Stay alert to external forces, Xi Jinping says as China embarks on 5-year planning

Officials from China’s economic powerhouses should keep a close eye on external challenges as the country maps out its grand development plans for the next five years, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In Shanghai on Wednesday for discussions on shaping the next national five-year plan, Xi told officials from Shanghai, Inner Mongolia and the provinces of Guangdong, Gansu, Sichuan, Zhejiang and Hubei that they had to adapt to international changes to optimise the country’s economic framework.

“During the planning period, it is essential to take a forward-looking approach to assess the impact of global developments on China, adapt to the changing international landscape and proactively adjust and optimise the country’s economic framework,” state news agency quoted Xi as saying.

“We will remain confident and focused on running our own affairs, while resolutely advancing high-level opening-up to the world. We also need to roll out multiple measures to stabilise employment, enterprises, markets and expectations, effectively stabilising the basic economic situation.”

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The next five-year plan, the 15th, covers 2026-2030, a time seen as crucial to the nation’s ambitions to become a technology and military superpower, and gain a stronger footing in its rivalry with the United States.

The two countries are deadlocked in a tariff war initiated by Washington – a conflict that has not only cast doubts on the economic stability of both nations but also delivered a significant blow to global economic growth.

South China Morning Post