A view of the skyline of Beijing's CBD area. Photo: VCG

Born of ideals and fighting for its mission, all the struggles waged by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in uniting and leading the people are aimed at building our country into a modern major country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"As long as we maintain strategic resolve, forge ahead step by step, and advance steadily from one stage to another, we will continue to turn small victories into great success in advancing the cause of the Party and the country, and our goals will surely be achieved," Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said on February 14, when extending Spring Festival greetings to the people of all ethnic groups in China, to compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, and to overseas Chinese.

This is both a summary of history and a guide for the future.  

"Securing decisive progress toward basically achieving socialist modernization" was put forward in the recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), reviewed and adopted by the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.  

To promote high-quality economic and social development and lay a more solid foundation for basically achieving socialist modernization, it is of great significance to, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, scientifically formulate and implement the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, as noted by a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC on February 27.

Entering the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), a strong start is half the battle for success.  

With the national "two sessions" approaching, the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan will be reviewed and discussed, promoting democracy, pooling wisdom, and building broad consensus. Turning the Party's propositions into the will of the state and the common action of the people through statutory procedures is a distinctive political strength of China's people's congress system.  

Historical development combines continuity and stages. Achieving socialist modernization is a step-by-step, progressively advancing historical process.  

From the first Five-Year Plan (1953-57) to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the consistent theme has been building China into a modern socialist country. From a poor and backward agrarian nation to the world's leading manufacturing power, China in the new era is no longer what it was, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable.  

Why has the Party always been able to lead the people to great achievements and create miracles? The fundamental reason lies in mastering the scientific theory of Marxism and continuously advancing theoretical innovation in light of new realities.  

When opening a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) for principal officials at the provincial and ministerial levels on January 20, Xi noted that the formulation and implementation of five-year plans constitutes important experience for the Party in governing the country and managing state affairs, as well as a significant political advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. 

It is necessary to develop a comprehensive, profound and accurate understanding of the strategic arrangements for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period that were made at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, he said.

Comprehensive, profound and accurate - this methodological guidance from the General Secretary for grasping the spirit of the plenary session is a key entry point for studying the Party's innovative theory, thoroughly understanding the Central Committee's major policies and decisions, and improving political and strategic thinking capabilities.  

Comprehensive understanding

Comprehensive means viewing the spirit of the plenary session with a big-picture perspective. Upholding and applying systemic thinking and planning from the overall situation before acting are an important method for accomplishing tasks.  

Only by treating the various strategic arrangements of the 15th Five-Year Plan as an integrated whole can we better position ourselves accurately within the national context.  

How to grasp the major significance of "accelerating high-level sci-tech self-reliance" as a strategic task for China's future, and firmly lead the development of new quality productive forces through sci-tech innovation?  

With a broad view and a high vantage point.  

Studying and understanding General Secretary Xi's series of important arrangements since the start of the year provides a broader perspective on the importance of sci-tech innovation in building a modern industrial system.  

At the study session in January, clear requirements were made: New quality productive forces should be developed in light of local conditions, and deep integration of technological and industrial innovation should be boosted.

While presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, he noted that the extent of scientific and technological breakthroughs largely determines the speed, breadth and depth of the development of future industries.

During an inspection tour to a national information technology innovation park in Beijing E-Town in February, efforts were urged to fully leverage the country's advantage of coordinating all efforts to complete key national undertakings, pool high-quality factors to tackle key challenges and accelerate efforts to address prominent areas of weaknesses to advance toward strategic goals. 

In a recent instruction on work related to the National Natural Science Foundation of China, he called for strengthening the strategic, forward-looking, and systematic layout of basic research.

Studying the General Secretary's important expositions since the new era provides a longer-term vision of the importance of sci-tech innovation to China's overall development. 

A new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, with frontier technologies constantly emerging, he said in January. This revealed the development opportunities and challenges of the era. 

On the 2026 Spring Festival Gala stage, humanoid robots performed as "martial arts masters." Foreign media noted that what is happening in China's robotics sector can almost be called a true revolution.  

Why has China entered a period of explosive sci-tech innovation, with leaps in economic, sci-tech, national defense, and comprehensive national strength?  

Since the new era, the CPC Central Committee has placed sci-tech innovation at the core of the overall national development strategy, with each strategic deployment seizing future opportunities and aligning with the pulse of the times. 

Advancing Chinese modernization is a systematic project. Planning from the overall situation, making moves in key areas, and forming synergy will make the pace of Chinese modernization firmer and more powerful.  

