Chinese officials pledge to make solid efforts to implement 15th Five-Year Plan

Chinese officials attending a recent study session at the National Academy of Governance in Beijing have pledged to make solid efforts for the country's development over the next five years.

Speaking at the opening meeting for the session, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the session attendees, principal officials at the provincial and ministerial levels, to secure a good start for the country's 15th Five-Year (2026-2030) Plan.

Xi said it is necessary to develop a comprehensive, profound and accurate understanding of the strategic arrangements for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, which were made at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

He stressed that China is currently at a stage where strategic opportunities and risks coexist, with increasing uncertainty and unpredictable factors. He added that building a modern industrial system and achieving an overall industrial structure upgrade are key strategic tasks for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

"The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. For the first time in a Five-Year Plan, the CPC Central Committee has proposed making China strong in the energy sector, clearly defining the strategic direction and priorities for the country's energy development. Building a country strong in the energy sector means to make the country independent in energy supply so as to provide reliable energy assurance for the country's modernization," said Dai Houliang, chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation.

Yin Hejun, minister of science and technology, said the next five years is a critical phase for building a solid foundation and exerting comprehensive efforts to basically achieve socialist modernization.

"We must focus on the goal of building a strong country in science and technology, take a holistic approach to formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for science and technology innovation, strengthen strategic, forward-looking, and systematic planning for basic research, promote the deep integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, and provide solid support for comprehensively advancing Chinese modernization through high-level sci-tech self-reliance and self-improvement," Yin said.

Chen Zhongyue, chairman of China Mobile Communications Group, said it is essential to study and comprehend the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

"Currently, digital-intelligence technologies are deeply integrated into all sectors of the economy and society, presenting broad opportunities for the information and communications industry. We will deepen scientific and technological innovation, develop new quality productive forces, and contribute more to Chinese modernization with new achievements in building a strong cyber power and a Digital China," he said.

Speaking at the study session, Xi said that improving livelihoods should be prioritized to promote social development. And while advancing economic growth, steady efforts should be made to raise quality of life for the people.

"We will strive to make healthcare security services more accessible to the public, support the development of the medical and health sector, and foster the growth of the pharmaceutical industry. Healthcare security is not only a traditional undertaking in the health domain but also a concrete manifestation of new quality productive forces in health. We are continuously exploring ways to drive emerging industries with new technologies so as to benefit all people," said Zhang Ke, head of the National Healthcare Security Administration.

Chinese officials pledge to make solid efforts to implement 15th Five-Year Plan

Li Li, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) from southwest China's Guizhou Province, has made it her mission to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Buyi people, particularly their traditional clothing.

Born and raised in a village of Qinglong County, Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Li began learning the intricate handicrafts of the Buyi people from her mother at a young age.

After spending over a decade working away from home, she felt a strong calling to return and safeguard her cultural roots. In 2015, she returned to her roots to start a business with the vision to revitalize Buyi clothing.

"Starting my own business was really tough in the beginning. If you want to make a Western-style suit, you could just buy some fabric and copy an existing design. But ethnic clothing is different. It requires constant innovation, and that takes a huge amount of time. Traditional fabrics tend to fade, and I spent months just trying to figure out how to fix the color. This problem had kept me up for a long time. But eventually, I tackled the challenges one by one," Li said.

Her persistence has paid off. This year, Li's team tapped into the cultural symbolism of the Year of the Horse, creating a range of horse-themed products that have quickly gained popularity.

"This year is the Year of the Horse, so we created a lot of horse-themed items. They are very popular and orders have been pouring in. Every year, we design our cultural products and clothing based on what the market wants. We started with a 300-square-meter workshop, and now we have our own intangible cultural heritage center. Over the years, we've trained more than a thousand embroiderers," she said.

As a grassroots NPC deputy, Li prioritizes listening to the voices of ordinary people. During work sessions with embroiderers, she takes time to listen to their concerns and offers flexible schedules for those with special needs.

The preservation of ethnic clothing and culture has always been at the heart of her work.

"During this year's 'two sessions', I will continue to focus on the preservation of ethnic clothing and culture. I want to encourage more young people to get involved in cultural inheritance. For example, I've been going to schools to teach students because I hope that intangible cultural heritage can take root in children's hearts from an early age. I want them to grow up knowing how remarkable our ethnic culture is and to develop a strong sense of cultural pride," Li said.

The "two sessions" refer to the annual meetings of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Conference, China's top political advisory body,which usually convene in early March.

NPC deputy from Guizhou revitalizes Buyi culture through inheritance and innovation