Trending Now - China Set to Reveal New Five-year Plans Amid US Tensions

WHO:

President Xi Jinping (leader of China)

Premier Li Qiang (to present the Government Work Report)

National People's Congress (NPC) - nearly 3,000 members

Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - advisory body

Alfred Wu (professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore)

Bert Hofman (professor at the East Asian Institute at the National University Singapore)

Changhao Wei (founder of NPC Observer)

William Yang (senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group)

Lynn Song (chief economist for Greater China at ING Group)

Brian Wong (fellow at the University of Hong Kong’s Center on Contemporary China and the World)

Yue Su (principal economist for China at the Economist Intelligence Unit)

WHAT:

China is set to unveil its 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030.

The NPC will ratify new laws and approve economic goals.

Expected GDP growth target for 2026 is between 4.5% and 5%.

The last five-year plan was released in March 2021.

China has dismissed 19 members of its legislature recently.

Over 100 military officers have been dismissed by Xi Jinping in recent years.

The NPC will address issues of weak domestic consumption and high youth unemployment.

The plan will focus on technological self-reliance and industrial upgrades.

A new law on promoting ethnic unity and progress will be introduced.

WHERE:

The meetings are held in Beijing, specifically at the Great Hall of the People.

The NPC is referred to as China’s “supreme organ of state power”.

WHEN:

The NPC meeting starts on Thursday, March 5, 2026, and typically runs for a week.

The last five-year plan was released in March 2021.

The CPPCC began on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

WHY:

The five-year plans are designed to direct China’s economy and address challenges such as the economic fallout from the U.S. trade war and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focus on technological self-reliance is a response to competition with the U.S. for technological dominance.

HOW:

The NPC and CPPCC meetings are carefully choreographed and serve as platforms for policy announcements and economic goals.

The NPC will likely approve the five-year plan with a ceremonial vote that is almost always unanimous.

The plan will include measures to address excessive competition in industries and promote consumer-led growth.

Today in Beijing, the National People's Congress is kicking off its annual meeting, where President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang will present the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030. This plan aims to tackle pressing issues like weak domestic consumption and high youth unemployment, while setting a GDP growth target of between 4.5% and 5%, and will also introduce a new law promoting ethnic unity. The NPC, which is China's supreme organ of state power, will ratify new laws and approve economic goals during this week-long session, following the recent dismissal of 19 members from its legislature.