Foreign envoys and UN officials attending the "two sessions" political meetings in Beijing have drawn encouragement from the goals outlined in the Chinese government's work report and expressed hopes that the implementation of China's new development blueprint will yield positive global impacts.
The "two sessions", a major event in China's political calendar, refer to the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
At the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th NPC on Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a government work report which set out the main goals including an economic growth target for the year.
Chinese lawmakers are also reviewing the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the latest blueprint which maps out the country's socioeconomic development priorities in five-year planning cycles.
African ambassadors to China who were present for the opening meeting said they have been impressed by China's efforts in poverty alleviation and the achievements made in terms of technological development during the last five-year plan period, and also expressed confidence in the country to deliver on its economic growth target of between 4.5 to 5 percent in 2026.
"I find the achievements very impressive. First of all, the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) has been successful in all fields. Meanwhile, poverty reduction efforts have been sustained, and the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) aims to achieve moderate prosperity, which is remarkable. The developments in artificial intelligence, cutting-edge technology, and electric vehicles are also impressive," said Baudelaire Ndong Ella, the Gabonese Ambassador to China.
"I believe the achievements already announced are very commendable, and all that has been accomplished deserves recognition. For 2026, I am confident that if this growth target is achieved, it will have a significant impact on the global economy. Since China and Africa have decided to forge a shared future, the impact on Africa's development will also be very substantial," said Daouda Bitie, the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to China.
A United Nations official also acclaimed the report's thorough account of the progress made in food supply and grain production, with China setting a target grain output of around 700 million metric tons this year.
"It's been a very comprehensive session from the World Food Programme perspective, very much focusing on the elements related to food security. The report was very comprehensive in terms of the gains with food supply and grain production. So it was very positive to hear that news," said Simon Clements, Deputy Director of the UN World Food Programme's China Office.
The report also stressed China will aim to open wider to outside world with a vow to oppose hegemonism and power politics and uphold international fairness and justice -- a message which was well received by other UN representatives, particularly amid the current global instability and rising humanitarian needs.
"The 15th Five-Year Plan covers both economic and social areas, which are very encouraging. It also confirms openness in international relations, notably with the mention of the Global Governance Initiative. We hope this will strengthen support for the United Nations agencies, not only for UNHCR, which is currently facing a difficult financial situation, but also in response to an international context marked by complex insecurity, large population displacements, and growing needs for international protection," said Sophie Muller, the China Representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Foreign observers anticipate significant global impact from China's next development plan
Foreign observers anticipate significant global impact from China's next development plan
