Ministry of Transport - Xi Jinping: Explanation of the "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development"

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 28

Explanation of the "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development"

Xi Jinping

Comrades:

Entrusted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, I will explain to the plenary session the relevant circumstances surrounding the drafting of the "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" (hereinafter referred to as the "Suggestions").

I. Drafting Process of the "Proposal"

Formulating medium- and long-term plans to guide economic and social development is an important way for our Party to govern the country. The 14th Five-Year Plan will be completed this year, and it is necessary to study and formulate the 15th Five-Year Plan. The successful formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan is of great significance for promoting the sustained and healthy development of my country's economy and society and laying a more solid foundation for the timely realization of socialist modernization.

In January of this year, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee would review the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal, and established a drafting group for the document, with myself as the group leader, and Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Ding Xuexiang as deputy group leaders. Officials from relevant departments and localities participated, and the group was responsible for drafting the "Proposal" under the leadership of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. On February 11, the drafting group held its first plenary meeting, officially launching the drafting of the "Proposal".

The CPC Central Committee upheld the principles of democracy and collective wisdom throughout the entire drafting process, conducting in-depth investigations and research, and widely soliciting opinions from all sides. On January 22, the CPC Central Committee issued a "Notice on Soliciting Opinions on the Proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan Studied at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee," soliciting opinions from within and outside the Party. In late February, the CPC Central Committee organized six research groups to conduct special investigations in 12 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Simultaneously, the CPC Central Committee deployed some central and state organs to conduct research on 35 key topics. On April 30, I chaired a symposium in Shanghai on the economic and social development of some provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Subsequently, I entrusted Comrade Li Qiang to convene three symposiums with representatives from the economic, scientific, and grassroots sectors. We also conducted an online opinion-gathering campaign, receiving over 3 million messages, from which relevant departments compiled over 1,500 suggestions. It is widely believed that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee's focus on the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal is of great significance for better leveraging the strategic guiding role of national development planning, further uniting the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country, and comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong nation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization. A comprehensive assessment indicates that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, my country's development faces both strategic opportunities and risks and challenges, with increased uncertainties and unpredictable factors. However, the supporting conditions and basic trends for my country's long-term positive economic and social development remain unchanged. There is a general hope that the overall approach, important principles, main objectives, strategic tasks, and major measures for economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period will be clearly defined, promoting high-quality development and laying a more solid foundation for the basic realization of socialist modernization.

On August 4th, the draft of the "Suggestions" was distributed within a certain scope of the Party for comments, including those from some veteran Party members, and also specifically solicited opinions from leaders of the central committees of various democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and representatives of non-Party figures. Judging from the comments received, various regions and departments fully affirmed the draft "Suggestions." Everyone agreed that the draft accurately grasped the historical position of the Party and the country's development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, deeply analyzed the profound and complex changes facing my country's development environment, and made top-level design and strategic plans for development over the next five years. The guiding principles were scientific and precise, the main objectives were clear and specific, and the tasks and measures were pragmatic and realistic. It represents another general mobilization and deployment to build on the momentum and continue to advance Chinese-style modernization, reflecting the historical initiative to continue writing a new chapter in the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and striving to create a new situation in Chinese-style modernization. It will undoubtedly have a significant and far-reaching impact on the development of the Party and the country. At the same time, many good opinions and suggestions were put forward from various sectors. The drafting group analyzed each point in the document, incorporating as much as possible. A total of 218 additions, revisions, and simplifications were made to the draft "Suggestions," covering 452 opinions and suggestions from various parties.

During the drafting of the "Proposal", the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held three meetings and the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held two meetings to review and revise it, resulting in the "Proposal" submitted to this plenary session for review.

It can be said that the drafting of this document is another vivid practice of promoting intra-party democracy and whole-process people's democracy.

II. Main Considerations and Basic Contents of the Draft "Recommendations"

The overall consideration in drafting the "Proposal" was to accurately grasp the important position of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization, in accordance with the "two-step" strategic arrangement for building a modern socialist country in all respects made at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and to make systematic plans and strategic deployments for my country's economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period by deeply analyzing the domestic and international situation.

In drafting the "Suggestions," we paid attention to the following points: First, we adhered to a goal-oriented and problem-oriented approach, based on the fundamental positioning of consolidating the foundation and exerting comprehensive efforts. Our systematic planning focused on laying a more solid foundation for the basic realization of socialist modernization, and on addressing shortcomings and weaknesses by effectively and efficiently responding to the new situation of the world's century-long transformation and prominent development issues. Second, we adhered to systematic thinking, comprehensively deploying all aspects of economic and social development and Party building work in accordance with the requirements of coordinating the overall layout of the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" and the strategic layout of the "Four Comprehensives." Third, we persisted in further comprehensively deepening reform, focusing on using reform methods to solve development problems and inject momentum and vitality into development. Fourth, we persisted in expanding opening up to the outside world, both basing development on our own strength and making good use of global factors and market resources.

