The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as the Recommendations), deliberated and adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, elevates new infrastructure construction to the strategic height of supporting a modern industrial system, and explicitly proposes to "build new infrastructure with appropriate forward-looking planning, advance the construction and intensive, efficient utilization of information and communication networks, the national integrated computing power network, and major science and technology infrastructure, and promote the renewal and digital-intelligent transformation of traditional infrastructure." This deployment both inherits and deepens the construction achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and constitutes a key measure for responding to the wave of the technological revolution and cultivating new quality productive forces. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, a critical stage for consolidating the foundations of modernization, it is urgently necessary to accurately grasp the new policy requirements, scientifically assess the new development situation, and systematically plan implementation paths, so as to activate the "soft momentum" of high-quality development through the "hard support" of new infrastructure.

The 15th Five-Year Plan Recommendations Set New Requirements for New Infrastructure

A new upgrade in strategic positioning: from "basic support" to "pioneering leadership." The Recommendations for the first time directly link new infrastructure construction with the development of new quality productive forces, clarifying its strategic value of "pioneering leadership." Unlike the 14th Five-Year Plan period, which focused on shoring up shortcomings and building scale, "appropriate forward-looking planning" in the new stage has a clear goal orientation: on the one hand, it must support the cluster development of strategic emerging industries such as new energy and the low-altitude economy; on the other hand, it requires forward-looking layout of the underlying facilities needed by future industries such as quantum technology and embodied intelligence. Such forward-looking layout is not a simple consideration of the time dimension, but an overall plan based on technological trends, industrial development, and national strategy. Through forward-looking construction of the new infrastructure needed for the development of emerging and future industries, China will continue to maintain a globally leading position in the era of artificial intelligence.

New dimensions in construction layout: from "decentralized advancement" to "systematic intensification." The Recommendations highlight the systemic thinking of "a nationwide game of chess" to resolve the problem of fragmented layout that existed during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. In the spatial dimension, it emphasizes the nationwide integrated layout of infrastructure such as information and communication networks and computing power networks, optimizing resource allocation through upgrades to the "Eastern Data, Western Computing" initiative and coordination of facilities among urban agglomerations. In terms of construction models, it clearly sets out the principle of "intensive and efficient utilization," requiring deeper intra-industry and cross-industry sharing to avoid redundant construction and waste of resources. For example, in the construction of computing power facilities, it not only pursues scale expansion, with the goal of doubling computing power compared with the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, but also pays more attention to computing-network coordination and green intensification, promoting an appropriate tilt of computing power resources toward regions rich in renewable energy.

New directions in technological development: from "scale popularization" to "breakthroughs in quality and efficiency." The Recommendations identify three main directions for technological upgrading: first, communication networks evolving toward "ubiquitous intelligent connectivity," advancing key coverage of 5G-A networks, accelerating the large-scale application of 10-gigabit optical networks, and launching 6G technology research and standard setting. Second, computing power facilities upgrading toward "intelligent intensification," building a national integrated computing power network and resolving the structural contradictions of uneven computing power distribution and low utilization efficiency. Third, innovation facilities focusing on "original innovation," strengthening the construction of major science and technology infrastructure to provide support for breakthroughs in fields such as integrated circuits and industrial mother machines. This shift from "quantitative accumulation" to "qualitative leap" demonstrates the high degree of consistency between new infrastructure and the inherent logic of technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.

New paths for value realization: from "standalone construction" to "integrated empowerment." The deployment to "promote the renewal and digital-intelligent transformation of traditional infrastructure" establishes a new paradigm for the integrated development of new and traditional infrastructure. On the one hand, it is necessary to promote "new infrastructure + industrialization," with the industrial internet, Internet of Things, and identifier resolution systems at the core, empowering the digital transformation of manufacturing and achieving intelligent production, flexible manufacturing, and collaborative innovation; on the other hand, it is necessary to promote "new infrastructure + urbanization," combining scenarios such as smart cities, intelligent transportation, and smart energy to build urban "digital twin" systems and enhance the modernization level of urban governance and residents' quality of life. In addition, in traditional industries such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance, the application of new infrastructure will also change from "icing on the cake" to "indispensable," becoming the core driving force of industry transformation.

Opportunities and Challenges for New Infrastructure Construction During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

From the perspective of development opportunities: First, policy support continues to increase. The Recommendations explicitly propose to "build new infrastructure with appropriate forward-looking planning" and incorporate it into the core composition of the modern infrastructure system. The government will increase support for new infrastructure construction through various means such as fiscal subsidies and financing support. For example, the central government has established a special fund for new infrastructure construction, and local governments guide social capital to participate in new infrastructure construction through means such as issuing local government special bonds and development finance. These policy measures provide solid funding guarantees for new infrastructure construction, reduce enterprises' operating costs, improve profitability, and stimulate the investment enthusiasm of market entities.

