25 June 2026
Panelists say the China’s 15th
Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) prioritises innovation,
consumption, industrial upgrading, green energy and
continued opening to the world.
Session speakers
describe a shift towards high-quality growth, with stronger
domestic consumption central to a more balanced
model.
The discussion took place at the World Economic
Forum’s 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in
Dalian, themed “Innovating at Scale”.
Learn more
about the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 here.
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and #InnovateScaleImpact
Dalian, People’s Republic
of China, 25 June 2026 – China’s 15th Five-Year Plan
aims to help shape the country’s next phase of
development, with priorities spanning innovation, domestic
consumption, industrial upgrading, green energy and
continued opening to the global economy, distinguished
speakers said today at the World Economic Forum’s 17th
Annual Meeting of the New Champions.
The session
titled 15th Five-Year Plan, Unpacked, explored how China’s
next planning cycle, covering 2026–2030, could guide
economic growth at a time of rapid technological change,
demographic shifts and evolving global supply chains.
Speakers explained that the plan should be understood not
only as an economic framework, but also as a signal of
policy direction for business, investors and international
partners.
Guo Lanfeng, President, China Society of
Economic Reform, said China would continue to centre its
work on economic development, with quality development,
reform and innovation as key drivers. He identified three
areas requiring sustained attention: consolidating the
foundations of growth, responding to demographic change and
adapting to a complex international environment. China’s
advantages, he said, include its large market, comprehensive
industrial system, innovation capacity and commitment to
reform and opening-up.
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Adam Tooze, Director, European
Institute, Columbia University, reflected on the level of
international attention the planning cycle had drawn.
“Here we are in 2026 discussing the 15th Five-Year Plan of
the People’s Republic of China – and that is not how
many of us expected the 21st century to work out,” he
said, adding that he could not recall a five-year plan
watched as closely as this one. He described China’s
five-year plans as evolving instruments of governance rather
than static planning documents, and said the country’s
industrial development and export strength would remain
closely watched by the rest of the world.
Yuen Yuen
Ang, Alfred Chandler Chair of Political Economy, Johns
Hopkins University, framed the 14th and 15th Five-Year Plans
as part of China’s transition from an earlier growth model
based on investment, exports and construction towards one
focused on high-quality growth. She said China is seeking to
strengthen “0 to 1” foundational innovation while also
ensuring that innovation supports employment,
commercialization and domestic consumption.
Wu Zuyu,
Chairman, HiTHIUM, said new energy storage is entering an
accelerated phase of development, moving from policy-driven
growth towards market-driven expansion. He said falling
costs in solar, wind and energy storage could make green
power increasingly competitive over the coming five years,
while contributing to energy security and the wider green
transition.
Speakers also discussed the importance of
domestic demand in China’s next development phase. Guo
said boosting household consumption requires higher-quality
employment, stronger social protection, broader channels for
household income and a better consumer environment. “If we
really want to stimulate household consumption, we first
need to ensure people have money to spend,” he said. Ang
added that stronger domestic demand would help absorb
China’s advanced manufacturing capacity and support a more
balanced growth model.
The panel also considered how
Chinese companies can expand internationally while deepening
local partnerships. Wu said companies with competitive
advantages will need to build more localized operations,
cooperate with partners abroad and contribute to
host-country development. “Cooperation holds the key,”
he said. Guo said China’s opening-up would continue to
adapt to changing global conditions, combining inward and
outward flows of investment, technology and
enterprise.
The discussion reflected the Annual
Meeting of the New Champions`s 2026 theme, “Innovating at
Scale”, by focusing on how innovation can be translated
into broad-based growth, industrial transformation and new
opportunities for cooperation.
About the Annual
Meeting of the New Champions 2026
The 17th Annual
Meeting of the New Champions took place from 23 to 25 June
2026 in Dalian, People’s Republic of China, under the
theme “Innovating at Scale”. The meeting brought
together more than 1800 cross-sector leaders to explore how
innovation and emerging technologies can unlock new growth
models and drive positive economic momentum in a
fast-shifting global
landscape.
