China's Roadmap to 2035: Green Development and Technological Supremacy
China has unveiled its comprehensive blueprint for national development through the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), approved during the Fourth Plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee held in Beijing during October. This strategic document charts China's course toward achieving socialist modernization by 2035, with significant emphasis on environmental sustainability and technological self-reliance.
The Fourth Plenum and Policy Continuity
The closed-door meeting, known as the Fourth Plenum, deliberated on and adopted recommendations from the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. The session acknowledged the work of the Political Bureau in implementing guiding principles from the 20th CPC National Congress and previous plenary sessions. President Xi Jinping endorsed policy continuity, prioritizing scientific and technological self-reliance alongside strengthened national security.
The Plenum specifically praised Chinese corporate giants including Huawei, Alibaba, Xiaomi, and BYD for building successful global brands while establishing integrated innovation systems that combine scientific research with practical application. Unlike previous plans that concentrated on the services sector, the current blueprint focuses on leading-edge technological industries ranging from clean energy to artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
Key Priorities of the 15th Five-Year Plan
The 15th Five-Year Plan forms the backbone of China's economic and governance policies, serving as a roadmap for the country's strategic future—similar to how India utilizes its own five-year planning system. Central to this plan is fulfilling Xi Jinping's goal of doubling the size of China's economy between 2020 and 2035.
Major focus areas include:
- Innovation-driven growth and high-quality development
- Low-carbon development and environmental sustainability
- Urban-rural integration and social inclusion programs
- Addressing population ageing through silver economy initiatives
- Building a modern industrial system while reducing excess capacity
For the first time in China's planning history, the space sector has been designated a top priority, with a commitment to transform China into a leading spacefaring nation over the next five years. The plan also calls for massive development of high-tech industries, including ambitious nuclear fusion projects.
Beautiful China Initiative: Ecological Ambitions
Xi Jinping's Beautiful China Initiative, first introduced in 2012 and fully adopted by 2017, receives renewed emphasis in the current plan. The initiative focuses on ecological protection, sustainable resource use, and harmonious coexistence with nature, with official guidelines issued on January 11, 2024, to accelerate its implementation.
Key environmental targets include:
- Continuous reduction of major pollutants with improved ecological quality by 2027
- Reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060
- Developing comprehensive green production methods by 2035
- Increasing forest coverage to 26 percent (compared to India's 25.17 percent)
- Raising soil and water conservation rates to 75 percent
The government is creating a multi-stakeholder system to develop advanced pilot zones for Beautiful China, involving local bureaucracies, village leaders, and planners in implementing these green initiatives. The concept draws inspiration from traditional Chinese philosophy of the unity of Heaven and humanity, which emphasizes environmental aesthetics.
Citizen response has been positive, with greening efforts reflected in everyday choices such as adopting energy-efficient vehicles and phasing out old diesel locomotives. The government has set additional targets for global-leading efficiency in energy and water use, aligning with China's localization of the Sustainable Development Goals to support environmental balance and indigenous ways of life.
The plan also addresses social welfare through commitments to foster a birth-friendly society while investing in elderly care, child care, and education—tapping into the silver economy opportunities presented by China's ageing population.
