We Talk: Russian vlogger reflects on 15 years of China's transformation

For a Russian vlogger who has lived in China for 15 years, the most telling signs of the country's development are not headline figures, but everyday ones: a high-speed rail network that connects cities in hours, and skies that have grown noticeably clearer.

Daniel says long-distance travel once meant planes and trains; now, high-speed rail gets him from one city to another quickly and easily. Through these everyday experiences, he has felt the pace and impact of China's development. In his view, none of this happened overnight — it is the result of long-term planning, sustained investment and continuous exploration.

What he most wants to share with young people back home is the power of a "long-term perspective." Just as China has advanced through one five-year plan after another, ordinary people, he says, can focus on one important goal over a five-year cycle and achieve success through long-term effort and persistence.

As China enters its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Daniel's observations offer a personal lens on a broader question: how does sustained, long-term planning shape a country's development — and what can others learn from it?