Second, technological innovation drives development. The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, providing strong technological support for new infrastructure construction. The rapid development of cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain has driven the intelligent, digital, and networked upgrading of new infrastructure. For example, the low latency, high bandwidth, and massive connectivity characteristics of 5G technology make possible development in fields such as the industrial internet, intelligent transportation, and smart healthcare; the widespread application of artificial intelligence technology has improved the operational efficiency and management level of new infrastructure; and the decentralization and tamper-resistance characteristics of blockchain technology provide solutions for data security and privacy protection. Technological innovation not only gives rise to new economic growth points but also brings new development opportunities for new infrastructure construction.

Third, market demand continues to be released. With the rapid development of China's economy and society, demand for new infrastructure is growing increasingly strong. In terms of industrial digitalization, traditional industries have an urgent need for digital transformation and require new infrastructure to provide strong computing power, data storage, and transmission capabilities. For example, manufacturing enterprises achieve equipment interconnection and real-time data collection and analysis through industrial internet platforms, improving production efficiency and product quality; in agriculture, IoT technology is used to achieve precision planting and intelligent irrigation, enhancing the intelligence level of agricultural production. In terms of digital industrialization, the rapid development of emerging industries places higher demands on new infrastructure. For example, the development of industries such as artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing requires large-scale data centers and computing power network support; the rise of new business forms such as e-commerce, online education, and telemedicine also requires high-speed and stable network infrastructure guarantees.

Fourth, coordinated regional development brings new space. The Recommendations emphasize enhancing regional development coordination and promoting coordinated development between the eastern, central, and western regions and between the north and south. This provides an opportunity for optimizing the interregional layout of new infrastructure construction. On the one hand, the eastern region can rely on its advantages in technology, talent, and industry to accelerate innovative applications and high-end development of new infrastructure and build digital industrial clusters with international competitiveness; on the other hand, the central and western regions can fully leverage their resource advantages to undertake computing demand from the eastern region, build large-scale data centers and other new infrastructure, and promote the transformation from "watt" industries to "bit" industries. For example, the implementation of the "Eastern Data, Western Computing" project guides computing demand from the eastern region in an orderly manner to the western region, promoting optimized resource allocation and coordinated development among regions.

From the perspective of main challenges: First, core technologies are constrained by others. Although China has made remarkable achievements in the field of new infrastructure construction, it still has shortcomings in some key core technologies and must rely on independent innovation to break through bottlenecks. For example, core technologies such as high-end chips, key software, operating systems, and database management systems still rely on imports, facing risks and hidden dangers to information security. Being constrained by others in core technologies not only increases the cost of new infrastructure construction but also affects China's position in global technological competition.

Second, regional development is unbalanced. There are obvious regional differences in China's new infrastructure construction. The eastern region, due to its developed economy and rich scientific and technological resources, leads in the construction of 5G networks, data centers, and other areas. The central and western regions, limited by factors such as funding and technology, lag relatively behind in infrastructure construction. This regional imbalance not only affects the overall effectiveness of national new infrastructure but also exacerbates development gaps between regions. For example, the density of 5G base stations in the eastern region is far higher than in the central and western regions, giving it an obvious infrastructure advantage in developing digital industries. In addition, the layout of new infrastructure has not yet effectively matched the resource endowments of various regions, restricting its sustainable development.

Third, security risks are becoming increasingly prominent. With the widespread application of new infrastructure, issues such as cybersecurity and data security have become more prominent. Frequent incidents such as hacker attacks and data leaks pose serious threats to personal privacy, corporate interests, and even national security. In the process of new infrastructure construction, the widespread application of digital and intelligent technologies such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things has also embedded their own security risks into the construction, application, and management of new infrastructure. Risks concerning the supply stability and security of core components such as chips, architectures, and sensors in digital devices and systems are intertwined and amplified in the large-scale application of new infrastructure.

Fourth, commercial operations need to be optimized. New infrastructure construction involves large-scale investment and long payback periods, placing higher demands on the financial strength of construction enterprises. At the same time, the operation and maintenance of new infrastructure also require substantial funding input, including equipment renewal, technological upgrading, and personnel training. In addition, the market-oriented operating mechanism for new infrastructure is not yet perfect, and some projects emphasize construction over operation, resulting in low facility utilization rates and poor economic benefits. For example, after some data centers are completed, due to the lack of effective market alignment and innovation in operating models, computing power resources sit idle and are wasted, making it impossible to form a sustainable business model.

Policy Recommendations

Strengthen top-level design and build a new mechanism for overall coordination. It is recommended to establish a national-level "New Infrastructure Construction Coordination Mechanism" to comprehensively coordinate departments such as development and reform, industry and information technology, science and technology, cyberspace administration, finance, and natural resources, and to break down departmental barriers and local protectionism. Formulate and issue a development plan for new infrastructure construction during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, clarifying overall goals, key tasks, spatial layout, and implementation paths. Establish a nationally unified new infrastructure project database and statistical monitoring system to avoid blind investment and redundant construction and ensure that "one blueprint is carried through to the end."