Profound understanding

Profound means understanding not only what something is, but also why and how. Upholding and applying strategic thinking, unifying planning for affairs with planning for the situation, the present with the future, is a vital way to seize strategic initiative.  

Only by understanding the 15th Five-Year Plan's strategic arrangements in terms of "what it is, why it is, and how to do it" can we maintain strategic clarity and firmly hold the initiative in development.  

Recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan deploy the strategic task of "building a robust domestic market and working faster to foster a new pattern of development." At the study session in January, the General Secretary elucidated the internal logic that China is well-positioned to accelerate the creation of a new development pattern.

How to deepen understanding of this strategic deployment's importance to China's overall development and more firmly follow the path of China's economic modernization?  

Facing "stranglehold" issues in key core technologies, we have aroused the aspiration for independent innovation, and achieved new breakthroughs in the research and development of chips, with manufacturing value added ranking first globally for 16 consecutive years. Practice has proven that attempts to "strangle" us won't succeed.  

Facing tariff and trade wars, we have resolutely safeguarded our legitimate rights and interests, using the stability of domestic circulation to offset uncertainties in international circulation. This has demonstrated the Chinese people's aspiration, courage, and confidence, showcasing our hard-core strength.  

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, amid a complex and turbulent external environment, we have gained deeper appreciation for the General Secretary's early insight in 2020 that "the environments and conditions that had facilitated largescale imports and exports were no longer in place," and for the strategic foresight of preemptive moves made by the CPC Central Committee.  

Today's China has a large population, vast market, complete industries, and strong development momentum, and this is the source of confidence for endogenous growth and independent development, meaning when others won't open the door for us, we can still survive and thrive better.  

Maintain strategic resolve while meticulously maneuvering tactically.  

How to further unleash the potential of the ultra-large market? Integrate benefiting people's livelihood with promoting consumption, investing in both physical assets and human capital, and improve the quality and efficiency of the national economic cycle…

How to achieve internal-external connectivity and mutual promotion? Steadily expand institutional opening-up, with the Hainan Free Trade Port launching full-island independent customs operations, and high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation...  

Being good at viewing and thinking about issues strategically is an essential capability for leading cadres.  

The major judgments and innovative measures in the recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan have all been thoroughly discussed and validated, and must be understood both in meaning and rationale.  

By thoroughly grasping the CPC Central Committee's strategic intentions - setting the direction, focusing on major issues, planning long-term while pinpointing work priorities - we will win the present and the future.  

Accurate understanding

Accurate means precisely grasping policy boundaries and scales. Upholding and applying precise thinking - doing what must be done, striving to do what can be done, and resolutely refraining from what should not be done - ensures that implementation is balanced, effective, and successful.  

Promoting integrated urban-rural development is an inherent requirement for common prosperity. How to accurately grasp this strategic task in the 15th Five-Year Plan?  

During an inspection tour of Guangdong in October 2018, the General Secretary said the unbalanced development between urban and rural areas and among different regions was the biggest challenge of Guangdong's high-quality development. Strengthened, continued efforts and more targeted measures are needed to solve the urban and rural divide to turn weakness into potential and widen development space, he said. 

During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Guangdong's "one county, one policy" approach polished distinctive brands from Chencun tangerines to Xuwen pineapples.  

With varying local conditions and resource endowments, faithfully implementing the spirit of the CPC Central Committee while adapting to local realities and timing is key to forming a new pattern of integrated urban-rural development. In 2025, China's urban-rural resident income ratio fell from 2.34 in 2024 to 2.31.  

On the new journey, how to steadily advance integrated urban-rural development and excel in the major task of comprehensive rural revitalization?  

The principle is that never deviate from the overall direction and strategy. For example, strictly observe the red line for cultivated land. In East China's Zhejiang Province, slope gardens and consolidating fragmented "palm-sized" fields were converted into machine-friendly plots.  

Distinguish universality from particularity - this is method. For example, we should adapt to population trends. In Liancheng county, East China's Fujian Province, optimized village-town layouts and clustered specialty industries have steadily raised villager incomes.  

Proceeding from reality in all things - pragmatism is an essential quality of Communists.  

By more resolutely and effectively implementing the CPC Central Committee's decisions and creatively carrying out the work, we can turn grand visions into beautiful reality.  

The new journey is a new Long March. The road lies beneath our feet, and the future is in our hands. 

This was compiled from an article originally published on the front page of the People's Daily on March 3.