BEIJING -- The Communist Party of China Central Committee convened a symposium with non-CPC personages at Zhongnanhai in Beijing on Aug 27, soliciting opinions and suggestions on the CPC Central Committee's recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for China's economic and social development from the central committees of eight non-CPC parties, chairperson of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), as well as a representative of personages without party affiliation.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired and addressed the symposium. Xi emphasized that the planning of social and economic development for the 15th Five-Year Plan period must be anchored to the goal of basically achieving socialist modernization. It is imperative to gain a deep understanding of both domestic and international situations, make solid efforts to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, steadily advance common prosperity, and mobilize the whole Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to work together in building a great country and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium.

Those who made speeches at the symposium include Zheng Jianbang, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang; Ding Zhongli, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League; Hao Mingjin, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association; Cai Dafeng, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy; He Wei, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party; Jiang Zuojun, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party; Wu Weihua, chairperson of the Central Committee of Jiusan Society; Su Hui, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League; Gao Yunlong, chairperson of the ACFIC; and Guo Lei, a representative of personages without party affiliation.

They highly commended the achievements China has made in economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. They agreed with the considerations of the CPC Central Committee on its recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development. They also put forward opinions and suggestions on a wide range of issues, including expanding domestic demand, developing a modernized industrial system, cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, promoting the integrated advancement of education, science and technology and talent, and strengthening the coordination among innovation, industrial, and consumption chains. Their opinions and suggestions are also about promoting common prosperity, advancing coordinated regional development, building China into a strong maritime country, building a safer China at a higher-level, ensuring energy and food security, promoting the high-quality development of the private sector, and deepening the cross-Strait integrated development.

After listening attentively to what they said, Xi delivered an important speech. He pointed out that it has been a fine tradition and consistent practice of the CPC Central Committee to promote democracy, pool wisdom, and extensively solicit views from all sectors when studying major issues and formulating important documents. To ensure the quality of the draft recommendations, the CPC Central Committee conducted in-depth fact-finding missions, and carried out an online public consultation to solicit opinions from the whole of society.

Xi stressed that the 15th Five-Year Plan period is critical for reinforcing the foundations and making all-out efforts toward basically realizing socialist modernization. Strategic tasks, ideas and approaches must be formulated for the development in all sectors of the country's economic and social development according to the targets and requirements for basically realizing socialist modernization, Xi said. Efforts must be focused on key areas and links that affect and constrain high-quality development to consolidate and expand strengths, break constraints and bottlenecks, and make up deficiencies. We must make holistic and coordinated plans for all tasks under the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, so as to synergize development efforts and enhance comprehensive effect, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that at present, China remains in a phase of development where strategic opportunities exist alongside risks and challenges, while uncertainties and unforeseen factors are rising. We must closely monitor and accurately assess the international situation, proactively identify, respond to, and steer changes, and firmly grasp the strategic initiative. No matter how the external environment changes, we must pool our efforts to manage our own affairs well. It is essential to fully and faithfully implement the new development philosophy, strengthen the domestic interactions between supply and demand, promote domestic and international economic flows, properly prevent and defuse risks, and continuously improve the quality and resilience of development.

Xi stressed that greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology is a strategic support for high-quality development. He said it is imperative to leverage the strength of the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide, focus on the world's scientific and technological frontier, and promote the integrated development of education, science and technology and talent. It is also important to intensify efforts to strengthen basic research and improve independent innovation especially original innovation capacity, and work hard to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. It is essential to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and make concerted efforts to promote the transformation and upgrades of traditional industries in an all-round manner, proactively develop emerging industries, and make deployment for the building of future-oriented industries, and speed up modernizing the industrial system.

Xi noted that Chinese modernization is socialist modernization where all the people share common prosperity. He stressed the importance of regarding bringing benefits to the people as what the CPC primarily strives for, and remaining committed to ensuring and improving the people's well-being in the course of pursuing development. It is essential to further optimize the regional economic layout, promote coordinated regional development, consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation, and promote all-round rural revitalization. It is imperative to introduce more concrete measures that are perceptible and accessible, so as to meet the people's needs in employment, education, social security, housing, medical care, elderly care and child care.

Xi expressed the hope that non-CPC political parties, the ACFIC, and individuals without party affiliation will give full play to their advantages of extensive contact with people from all sectors of society, continue to deliberate and study issues related to economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and promptly submit targeted opinions and suggestions to the CPC Central Committee so as to contribute wisdom and strength to promoting high-quality economic and social development and basically realizing socialist modernization.

Wang Yi, Liu Guozhong, Li Ganjie, Li Shulei, Li Hongzhong, He Lifeng, Zhang Youxia, Zhang Guoqing, Chen Wenqing, Wu Zhenglong, Shen Yiqin, Mu Hong, Jiang Xinzhi, and leading officials of relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attended the meeting.

Also present at the meeting were non-CPC figures including Shao Hong, He Baoxiang, Wang Guangqian, Qin Boyong, Zhu Yongxin, Yang Zhen, and Zhang Endi, An Lijia, and Zhang Weihong.