As China's annual Two Sessions, the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, will kick off on March 5 and March 4, respectively, attention is turning to the country's next strategic blueprint. 

This year is the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), a pivotal starting point in the country’s new stage of modernization. At this important juncture, reviewing the trajectory of the previous fourteen Five-Year Plans is more than a historical recap—it reveals how long-term planning has anchored China’s economic rise, social progress and structural reforms across different historical periods.

The period covered by the 15th Five-Year Plan will be critical in this process as the country works to reinforce the foundations and push ahead on all fronts toward largely realizing socialist modernization by 2035. During this period, China will take the strategic initiative amid intense international competition and secure major breakthroughs in the strategic tasks of overall importance to Chinese modernization. This will put the country on firmer foundations for realizing socialist modernization.

Phase I: The Five-Year Plans under the Planned Economy System 

During this phase, China primarily operated under a highly centralized planned economy. These early five-year plans were managed through a directive approach, building a relatively independent and comprehensive industrial and economic system, accumulating experience and laying the material and technological groundwork for the country's rapid development after reform and opening up.

The 1st Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)

Focus: Establishing the foundations of heavy industry and socialist industrialization.

Developments: Socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts, and capitalist sectors.

The 2nd Five-Year Plan (1958-1962) 

Focus: Industrial technological transformation and heavy industry.

Developments: Advanced socialist transformation, however, the Great Leap Forward (also 1958-62) caused significant deviations from planned goals.

Three-year adjustment period (1962-1965)

The 3rd and 4th Five-Year Plans (1966-1975) 

Focus: Industrial transportation and defense technology.

Developments: Major targets were largely met, despite disruption from the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), but the overly rapid pace of construction hindered coordinated economic development.

The 5th Five-Year Plan (1976-1980) 

Focus: Balanced and rational economic development.

Developments: The period was defined by the milestone Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which launched China's reform and opening up, a pivotal economic shift.

Phase II: Transition from a Planned Economy to a Socialist Market Economy 

This period initially established the socialist market economy framework, reversing long-term consumer goods shortages and solving basic issues related to living standards. Five-year plan formulation procedures were standardized during this time.

The 6th Five-Year Plan (1981-1985) 

Focus: Economic reform and opening up.

Developments: A dramatic increase in agricultural production, the opening of China’s economy to the world and the onset of a take-off stage in national economic development, driven by key reforms such as the household contract responsibility system and the establishment of special economic zones.

The 7th Five-Year Plan (1986-1990) 

Focus: Steady economic growth, sectoral improvements, and economic system reform.

Developments: The national economy maintained steady growth during this period, with major improvements across agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery, which helped further alleviate shortages in agricultural and consumer products.

The 8th Five-Year Plan (1991-1995) 

Focus: Reforming the socialist market economy.

Developments: The role of market mechanisms became a central aspect of this period. With a faster pace of reform, China’s GDP grew at an average annual rate of 12 percent.

The 9th Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) 

Focus: By the end of the 20th century, to double the 1980 GNP and enable the people to achieve a xiaokang (moderately prosperous) standard of living.

Developments: The actual performance in GNP far exceeded the target. Despite the Asian financial crisis, China’s per-capita GDP reached $850, moving the country into the lower-middle-income category. Major agricultural and industrial outputs ranked among the world’s top, and the general living standards of the people had reached a modest level of prosperity.

The 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) 

Focus: Economic restructuring, driving IT application across the national economy and society, and navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by it’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO.)

Developments: Accession to the WTO accelerated the growth of its export-oriented economy. The pace of industrialization and urbanization quickened, with notable growth in automobile and housing consumption. GDP grew at an average annual rate of 9.8 percent, and the country’s total economic output ranked fourth in the world.

Phase III. Five-Year Plans after the Establishment of the Socialist Market Economy System 

China’s leap from standing up to growing rich and to becoming stronger began during this phase. The country made remarkable progress in industrial development, innovation, urban-rural transformation, the well-being of its people and its overall national strength. The planning system evolved to match the socialist market economy, further solidifying China’s developmental trajectory.

The 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) 

Focus: The formal transition from a planned economy to a socialist market economy took place during this period. Significant shifts occurred in development philosophy, with the Scientific Outlook on Development guiding socioeconomic progress. Key priorities included accelerating the transformation of the economic growth model, enhancing indigenous innovation capabilities, and promoting social harmony.

Developments: Despite the impact of the global financial crisis, China’s GDP continued to grow at an annual rate of 11.2 percent. The country’s total economic output became the second-largest in the world, and China entered the upper-middle-income category. Notably, the shift from "plan" to "planning" marked a qualitative change toward a more flexible and indicative approach, reducing direct state intervention in microeconomic activities.

The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) 

Focus: Pivoting from pure GDP growth to sustainable, high quality development. It targeted 7 percent annual growth while restructuring, inclusive growth with matching income rises, and binding environmental targets.

Developments: Socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a new era under this plan. China maintained its position as the world’s second-largest economy, contributing more than 25 percent of world economic growth.

The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) 

Focus: Key priorities included addressing challenges related to growth drivers, imbalanced development, harmony between humanity and nature, opening up, and achieving shared prosperity.

Developments: China’s economy maintained steady high-speed growth, with per-capita GDP surpassing $10,000, reaching the level of upper-middle-income countries, and contributing over 30 percent of global growth. Manufacturing shifted to higher-end industries, and the digital economy flourished. Technological progress continued to be a major driver of economic growth. The country also made historic achievements in poverty alleviation, environmental improvement, and the expansion of its social security system.

The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) 

Focus: To drive China's transition from "becoming prosperous" to "becoming strong," pursuing higher-quality, more efficient, more equitable, more sustainable, and more secure development.

Developments: Amid the complex and evolving international landscape and the demanding tasks of domestic reform, development, and maintaining stability, China has withstood the severe impact of a once-in-a-century pandemic and met a series of major risks and challenges. The nation’s economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, and overall national power have all reached new heights.

(Complied by Beijing Review)