Since the start of autumn, plants have set seed. The fourth year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period has reached its midpoint, and next year will mark its conclusion. Meanwhile, efforts to plan the 15th Five-Year Plan have already begun in earnest.

At its meeting on July 30, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee emphasized the need to conduct preliminary research and planning for the 15th Five-Year Plan. Since last December, the National Development and Reform Commission has launched preliminary research for the 15th Five-Year Plan. This spring, relevant ministries and commissions as well as provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities have successively released research topics for the 15th Five-Year Plan and solicited undertaking parties from society, with most completion dates set before the end of this year.

Now is precisely the time for deliberation in planning the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Five years ago, when planning for the 14th Five-Year Plan was initiated, it was also the moment when General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the idea of "bearing in mind the two overall situations"—bearing in mind the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the major changes unseen in a century in the world. "This is the basic starting point for our planning work." Planning the 15th Five-Year Plan must likewise proceed from the "two overall situations."

In recent years, the changes unseen in a century have accelerated in their evolution, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. "Black swan" and "gray rhino" events have occurred frequently, and uncertainty has surged. Clearly, we must be prepared for further escalation of external "turbulence" and further acceleration of global "transformation" during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. We need to conduct more in-depth research on the "two overall situations" and, by accurately identifying changes, responding scientifically, and proactively seeking change, grasp where the certainty of China's progress during the 15th Five-Year Plan will come from.

Since the beginning of this year, the Party Central Committee has repeatedly emphasized the "three faces." Each "face" is highly charged—"facing the complex international and domestic situation," it is crucial to accurately grasp both the "form" and the "trend." "Facing a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation," intertwined "risks" and "opportunities" are surging forward, and the key lies in turning crises into opportunities. "Facing the new expectations of the people," the word "new" is the key, and "new expectations" give birth to goals.

From embarking on a new journey at the centenary of the Party's founding to basically achieving modernization by 2035, in between lie precisely three five-year periods—the 14th, 15th, and 16th Five-Year Plans—and three major steps. The 15th Five-Year Plan, covering 2026 to 2030, is a crucial five years that connects the past and the future. Only by closely grasping the stage characteristics of these five years and seizing opportunities and solving difficult problems can we have a clear target.

The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan proposed 20 quantifiable specific indicators. Behind these indicators are representative key tasks. For the 15th Five-Year Plan, how to make the indicator system better reflect the requirements of high-quality development tests our planning capabilities.

For a large developing country with a huge population, the tasks of five-year development are numerous indeed. Only by adhering to the "two-point theory"—overall coordination and balance—and the "key-point theory"—grasping the principal contradiction—can we "lead the ox by the nose."

Undoubtedly, developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions will be one of the key tasks that "touch one point and move the whole body." When planning the main goals and indicators, major strategic tasks, major reform measures, and major engineering projects for the 15th Five-Year Plan's economic and social development, it is necessary to fully consider the practical requirements of developing new quality productive forces. Planning is also a process of clarification: only by clearly recognizing both the trend and oneself can we avoid rushing headlong into action and truly act in light of local conditions.

In planning the next five years, both potential opportunities and bottlenecks and difficulties must be examined; all are key points of effort. To break through bottlenecks and difficulties, when planning we must first unlock new and unknown knowledge and innovate ideas and methods.

Five years apart, changes are visible everywhere. There is more and more new knowledge across fields and more and more coordinated development across administrative regions. Can experts and scholars from different fields sit down together? Can neighboring administrative regions join hands in planning? Can the reform content in the development blueprint be higher? Can more be done to improve the planning institutional system?

To draw a good new blueprint, we need to create a new atmosphere.

The five-year plan is a matter of great national importance. The lives, expectations, feelings, and aspirations of hundreds of millions of people are also contained within it. In planning the 15th Five-Year Plan, we must closely focus on the major theoretical and practical issues of advancing Chinese modernization, rely on professional strength, and pool wisdom from all sides, while also being good at starting from the macro level and working at the micro level, carefully understanding the urgent difficulties and anxieties of the people, and building more vivid bridges between macro judgments and micro perceptions.

The preliminary research that has already begun is quite open. Shanghai has proposed that various research institutions or individuals may conduct research according to the Research Guidelines, or may independently determine topics and conduct research at their own expense around major issues, while also encouraging the formation of cross-field and interdisciplinary teams for joint research. Beijing has opened columns such as "Government-Citizen Interaction—15th Five-Year Plan Question Collection" on relevant official websites and WeChat public accounts. Similar practices are quite common in various places.

Four years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping successively chaired seven symposiums on the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, opening the door to seek advice and pooling wisdom. Strengthening top-level design, adhering to seeking advice from the people, and fully absorbing social expectations, mass wisdom, expert opinions, and grassroots experience—this is a good tradition in formulating five-year plans and also contains broad space for continuous innovation.

The tough battles of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the planning of the 15th Five-Year Plan are unfolding simultaneously. Time is tight and tasks are heavy. In promoting high-quality development, we are applying pressure to ourselves. More than 300 tasks for further comprehensively deepening reform must all be completed within the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Only by planning well, acting earnestly, and persevering without cease can we move forward.