On November 18, 2025, Commissioner Cui Jianchun published an op-ed in the South China Morning Post titled “15th five-year plan charts a course for China’s modernisation” to elaborate on the outcomes of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The full text is as follows:

The most important outcome of the Communist Party of China’s fourth plenum, held last month in Beijing, was the review and adoption of the “Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development”.

Leading the drafting team in person, Communist Party General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping played a decisive role in formulating the recommendations by setting the overall vision and providing guidance throughout the process.

During the 14th five-year plan, the Communist Party Central Committee – with Xi at its core – united the party and people of all ethnic backgrounds in China. The Central Committee led them in meeting difficulties head-on while forging ahead with determination.

This allowed China to withstand the severe shocks in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, respond effectively to a raft of major challenges, and secure significant new achievements for the Communist Party and the country.

By reaching new heights in economic power, scientific and technological ability and overall national strength, China has made solid strides towards its second centenary goal of building a socialist country that is strong, prosperous, democratic and culturally advanced by 2049.

We owe these remarkable achievements to the Central Committee, which has been charting the course, and to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which has provided sound guidance to advance our cause.

The 15th five-year plan marks a critical stage in building on China’s past successes to break new ground to achieve socialist modernisation by 2035. We must consolidate and build on our strengths, remove bottlenecks in development and shore up areas of weakness. We must seize the strategic initiative amid intense international competition. This will put us on firmer foundations for achieving socialist modernisation.

The recommendations define major economic and social development objectives under the 15th five-year plan, encompassing seven areas: significant achievements in high-quality development; improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance; further deepening comprehensive reform; cultural and ethical progress across society; improvements in quality of life; new strides in environmental protection; and strengthening national security.

At the same time, the recommendations include sector-specific arrangements for strategic tasks and key measures to be taken during the 15th five-year plan. They cover a wide range of areas including industrial development, scientific and technological innovation, the domestic market, economic institutions and mechanisms, opening up, rural revitalisation, coordinated regional development, cultural development, public well-being improvement, green development, secure development, and national defence.

Over the course of the 15th five-year plan, China will promote opening up and create new horizons for mutually beneficial cooperation. These are both key parts of the Chinese modernisation process.

It is imperative that China continues to open up at an institutional level, safeguard the multilateral trading system and promote broader economic flows across the globe. China will draw momentum from this process to propel reform and development, and share opportunities with the rest of the world while promoting common development.

China will promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. We will foster a more equal and orderly multipolar world on the basis of inclusive and universally beneficial economic globalisation. To this end, China will work with neighbouring countries to advance integrated development, maintain stability in relations with major countries, and deepen solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries.

Furthermore, China will act on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilisation Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative to promote the creation of an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of common prosperity, universal security and lasting peace. This underscores China’s commitment to advancing human progress and contributing towards building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The recommendations also chart a course for Hong Kong’s long-term development, stressing that the city has the backing of the motherland as it maintains close links with the rest of the world. These unique strengths and important roles should be further leveraged.

We should enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international centre of finance, shipping and trade, support the city’s path to become a hub for international innovation and technology, and support Hong Kong as it builds itself into an international hub for high-calibre talent. This shows the central government’s great care and support for Hong Kong.

Compared with the 14th five-year plan, the phrasing in the recommendations for the 15th five-year plan signals elevated support for both Hong Kong and Macau, advocating “promoting” rather than “maintaining” Hong Kong and Macau’s long-term prosperity and stability.

The recommendations also expand the call for the two cities to better integrate into and contribute to the country’s overall national development. The addition of the words “contributing to” sets a higher goal for Hong Kong and reflects greater support and higher expectations from the central government.

In the same way that the country puts Hong Kong’s role within a broader context, Hong Kong should, in turn, further leverage its unique strengths to align with the 15th five-year plan, thus contributing to the overall development. In this regard, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will continue to provide support.

The fourth plenum has set a new course for Chinese modernisation. We will continue to ensure progress in development and security, further deepen comprehensive reform and expand our opening up. Together, we will strive to further advance this modernisation agenda and build a community with a shared future for humanity.