanisms are allowed to operate more fully. Accordingly, this enables the country to address shortcomings and tackle key bottlenecks, while stimulating market vitality, achieving an organic balance between "vitality through liberalization" and "effective regulation".

Thirdly, shared aspiration between the state and the people. In China's planning system, national development is closely linked with people's well-being. The people are both beneficiaries and participants in the planning process. According to statistics, the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan received more than 3.113 million suggestions through online public consultation. The people-centered development philosophy provides the foundation for broad social consensus on the plan.

Global perspective: From independent development to a shared future

China's experience demonstrates to developing countries that modernization does not necessarily depend on large-scale external capital or short-term stimulus. Instead, it can be achieved through long-term planning suited to national conditions, continuously improving infrastructure, industrial capacity, living standards, and governance capability. From South–South cooperation to the Belt and Road Initiative, from implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to advocating the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China links its own development with global development. What it offers is not a model to be mechanically replicated, but a development approach grounded in long-term thinking and mutual benefit.

In summary, the "code" of China's long-term planning lies in the consistent direction of modernization, the adaptive evolution of implementation pathways, the effective institutional execution, and the continued expansion of openness and cooperation. China's ability to carry a single blueprint through to completion is rooted in institutional support for long-termism. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will continue to rely on planning continuity to cope with global uncertainty, explore new opportunities of modernization through sustained efforts, and contribute greater stability and development momentum to the world.

(Cover image via VCG)