China's 14th Five-Year Plan period, which will conclude this year, has progressed in line with expectations and has enabled the country to comprehensively strengthen its economy, enhance its national image and increase its international influence, Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said in Beijing on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, Zheng listed the main achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), which has prioritized high-quality development over traditional growth-centric targets, reflecting China's evolving priorities.
"Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's comprehensive strength has been continuously enhanced. The social stability has been maintained, and the image of China as a trustworthy, lovable and respectable nation has gained wider recognition. China's economy has demonstrated the scale advantages of a world power, with its GDP reaching new heights year after year. It is projected that the total economic growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) will exceed 30 trillion yuan (around 4.14 trillion U.S. dollars). Industrial competitiveness has been greatly improved. China has formed a complete industrial system, with the industrial chain accelerating its upgrading to the medium-high end. Scientific and technological innovation has been greatly enhanced. New breakthroughs have been made in technological innovation across fields including integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, aerospace, marine science and technology and high-speed railway. Significant outcomes of manufacturing, such as domestically-developed giant cruise ships, large aircraft and heavy-duty gas turbines, have attracted much attention, accelerating the transform from 'Made in China' to 'Innovated in China'," he said.
"The basic capabilities for security have also been significantly improved. In terms of the infrastructure that supports security development, the operating mileage of high-speed railways has reached 48,000 kilometers, accounting for 70 percent of the global total. The mileage of expressways has reached 190,000 kilometers, firmly ranking first in the world. The total computing power has doubled. The total volume of data production has grown rapidly, equivalent to the total data resources of over 15 million national libraries," he said.
"The image and influence of a major country have been greatly enhanced. China has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with over 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations. We have continuously expanded high-level opening up to the outside world. All market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector have been completely lifted, and the items on the negative list, which specifies fields that are off-limits to foreign investors, have been further slashed to 29," Zheng continued.
Zheng outlined how the next five-year plan for the 2026-2030 period will take shape.
"The formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) is a process of pooling insights and consensus. We will employ various effective methods to diligently solicit opinions and suggestions from National People's Congress deputies, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference members, the general public, entrepreneurs, experts, scholars, and other stakeholders, ensuring that the plan more accurately reflects developmental imperatives and public aspirations," he said.
14th Five-Year Plan strengthens China's national image, int'l influence: official
