Compose a new chapter of Chinese modernization through continuous endeavors

    The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China commenced in Beijing on the morning of the 20th. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee, delivered a work report to the plenary session on behalf of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and provided an explanation regarding the “Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (Discussion Draft).”

    Xinhua Editorial: Composing a New Chapter of Chinese Modernization Through Continued Endeavor

    With the wind at our backs on this long journey, we hoist our sails once more to shoulder the weighty responsibilities ahead. Through the united efforts of the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the nation, the 14th Five-Year Plan is nearing its successful conclusion. From October 20 to 23, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened in Beijing. This historic gathering, eagerly anticipated by the nation and watched by the world, will accurately assess the historical position of the Party and the country's development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, thoroughly analyze the profound and complex changes in China's development environment, and formulate top-level designs and strategic blueprints for the next five years. This marks another comprehensive mobilization and strategic deployment to build on momentum and advance the Chinese path to modernization. It reflects the historical initiative of the Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, in uniting and leading the entire Party and all ethnic groups across the country to write new chapters in the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and to strive to open up new prospects for the Chinese path to modernization. It will undoubtedly have a significant and far-reaching impact on the development of the Party and the country.

    The scientific formulation and continuous implementation of five-year plans represent an important experience in our Party's governance and a key political strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The 14th Five-Year Plan period marks the first five years following the completion of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, during which China will build on its momentum to strive for the realization of the second centenary goal. It is a critical period for China to seize rare opportunities, withstand various challenges, and expand new development space. Looking back over these five years, the world has witnessed accelerated evolution amid a once-in-a-century transformation, entering a new period of turbulence and change, while China faced arduous and demanding tasks in reform, development, and stability. Facing this complex landscape, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken charge of the overall situation and steered the course. It has united and led the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country to overcome difficulties and strive together. China has achieved new pioneering progress, breakthrough transformations, and historic accomplishments in its economic and social development, taking a solid and powerful step forward on the grand journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects.

    Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's economic output has successively surpassed 110 trillion yuan, 120 trillion yuan, and 130 trillion yuan, with this year's figure expected to reach around 140 trillion yuan. China's average annual contribution to global economic growth has remained at around 30%. China has entered the top ten in the Global Innovation Index, becoming one of the world's fastest-growing economies in innovation over the past decade. Major national projects like the Fujian aircraft carrier, China's space station, and domestically produced large aircraft have made frequent appearances, while cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum communication have yielded abundant innovations. One out of every three kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed nationwide comes from green sources, establishing the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system. China has built the world's largest education, social security, and healthcare systems, with social undertakings flourishing and public safety levels further enhanced. Core socialist values are widely practiced, cultural development has yielded rich results, and the influence of Chinese culture has significantly expanded... These achievements were hard-won, and the insights they offer are invaluable. The fundamental reason China achieved new major accomplishments in economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period lies in the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, particularly Xi Jinping Thought on Economics. This provides the greatest certainty, confidence, and assurance for the Party and the people to overcome all difficulties and uncertainties. It holds decisive significance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the new era and for promoting the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

    The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial phase for laying a solid foundation and making comprehensive efforts toward basically achieving socialist modernization. China's development environment faces profound and complex changes, with strategic opportunities coexisting with risks and challenges, and an increase in unpredictable factors. At the same time, China's economic foundation remains stable, its advantages are numerous, its resilience is strong, and its potential is vast. The fundamental conditions and long-term positive trends supporting its development remain unchanged. The institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the advantages of its super-large market, its complete industrial system, and its abundant talent resources are becoming increasingly evident. Time belongs to those who strive, and history belongs to those who strive. We must maintain strategic resolve, strengthen our confidence in victory, actively recognize, adapt to, and seek change, and firmly focus on the Party's central tasks in the new era and new journey. We must steadfastly manage our own affairs, plan and implement the goals, tasks, and strategic measures for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and ensure decisive progress in basically achieving socialist modernization.