The draft of the "Suggestions" consists of 15 parts, divided into three main sections. The first section, comprising Parts I and II, serves as a general overview, mainly elaborating on the significant achievements of my country's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the crucial role of the 15th Five-Year Plan period in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization, the profound and complex changes in my country's development environment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and the guiding ideology, principles, and main objectives for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The second section, comprising Parts III through XIV (12 parts), focuses on key issues related to the overall situation and long-term development, outlining strategic tasks and major initiatives for the 15th Five-Year Plan period in various fields. It clarifies the ideas and key tasks in key areas such as industrial development, technological innovation, the domestic market, economic system, opening up to the outside world, rural revitalization, regional development, cultural construction, people's livelihood, green development, security development, and national defense. The third section, comprising Part XV and a conclusion, mainly outlines tasks such as upholding and strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, promoting socialist democracy and the rule of law, work related to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and fully mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the whole society.

III. Several Key Issues Requiring Explanation

The draft recommendations put forward some important viewpoints and major initiatives. Here, we will briefly explain some of the key issues.

First, regarding the important position of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. Realizing socialist modernization is a step-by-step, progressive historical process that requires unremitting efforts and continuous struggle. The draft "Suggestions" propose that the "15th Five-Year Plan" period holds a crucial position in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization, a judgment based on the historical tasks it should undertake. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China determined that socialist modernization will be basically realized by 2035. The "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the first five years, has already laid a solid foundation and achieved a good start. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a crucial period for consolidating the foundation and exerting comprehensive efforts; formulating and implementing the "15th Five-Year Plan" effectively will lay an even more solid foundation for basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035.

The draft recommendations plan for development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period based on this fundamental positioning. It maintains continuity with the concepts and approaches proposed in the 14th Five-Year Plan while accurately grasping the major trends in my country's development over the next five years. It puts forward a realistic and forward-looking overall approach, major principles, key objectives, and strategic tasks. We must seize this window of opportunity to consolidate and expand our advantages, break through bottlenecks and constraints, and address weaknesses and shortcomings. We must gain strategic initiative in fierce international competition, promote major breakthroughs in strategic tasks concerning the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization, and ensure decisive progress towards the basic realization of socialist modernization.

Second, regarding the goals for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Setting scientific development goals is crucial for the effective formulation and implementation of the Five-Year Plan. The draft recommendations grasp the basic positioning and phased requirements of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, clarifying the main goals for economic and social development. A key indicator for basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 is achieving a per capita GDP at the level of moderately developed countries, which requires maintaining an appropriate pace of economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Based on in-depth research and scientific argumentation, the draft recommendations propose important goals such as maintaining economic growth within a reasonable range, steadily improving total factor productivity, fully releasing economic growth potential, ensuring that residents' income growth is synchronized with economic growth, ensuring that increases in labor remuneration are synchronized with increases in labor productivity, and continuously expanding the middle-income group. At the same time, considering the current prominent issues such as increased downward pressure on the domestic economy and insufficient effective demand, the draft recommendations propose goals such as a significant increase in the residents' consumption rate and a sustained strengthening of the role of domestic demand in driving economic growth.

Drawing on past practices, the draft of the "Recommendations" proposes that the economic and social development goals for the "15th Five-Year Plan" period are mainly qualitative requirements, while necessary quantitative requirements and some specific work arrangements will be studied and determined when formulating the "Outline" of the plan, so as to better reflect and give full play to the macro-guiding role of the "Recommendations".

Third, regarding the theme of promoting high-quality development, the "Recommendations" are consistent with the "14th Five-Year Plan," continuing to identify promoting high-quality development as the theme of economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. It requires adhering to economic construction as the central task, fully and accurately implementing the new development philosophy, achieving effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth, and promoting sustained and healthy economic development and comprehensive social progress. The most important aspect of promoting high-quality development is accelerating self-reliance in high-level science and technology, actively developing new types of productive forces, and achieving substantial and breakthrough progress in promoting scientific and technological innovation, accelerating the cultivation of new growth drivers, and promoting the optimization and upgrading of the economic structure.

