The Retired Personnel Party Branch of the Academy of Marxism Holds a Seminar on Studying and Implementing the Guiding Principles of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee
On November 5, 2025, twelve retired Party-member cadres from the Institute of Marxism Studies (IMS) visited the Institute to attend a report delivered by Gao Xiang, a member of the Central Propaganda Group, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and Secretary of its Leading Party Members’ Group. The report focused on the study and implementation of the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC. Following the report, the retired Party branch organized a discussion and exchange session for the veteran comrades. Luo Wendong, Secretary of the IMS Party Committee, expressed his appreciation to the retired comrades for traveling to the Institute to attend the report and participate in the branch discussion. He offered three suggestions: first, he hoped everyone would continue to concern themselves with major state affairs and national development; second, he urged them to persist in Marxist theoretical research, follow the Party, and offer counsel for national development; third, he noted that the year-end work summary would incorporate the opinions and suggestions of the retired cadres.
The retired cadres unanimously agreed that the proposals for the "15th Five-Year Plan" (2026–2030) serve as the fundamental basis and programmatic document for national policy-making over the coming five years, possessing significant epochal importance and far-reaching historical significance. Zhang Zuying, a former leader of the IMS, spoke highly of President Gao Xiang’s report, noting that it helps us accurately grasp and deeply comprehend the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, thereby strengthening our confidence and determination to achieve the primary goals for economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.
Luan Wenlian, Secretary of the Party branch, noted in her speech that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee pointed out that the "15th Five-Year Plan" period must "ensure that decisive progress is made in basically realizing socialist modernization." On the new journey [1] of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, through the sustained efforts of three five-year periods—the 14th, 15th, and 16th Five-Year Plans—we will basically realize socialist modernization by 2035, fulfilling the first step of the "two-step" strategic arrangement [2]. At this critical juncture of the historical process, the Party Central Committee has explicitly set the objective of "ensuring decisive progress," which centrally demonstrates our Party's firm determination to continuously push the construction of Chinese-path modernization toward greater depth. During the pivotal transitional period of the "15th Five-Year Plan," relying on the scientific formulation and sequential implementation of five-year plans is an important political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to comprehensively deepen reform, ensuring it complements economic and social development planning to achieve decisive progress in modernization; meanwhile, Party leadership remains the fundamental guarantee for ensuring the basic realization of socialist modernization.
Wang Shijin, a member of the branch committee, stated that the Plenum pointed out that the "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a critical stage for laying a solid foundation and launching a comprehensive offensive toward the basic realization of socialist modernization. We must recognize that during this period, China's development environment faces profound and complex changes, where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and the number of uncertain and unpredictable factors is increasing; however, the overall outlook remains one where opportunities outweigh challenges. China's economic base is stable, its advantages are numerous, its resilience is strong, and its potential is vast. The advantages of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the ultra-large-scale market, the complete industrial system, and the abundant human resources will become even more apparent. We firmly believe that under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we will certainly create a new situation for Chinese-path modernization and write a new chapter in the "two miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Chen Dong noted that the proposals for the "15th Five-Year Plan" emphasize the continued deepening of market economy construction, the utilization of the unified national market, and the establishment of a modern economic system, while highlighting self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology [3], all of which provide important guidance for economic and social development.
The issue of anti-corruption is a matter of particular concern to the group. They unanimously agreed that the Party Central Committee's determination in anti-corruption is firm and the intensity of the struggle is great. Li Ruiqin stated that our Party’s determination to engage in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is unwavering. By strengthening the institutional design of anti-corruption and plugging loopholes to eliminate the soil that breeds corruption, we can ensure that officials "do not have the desire to be corrupt" (xiangfu), "do not dare to be corrupt" (ganfu), and especially "are unable to be corrupt" (bubengfu) [4].
Livelihood issues were also a focus of attention. Zhao Zhikui, who has conducted in-depth investigations into communities in Shenzhen and Chongqing, argued that since communities involve a wide range of issues, utilizing grid-based management [5] in community Party building is highly effective in improving government credibility. Regarding social development and security, the retired comrades also showed great concern. Shang Wei noted that since General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the Holistic Approach to National Security, China has coordinated development and security, and the construction of a "Peaceful China" [6] has been highly effective. Placing the defense of political security at the forefront of the "15th Five-Year Plan" is vital for the nation's development and long-term peace and stability.
The group also expressed great interest in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), believing it can bolster economic development and the growth of new quality productive forces. At the same time, they expressed concern that AI could be exploited by ill-intentioned actors to harm individuals or society. They expressed hope that the state would introduce relevant policies to regulate such negative behaviors, ensuring "AI for good" to assist social development.
In summary, the atmosphere of the discussion and exchange was enthusiastic. The participants are full of confidence in the realization of the "15th Five-Year Plan" and full of expectation for our Party to lead the people of the whole country more robustly toward a better life and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Drafted by Shang Wei, Retired Party Branch of the Institute of Marxism Studies Photos by Lyu Zhicheng, Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies