Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to effectively safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, so that the fruits of Chinese modernization benefit all people more fairly.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has made a series of major decisions and plans since the beginning of this year, with 2026 marking the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
So far this year, Xi has visited ordinary people's homes on numerous occasions during his inspection tours across the country, engaging in friendly exchanges with them and showing concern for their living conditions.
On July 15, Xi visited a residential community in Shanghai's Huangpu District, where four buildings originally built in the 1950s have been renovated and upgraded, significantly improving residents' living conditions.
He called for sustained efforts to address the public concerns step by step and to continuously improve people's well-being.
On June 24, President Xi made an inspection tour to the city of Dezhou in east China's Shandong Province.
At the home of villager Yu Xinhui, Xi sat down with the family and asked about their daily lives, including their jobs, income, the health of elderly family members, and the children's education.
On Feb 10, ahead of the 2026 Spring Festival, Xi visited an elderly care service community in Beijing's Xicheng District.
Xi said caring for and supporting the elderly is a shared responsibility of the whole society, urging efforts to create better conditions for the elderly to enjoy happy and fulfilling twilight years.
Xi also laid great emphasis to employment. During the visit to Beijing's Xicheng District, Xi also talked with three delivery workers who were taking a break in the canteen, asking about their work and life.
Among the 20 major indicators set in the 15th Five-Year Plan, those related to people's livelihood and well-being account for the highest proportion, covering the most pressing and realistic issues that the people care about, such as employment, income, education, health, elderly care, and childcare.
On March 23, during his inspection tour of the Xiong'an New Area in northern China's Hebei Province, Xi visited Beijing No. 4 High School at its Xiong'an campus, where he encouraged the students to stay motivated and grow alongside the development of the Xiong'an New Area and Chinese modernization.
Xi also emphasized the importance of facilitating the channels for realizing the value of ecological products and advancing urban and rural greening in a coordinated manner.
On March 30, Xi took part in a voluntary tree-planting activity in Beijing's Changping District, where he called for mobilizing the whole society to actively participate in afforestation, stressing that a sound ecological environment is shared by all and requires the joint efforts of all.
People’s health is a key indicator of socialist modernization. During China's annual "two sessions" this year, Xi emphasized that building a Healthy China requires adhering to the national conditions, unswervingly following the path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics, and resolutely implementing the health and wellness work guidelines for the new era.
China's annual "two sessions" convene the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's highest legislative and advisory organs.
In April, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a group study session on enhancing the capacity to prevent and respond to natural disasters.
So far this year, Xi has repeatedly emphasized the need to earnestly carry out all aspects of disaster prevention and relief work to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.
In the first half of this year, China's employment situation remained generally stable, residents' income grew steadily, rural revitalization was steadily promoted, the coverage of basic public services continued to expand, and people's livelihood was effectively guaranteed.
Xi calls for efforts to safeguard, improve people's livelihoods
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has charted the strategic course for advancing high-quality economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The year 2026 marks both the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the start of the country's new five-year plan through 2030. Since the beginning of the year, Xi has issued a series of important instructions and directives about ensuring a solid start to the new plan and fully accomplishing the major strategic tasks of economic and social development in the years ahead. On Jan 20, Xi attended a special study session for principal officials at the provincial and ministerial level on studying and implementing the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. In his speech, he said the plenary session had made strategic arrangements for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, stressing the need to continuously deepen the study and implementation of the guiding principles of the session.
On March 12, Chinese lawmakers approved the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development at the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, providing robust legal safeguards to better ensure that the national development plan fully plays its strategic guiding role.
Since the beginning of 2026, Xi has made a series of major decisions and deployment for driving high-quality development.
In January, Xi presided over this year's first group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which focused on forward-looking planning and the development of future industries. When making his first domestic inspection tour of the year in February, he visited an information technology (IT) innovation park in Beijing to learn about IT application and innovation.
These two major events have brought to the fore the urgent imperative of modernizing the country's industrial system and fast-tracking technological self-sufficiency at a high level.
During the annual "two sessions" in March, Xi took part in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province at the national legislative session. During the meeting, he emphasized the need to strengthen the real economy to support high-quality development.
Fostering a new pattern of development is a strategic priority for China. Since the beginning of this year, Xi has made strategic deployment to accelerate the creation of a new development pattern.
Coordinated regional development is a key pillar for achieving high-quality development. During this year's "two sessions", Xi instructed China's major economic provinces to lead in studying new situations, solving new problems, and sharing their experiences in this regard.
In late March, Xi inspected the Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province, where he also chaired a symposium on further advancing the high-quality construction and development of the new area, setting the direction for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. At a national work conference in June, he made important instructions about steadily advancing cooperation between China's eastern and western regions.
The modernization of agriculture and rural areas bears on the overall development and quality of Chinese modernization, and it has always been a matter of great concern to Xi. In June, the general secretary visited Dongyujia Village in Dezhou, a city in east China's Shandong Province and a major grain-producing hub on the North China Plain, where he learned about the local wheat harvest, corn planting, and agricultural supplies.
On July 30, Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The meeting noted that since the beginning of this year, China's economy has shown a trend characterized by new growth drivers and improving economic structure, laying a solid foundation for achieving the annual economic and social development targets.
When addressing a gathering in celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the CPC on July 1, Xi called on all Party members to stay firm in convictions and forge ahead with continuous efforts, to fulfill the Party's mission and tasks in the new era and on the new journey.
Xi charts course for advancing high-quality development during 15th Five-Year Plan period
Xi charts course for advancing high-quality development during 15th Five-Year Plan period
