A view of Shanghai Photo: VCG

China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is not only a blueprint but also a practical roadmap of opportunities for international investors, Liu Yue, deputy director of the Foreign Economic Research Institute at the Institute of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said during a salon discussion held by the China Public Diplomacy Association on China's economic development on Monday.

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development has set a slew of goals, with high-quality development high on the agenda. Key indicators span areas including economic development, innovation, public well-being, green transition, and security. 

While highlighting four opportunities, Liu said that one can look through the plan and know where the action is, where the profits are and where one actually can win in the future.

The first one is industrial upgrade and innovation. In the plan, there are clearly three main areas: upgrading traditional industries, developing emerging industries and advancing future industries, Liu said.

When it comes to integrated circuits, biomedicine, the low-altitude economy, intelligent robots and AI plus, these represent growth areas and key priorities. Foreign companies can join through cooperation with local companies and also research and development and supply chain management, Liu noted, adding that with the unified national market, the country has actually broken down the barriers caused by local protection and also established national platforms for companies to receive greater support for investment and also exit.

The second opportunity lies in green development. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the country will build around 100 zero-carbon industrial parks and more than 10,000 kilometers of zero-carbon transportation corridors. "So, if you're in China, you will participate in the world's largest green market to improve your technology, your products and services," she noted.

And the third opportunity is China's domestic demand and consumption upgrade, Liu said. The country has set goals to build a strong domestic demand market during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, which means the government is going to introduce policies so that people have more money and have more time to spend. 

This year's Government Work Report has placed the expansion of domestic demand as the top priority in its work tasks for two consecutive years, which clearly showed that consumption is being given high expectations among the "three drivers" of GDP growth (investment, consumption, and exports). 

Liu Yue, deputy director of the Foreign Economic Research Institute at the Institute of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission Photo: Courtesy of Liu Yue

She noted that this year, the government plans to continue issuing 1.3 trillion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds, primarily to support the major national strategies and security capacity building in key areas as well as large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins. "This demonstrates the decision-makers' clear policy orientation toward expanding domestic demand and stabilizing economic growth," she said.

For foreign investors, they can leverage their strengths in premium goods and advanced services as well as in many areas where they can thrive, Liu added.

The fourth opportunity is institutional opening-up. "We have shortened the negative list for market access. We have removed all restrictions in the manufacturing sector and we will further open up the services sector," she said.

Based on these opportunities, she suggested foreign companies align their global and China strategies with the 15th Five-Year Plan's priorities and align their strengths with the sectors referenced in the plan. 

In addition, international investors are encouraged to go deeper, which means not only manufacturing here, but also conducting research and development as well as supply chain management. They can create new applications here and use China as the world's best testing ground to improve their services and products, and upgrade their technology, she noted.

Foreign companies can also take part in major national programs and demonstration projects, collaborate with local companies and research institutes. "The doors are always open," Liu said.

China's development has never been about going alone, but about sharing development dividends with others. The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only about China's high-quality development, it could also be a key opportunity for global investors. "We really welcome you to join us, grow with us and also build the future with us," Liu noted.