    The key to managing China's affairs lies with the Party. Upholding the Party's overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for promoting high-quality economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “Whether we can successfully steer the world's second-largest economy and maintain sustained, healthy economic and social development fundamentally depends on how well the Party fulfills its core leadership role in economic and social development.” Only by resolutely upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, and by ensuring that the Party's leadership permeates all aspects and the entire process of economic and social development, can we fully leverage the Party's core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, thereby forging a powerful synergy to propel economic and social progress. To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. We must uphold the Party's self-revolution to lead social revolution, persistently advance full and rigorous Party self-governance, and continuously enhance the Party's political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal. We must continuously improve the Party's capacity and level of leadership in economic and social development, gathering tremendous strength to advance Chinese modernization.

    Development is the foundation and key to solving all of China's problems, and high-quality development embodies the new development philosophy. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must firmly anchor development in high-quality growth, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the formation of a new development paradigm, and place greater strategic emphasis on developing new productive forces tailored to local conditions. Guided by scientific and technological innovation and grounded in the real economy, we must simultaneously advance the comprehensive transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, actively develop emerging industries, and proactively lay the groundwork for future industries. This will accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, driving sustained and healthy economic development and comprehensive social progress.

    To advance high-quality economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must uphold the people-centered philosophy of development, placing the people above all else. Development gains meaning only when it is for the people; it gains momentum only when it relies on the people. Improving people's lives and enhancing their well-being must be the starting point and ultimate goal of development. We must effectively address the urgent concerns and pressing difficulties faced by the people, ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit all people more extensively and equitably, and continuously enhance their sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security. Chinese-style modernization is socialist modernization that ensures common prosperity for all the people. We must always take the people's aspirations for a better life as our goal, respect the people's central role, and fully unleash and mobilize the boundless wisdom and strength inherent in the masses, injecting inexhaustible momentum into advancing Chinese-style modernization.

    To promote high-quality economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must make good use of reform and opening up as our important tool. Planning and deploying reforms around the Party's central tasks is a successful experience of our Party in leading reform and opening up. At present, there are still bottlenecks and obstacles in promoting high-quality development. On the new journey of advancing Chinese-style modernization, there are still many tough challenges to overcome and many difficult problems to solve. It is even more necessary for us to continuously resolve deep-seated contradictions and problems through deepening reform and expanding opening up, and to continuously enhance development momentum and social vitality. By treating further comprehensive reform as the fundamental driving force for advancing Chinese-style modernization, and by coordinating deep reforms and high-level opening-up with greater intensity, we will continuously tap new momentum, expand new spaces, and create new advantages. We will surely seize the initiative in development and open up new horizons for our endeavors.

    Development and security are two wings of the same body and two wheels of the same drive. To advance high-quality economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must uphold the coordinated pursuit of development and security. In today's world, the century-long transformation is accelerating, and the international landscape is marked by intertwined changes and turbulence. Our path forward will inevitably encounter difficulties and obstacles, and we may face major tests of high winds and rough seas, or even stormy waves. We must be prepared to respond to a series of new risks and challenges. We must strengthen bottom-line thinking, give equal weight to development and security, and integrate national security with economic and social development in planning and implementation. We must effectively prevent and defuse various risks and challenges, strive to foster a virtuous cycle between high-quality development and high-level security, and safeguard the new development paradigm with a new security framework.

    “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable! The noble cause of human peace and development will surely triumph!” General Secretary Xi Jinping's solemn declaration, drawing lessons from history to illuminate the future, inspires us to forge ahead. From the First Five-Year Plan to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the consistent theme has been building China into a modern socialist country. Under the Party's strong leadership, generations of people have worked tirelessly, propelling the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into an irreversible historical process. Chinese-style modernization has unfolded a magnificent panorama, revealing an extraordinarily bright and splendid future. Standing at this new historical starting point, let us unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, ignite the spirit of striving tirelessly as if every moment counts, and rally the formidable strength of working in concert and forging ahead with courage. We will persevere in implementing the blueprint to the end, and build upon each other's efforts to compose an even more splendid new chapter of Chinese modernization, continuously advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation and the building of a strong nation.