In October, the Communist Party of China adopted recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development during its Fourth Plenary Session in Beijing. This plan, set for approval next year, will guide China's development from 2026 to 2030, building on decades of economic transformation. The initiative highlights China's commitment to high-quality growth and offers lessons for countries like Nigeria.
A foreign head of state once remarked to Chinese President Xi Jinping, “China has a major advantage, which is always formulating various plans and ensuring they are fully implemented.” Xi has emphasized that the formulation and implementation of these five-year plans reflect key governance experience of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a significant political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
During the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in Beijing in October, the committee adopted the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. Once reviewed and approved by the National People’s Congress next year, it will become the 15th such plan since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The plan will provide top-level design and strategic guidance for China’s economic and social development over the next five years, outlining a blueprint aligned with current momentum.
Since 1949, China has implemented 14 five-year plans over more than seven decades, transforming from a poor nation into the world’s second-largest economy and largest manufacturing hub. Per capita GDP now exceeds $13,000, with society maintaining harmony and stability. These achievements represent the “Two Miracles” of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.
Under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), China’s economic, technological, and national strength advanced significantly. In 2024, GDP reached 18.9 trillion USD, contributing around 30 percent to global economic growth. The 15th plan (2026–2030) will focus on high-quality development as its central theme, setting guiding principles, major objectives, strategic tasks, and measures. It forms a crucial stage toward basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035, as outlined at the 20th National Congress of the CPC.
This approach offers a governance paradigm for Global South countries, including Nigeria, emphasizing self-reliant and sustainable development. Through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China aims to share experiences, align strategies, and deepen cooperation with Nigeria, including zero-tariff policies and economic partnerships to build a shared future.