The Two Centenary Goals and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy  

President Xi Jinping first discussed the 13th Five-Year Plan during the NPC and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee sessions in March 2015. Later, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, Xi, in his capacity as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presented an explanation of the draft proposal of the 13th Five-Year Plan. Ensuring that by 2020, just before the CPC's centenary in 2021, China will have built a moderately prosperous society in all respects represents the first of the Two Centenary Goals established by the CPC. This is also the first grand goal of the Chinese dream.   

The 13th Five-Year Plan was designed with this goal in mind. The time period covered by this plan is the last years to accomplish the goal of building a moderately prosperous society before 2020. Additionally, in this period, decisive progress should be made in implementing the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy--establishing a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, advancing the rule of law, and strengthening Party self-discipline.   

The 13th Five-Year Plan is the first five-year plan since the new leadership took power. The second Centenary Goal is dependent on the success of the first. If China can continue to maintain stable and healthy development over the next five years, the next goal is to turn China into a prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious modern socialist country by the time the People's Republic celebrates its centenary in 2049. 

Guiding ideology and principles for the 13th five-year period  

The proposed plan features an objective analysis of the environment that China will face during the 13th five-year period. Overall, this period will continue to offer a number of important strategic opportunities, but there will also be severe challenges and risks. 

Based on this analysis, the plan puts forward the following guiding ideology for China's development during the 13th five-year period:  

-- Following the Party's ideological and theoretical guidance  

-- Focusing on improving the quality and efficiency of growth 

-- Accelerating the establishment of governance structures and economic growth models to spearhead the new normal;  

-- Ensuring the creation of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020  

-- Forming a solid foundation for the realization of second Centenary Goal and the Chinese dream of national renewal 

It was also stressed that the following principles must be upheld in order to realize the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and  maintain healthy economic and social development: 

-- The principal role of the people 

-- The Scientific Outlook on Development 

-- Continued reforms 

-- The rule of law 

-- Coordinated planning in international and domestic affairs 

-- The leadership of the CPC