context: The 14th 5-year plan (2021–25) concludes in 2025. Beijing approved Party recommendations for the 15th plan at October's Fourth Plenum. Key pillars—sustainable growth, scitech innovation, welfare, green transition, state security—will persist. Under the 'two-step approach', the PRC targets basic modernisation by 2035, doubling high-income populations from 16 to 35 percent globally. The synopsis below draws from the Fourth Plenum Communique.
The CPC 20th Central Committee convened its Fourth Plenary Session from 20–23 October 2025, reports Xinhua. The Plenum reviewed and adopted Party Proposals for the 15th 5-year plan.
The session recognises socialist modernisation as a step-by-step journey that requires continuous struggle. The 15th 5-year plan is a crucial transitional stage towards advancing and consolidating basic socialist modernisation.
The PRC’s development environment is expected to face profound and complex changes
- strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges
- rising uncertainties and unpredictable factors
- underlying conditions and long-term positivity remain unchanged
The PRC’s economic foundations remain sound
- ultra-large domestic market
- complete industrial system
- abundant talent resources
The Party must maintain strategic resolve, and both dare to and be adept at struggle. Core ideals to uphold include
- Party orthodox ideologies
- guiding principles of the 20th National Congress and all plenum sessions
- aim to realise the second centenary goal
- coordinating ‘five-sphere integrated plan’ with the ‘four comprehensives’
Overall, development must
- uphold holistic Party leadership
- uphold people-centric mentality and high-quality development
- deepen reform: utilise both effective market and proactive government
- coordinate development and security
Major developmental goals include
- significant progress in high-quality development: by 2035
- substantial rise in economic, scitech, defence and global influential capabilities
- GDP level reaches moderately developed countries’
- build a modernised industrial system and consolidate the real economy
- directions: intelligent, green and integrated development
- build the PRC into a manufacturing, aerospace, transport and cyberspace powerhouse
- maintain an appropriate share of manufacturing
- upgrade traditional industries and foster emerging /future industries
- develop a high-quality and efficient service sector
- build a modern infrastructure system
- hasten high-level scitech self-reliance
- lead new productive forces development
- coordinate build-up of an education, scitech and talent powerhouse
- leverage national innovation system for original breakthroughs
- build a strong domestic market
- strategic priority: expand domestic demand
- integrate measures to improve people’s livelihoods and boost consumption
- balance investments in physical assets and human capital
- create new supply via new demand; and vice versa
- establish unified national market: market vitality, allocation of factors and macroeconomic governance effectiveness
- expand high-standard opening up
- uphold multilateral trading system
- broaden international economic flows
- share opportunities and common development with other countries
- enlarge space for two-way investment cooperation
The remainder of 2025 ought to focus on stabilising employment, firms, markets and expectations, shoring up the momentum of economic recovery.