Premier Li Qiang Solicits Opinions on Draft Government Work Report and 15th Five-Year Plan

Premier Li Qiang Convenes Symposium on Key National Plans

Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a symposium on Monday, January 19, in Beijing, to solicit opinions and suggestions on the draft government work report and the draft outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, which spans from 2026 to 2030. The crucial meeting brought together representatives from various sectors, including academia, the business community, education, science, culture, public health, and sports, to contribute to the nation's future policy direction.

Focus on High-Quality Development and Economic Stability

During the symposium, Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, underscored the importance of thoroughly implementing the CPC Central Committee's recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan and the decisions made at the Central Economic Work Conference. He emphasized the need to leverage the 'certainty of high-quality development' to address 'uncertainties in the development environment.' Li called for efforts to advance high-quality development as a guiding goal, advocating for a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy.

Key areas of focus highlighted by the Premier included:

• Broadening pathways to high-quality development.
• Strengthening innovation-driven growth.
• Deepening reform and opening up.
• Placing strategic emphasis on expanding domestic demand.
• Steadily increasing internal momentum of development.
• Integrating pro-people policies with consumption promotion.
• Combining investment in physical assets with investment in human capital to foster new growth drivers and enhance public welfare.

Diverse Voices Contribute to National Strategy

The symposium featured speeches from a range of distinguished participants. Among those who delivered remarks were Ming Ming, Chief Economist of CITIC Securities; He Jia, Vice Dean of the School of Finance at Nankai University; Yan Junjie, Founder and CEO of MiniMax; Zhang Zhigang, Chairman and Party Secretary of State Grid Corporation of China; Gong Qihuang, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Peking University; Yu Xiaohui, President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology; Wang Yongjun, President of Beijing Tiantan Hospital; Zhou Liya, a choreographer and dancer; and Shi Yucheng, a badminton player. Their input is intended to refine and improve the draft documents, which are also being circulated to localities and government departments nationwide for further feedback.

The 15th Five-Year Plan: A Blueprint for 2026-2030

The 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical national strategy covering the period from 2026 to 2030, aiming to achieve basic socialist modernization by 2035. Its guiding principles include upholding the Party's overall leadership, prioritizing the people, pursuing high-quality development, comprehensively deepening reform, balancing market and government functions, and ensuring both security and development. The plan is expected to emphasize economic resilience, technological and innovation capabilities, and industrial resilience, with a particular focus on advanced semiconductors, biotechnology, quantum technology, and the development of 'new quality productive forces.' The final plan is scheduled for approval by the National People's Congress in March 2026.