The draft recommendations emphasize the leading role of scientific and technological innovation, outlining plans for building a modern industrial system, accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and promoting a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. It proposes optimizing and upgrading traditional industries, cultivating and expanding emerging and future industries, and consolidating the foundation of the real economy. It also proposes strengthening original innovation and tackling key core technologies, promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, advancing the integrated development of education, science and technology talent, and further promoting the construction of Digital China. Furthermore, it proposes accelerating the construction of a new energy system and accelerating the formation of green production and lifestyles. It is important to note that developing new productive forces requires certain endowments and conditions, and practical feasibility must be fully considered. The draft recommendations emphasize developing new productive forces according to local conditions, aiming to guide everyone to conduct work scientifically, rationally, and realistically, preventing a rush into projects.

Fourth, regarding strengthening the domestic economic cycle and ensuring smooth domestic and international dual circulation. The more severe and complex the external environment, the more we must accelerate the construction of a new development pattern and firmly grasp the initiative in development. In the current and future period, we must adhere to strengthening the domestic economic cycle, accelerate the formation of a robust domestic economic cycle system, and use the stability of the domestic cycle to offset the uncertainty of the international cycle.

The draft recommendations emphasize strengthening the domestic economic cycle, outlining plans for building a robust domestic market and accelerating the development of a high-level socialist market economy. It stresses adhering to expanding domestic demand as a strategic focus, closely integrating efforts to improve people's livelihoods and promote consumption, and combining investment in goods with investment in people. The recommendations call for vigorously boosting consumption, expanding effective investment, and resolutely removing obstacles to the construction of a unified national market. They also emphasize fully stimulating the vitality of various business entities, accelerating the improvement of the market-based allocation system for factors of production, and enhancing the effectiveness of macroeconomic governance. Simultaneously, the recommendations propose expanding the international economic cycle, steadily increasing institutional openness, upholding the multilateral trading system, and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality.

Fifth, regarding the solid steps taken towards common prosperity for all the people. Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that achieves common prosperity for all the people. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have remained true to our original aspiration, considered issues from the people's perspective, promoted coordinated regional development, taken effective measures to guarantee and improve people's livelihoods, won the battle against poverty, and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, creating favorable conditions for promoting common prosperity. The draft of the "Suggestions" emphasizes in its guiding ideology the solid steps taken towards common prosperity for all the people, which is a general requirement guiding economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

The draft recommendations firmly grasp the goal of common prosperity, focusing on guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods. They deploy a series of balanced and accessible policy measures in areas such as promoting high-quality and full employment, improving the income distribution system, providing education that satisfies the people, improving the social security system, promoting high-quality development of the real estate market, accelerating the construction of a healthy China, promoting high-quality population development, and steadily advancing the equalization of basic public services. Aiming to narrow regional and urban-rural disparities, the recommendations deploy a series of pragmatic measures in areas such as accelerating agricultural and rural modernization, solidly promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas, optimizing the regional economic layout, and promoting coordinated regional development. With a focus on promoting common prosperity in people's spiritual lives, the recommendations propose carrying forward and practicing socialist core values, vigorously developing cultural undertakings, accelerating the development of cultural industries, and enhancing the dissemination and influence of Chinese civilization.

Sixth, regarding the coordinated development and security. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security. In the next five years, my country will face a significant increase in various uncertain and unpredictable risk factors, making the task of coordinating development and security even more arduous. The draft recommendations, focusing on advancing the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, propose improving the national security system, strengthening national security capabilities in key areas, enhancing public safety governance, and perfecting the social governance system. Regarding high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization, the recommendations propose accelerating the development of advanced combat capabilities, promoting the modernization of military governance, and consolidating and improving the integrated national strategic system and capabilities.

Seventh, on upholding the Party's overall leadership. Upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for advancing Chinese-style modernization. The draft "Suggestions" focus on improving the Party's ability and level of leadership in economic and social development, emphasizing upholding and strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, improving the mechanism for implementing the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and deployments; continuously unifying thought, will, and action with the Party's innovative theories; adhering to the correct orientation in personnel selection and improving the cadre assessment and evaluation mechanism; comprehensively promoting the construction of grassroots Party organizations in all fields; relentlessly implementing the spirit of the Central Committee's Eight-Point Regulation; improving the Party and state supervision system; and resolutely winning the decisive, protracted, and comprehensive battle against corruption.

Comrades, the main task of this plenary session is to review and approve the "Recommendations" for the 15th Five-Year Plan. Everyone should carefully consider and thoroughly discuss these matters, offering constructive opinions and suggestions to ensure the success of this plenary session and the proper revision of the draft "Recommendations."