The Communist Party of China (CPC) has charted the course for China’s development in the next 15 years to guide the country’s march towards modernization.

Details of the blueprint were unveiled in a communique issued after the conclusion of the four-day fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Oct. 29. The roles of innovation, the real economy, a strong domestic market, rural vitalization and green development were underscored for China’s growth.

The session adopted the Party leadership’s proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.

Noting that “a victory is in sight” in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the communique stresses that fully building a modern socialist China is part of the four-pronged comprehensive strategy for the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made an important speech at the session. He also delivered a work report of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to the session.

Progress made in the past five years was highlighted: China’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to cross the 100-trillion-yuan mark in 2020; 55.75 million rural residents were lifted out of poverty; the annual grain output has remained above 650 million tonnes for five consecutive years; China has built the world’s largest social security system, and more.

Wei Chuanguang, a professor from the School of Marxism at Jinan University, said that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, steps have been taken to forestall and defuse major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation, and prevent and control pollution. Coordinated urban-rural development has been enhanced, comprehensive deepening reforms have achieved remarkable results, and the establishment of a new open economy has been accelerated. People’s standard of living has improved significantly.

Absolute poverty, which has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years, is expected to be eliminated this year, Wei noted. China’s experience in poverty reduction has contributed wisdom and strength to the cause of global poverty alleviation.

Over the past five years, the world entered a period of turbulent change, economic globalization encountered headwinds, and protectionism and unilateralism have risen. The world economy has taken a downturn, China-US economic and trade frictions have intensified, and downward pressure on China’s economy has increased.

Whether it is to meet the turbulence of external changes or to meet the challenges of domestic development, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has prioritized the people when promoting deeper reforms and higher-level opening up, said Ren Baoping, vice president of Xi’an University of Finance and Economics. A new development pattern is speeding up, which smooths domestic circulation and lets domestic and international circulations reinforce each other. This is a major strategic decision with forward-looking thinking, comprehensive planning, and a strategic layout. It is a systematic and deep-level change that concerns the overall situation.

Facilitating such a new development pattern is a major strategic choice made by the CPC Central Committee in accordance with the current domestic and international situations, said Han Baojiang, director of the economics teaching and research department of the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC. It is vital for promoting China’s economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

“To accomplish this, we must unswervingly expand opening up to the outside world, and enhance the domestic and international economic interaction.” Han Baojiang suggested coordinating development and security, and comprehensively preventing risks and challenges. It is also important to focus on supply-side structural reforms to achieve high-quality development.