Gu Hailiang: Observing the Theoretical Leap of Chinese Modernization from the "15th Five-Year Plan"

Advancing Chinese-path modernization is a long-term systematic project. The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period ^[1] will be a critical stage for consolidating the foundations and exerting full force toward basically achieving socialist modernization; it occupies an important position as a link between the past and the future in the process of basically achieving socialist modernization. In the Explanation of the "Proposal of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," General Secretary Xi Jinping offered a new interpretation of the fundamental parameters and theoretical characteristics of this "critical period" from the elevated height of the "Great View of History" ^[2]—the perspective that "achieving socialist modernization is a historical process of step-by-step progression and continuous development, requiring unremitting efforts and continuous struggle." Meanwhile, by centering closely on advancing Chinese-path modernization, he has mapped out various tasks for the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period in terms of basic positioning, stage-specific requirements, strategic deployments, and development goals, highlighting the significance of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" Proposal as both a theoretical guide and a practical manual.

Regarding development goals, the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" must maintain continuity with the concepts and ideas proposed in the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" ^[3], while also accurately grasping the major trends of China's economic and social development over the next five years to determine realistic and forward-looking general ideas, major principles, primary goals, and strategic tasks. General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted that scientifically setting development goals is crucial for formulating and implementing a five-year plan effectively. To basically achieve socialist modernization by 2035, we must anchor ourselves to the important symbolic indicator of reaching the level of a moderately developed country in terms of per capita GDP, ensuring that economic and social development maintains an appropriate speed during the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period. We must gain the strategic initiative in intense international competition, push for major breakthroughs in strategic tasks concerning the overall situation of Chinese-path modernization, and ensure that decisive progress is made toward basically achieving socialist modernization.

Regarding the theme of development, the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period and the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period belong to the same lineage and represent a continuous progression. The fundamental key lies in firmly grasping the theme of promoting high-quality development. We must persist in taking economic construction as the center, completely, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, realize the effective improvement of quality and reasonable growth in quantity, and promote sustained, healthy economic development and comprehensive social progress.

The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" Proposal contains rich content regarding economic construction. For example, based on the judgment that a modern industrial system is the material and technical foundation of Chinese-path modernization, it elevates the strategic status of building a modern industrial system and consolidating the foundations of the real economy. Based on the understanding that Chinese-path modernization must be supported by the modernization of science and technology, it reinforces the initiative and self-awareness in accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength to lead the development of new quality productive forces. Based on the theoretical logic that a strong domestic market is the strategic support for Chinese-path modernization, it highlights the necessity of building a strong domestic market and accelerating the construction of a dual circulation development pattern. Based on the recognition that persisting in opening up, cooperation, and mutual benefit is an inevitable requirement of Chinese-path modernization, it emphasizes the importance of expanding high-level opening up and creating a new situation of win-win cooperation. Based on the vision that realizing the people's aspirations for a better life is the starting point and ultimate goal of Chinese-path modernization, it clarifies the fundamental objectives of increasing efforts to guarantee and improve people's livelihoods and solidly promoting common prosperity for all. Based on the height of regarding green development as the defining feature of Chinese-path modernization, it focuses on the epochal requirements of accelerating the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development and building a Beautiful China. Based on the grasp of building a Peaceful China as an important component of Chinese-path modernization, it coordinates the key tasks of promoting the modernization of the national security system and capacity and building a higher-level Peaceful China, and so on.

Upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization and has been an unwavering political principle across the three Five-Year Plans of the New Era. Xi Jinping Economic Thought provides an in-depth interpretation of this, requiring that we uphold and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, improve the mechanisms for implementing the Party Central Committee's major policy decisions and deployments, and improve the Party's ability and level in leading economic and social development.

In short, the strategic mapping and systematic planning for Chinese-path modernization in the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" Proposal not only highlight the important thought of "further comprehensively deepening reform by centering closely on advancing Chinese-path modernization," but also reflect the theoretical innovation and systematic leap in Xi Jinping Economic Thought.