Focus on core technologies and wage a tough battle for independent innovation. Implement a "New Infrastructure Foundation-Strengthening Project" and list core technology breakthroughs in the new infrastructure field as national major science and technology special projects. First, increase investment in basic research and, through the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program, and other channels, provide long-term and stable support for universities and research institutes to carry out frontier exploration in fields such as next-generation communications, basic software, core algorithms, and new materials. Second, strengthen the dominant role of enterprises in innovation, encourage leading enterprises to take the lead in establishing innovation consortia, and give policy preferences such as additional deduction of R&D expenses, government procurement, and first-set insurance to enterprises that overcome key core technologies. Third, cultivate the industrial ecosystem and, around domestic chips, operating systems, and other areas, build open-source communities and industrial alliances, attract upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to innovate collaboratively, and form an independent and controllable industrial closed loop.

Deepen integrated applications and create a new engine for the digital economy. Implement the "New Infrastructure Empowers All Industries" action plan. First, carry out industry demonstrations and, in key fields such as intelligent manufacturing, smart energy, smart logistics, and smart agriculture, select a batch of national-level integrated application pilot demonstration projects and summarize replicable and promotable experience models. Second, lower the threshold for application and encourage telecom operators, cloud service providers, and others to launch inclusive "cloud adoption, data utilization, and intelligence empowerment" service packages, providing low-cost and rapidly deployable solutions for the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises. Third, cultivate the application ecosystem, hold new infrastructure application innovation competitions, open government and public data resources, encourage the development of innovative applications for specific scenarios, and nurture a batch of "killer" applications, forming a virtuous cycle of "construction-application-returns-reinvestment."

Improve data governance and activate the new value of data elements. Accelerate the construction of the basic institutional system for data. First, accelerate the legislative process and promote the introduction of laws and regulations on the data element market, clarifying data property rights, circulation rules, pricing mechanisms, and responsibility allocation. Second, cultivate a multi-level market, support the high-quality development of data exchanges in Beijing, Shanghai, and other places, encourage regional and industry-specific data trading venues to carry out distinctive operations, and form a nationally unified data trading market network with clear division of labor. Third, develop trusted circulation technologies, vigorously support the R&D and application of technologies such as privacy computing, blockchain, and federated learning, establish a secure and trusted data circulation environment, and make data "dare to circulate and willing to circulate."

Innovate investment and financing models and broaden new channels for funding sources. Build a diversified investment and financing landscape led by the government, dominated by the market, and participated in by society. First, leverage the catalytic role of government investment, establish a national-level new infrastructure development guidance fund, and attract social capital participation through equity investment, debt investment, and other means. Second, deepen public-private partnerships (PPP) and, in fields such as smart cities and intelligent transportation, launch a batch of PPP projects with clear return mechanisms and mature business models. Third, innovate financial support, support qualified new infrastructure enterprises in listing and financing on the STAR Market and ChiNext, issue real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the infrastructure sector, and revitalize existing assets.

Build a solid security barrier and construct a new comprehensive guarantee system. Adhere to the overall national security concept and run the security concept throughout new infrastructure. First, establish a security review mechanism and implement strict security review and access systems for the core equipment, technologies, and services of new infrastructure. Second, enhance intrinsic security capabilities and promote consideration of security protection simultaneously in the planning and design stage of new infrastructure, developing new technologies such as intrinsic security and dynamic defense. Third, strengthen supply chain resilience, establish backup systems for key equipment and technologies, promote supply chain diversification, reduce dependence on single sources, and ensure that new infrastructure can operate stably under extreme conditions.

Adhere to green development and lead a new direction of sustainable construction. Make green and low-carbon development a hard constraint for new infrastructure. First, formulate mandatory standards, revise and establish energy efficiency standards for facilities such as data centers and 5G base stations, and strengthen supervision and inspection. Second, promote green technologies, encourage the adoption of advanced energy-saving technologies such as liquid cooling and immersion cooling, promote direct procurement of green electricity for new infrastructure projects, and build integrated "source-grid-load-storage" projects. Third, empower society-wide emission reduction, encourage the development of carbon monitoring and carbon management platforms based on new infrastructure, and provide digital solutions for energy conservation and carbon reduction in fields such as industry, buildings, and transportation.

The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a critical stage for China to comprehensively build a modern socialist country and also a strategic opportunity period for new infrastructure construction to connect the past and the future and deepen development. We must deeply understand and grasp the new requirements of the new stage, clearly recognize the opportunities and challenges we face, and, with greater determination and more practical measures, promote the profound transformation of new infrastructure from "paving roads and building networks" to "empowering and improving efficiency," providing a rock-solid digital cornerstone for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and advancing Chinese-style modernization.