Chinese people submit over 3 million suggestions for government’s 15th Five-year plan
Xi urges studying, absorbing netizens' opinions in formulating 15th Five-Year Plan
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed efforts to study and absorb netizens' opinions in formulating the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), following an online campaign to seek netizens' opinions on the plan.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction.
The online campaign lasted from May 20 to June 20 to seek public input for the 15th Five-Year Plan, gathering more than 3.11 million suggestions.
Xi said the campaign has seen active participation and wide coverage, serving as a vivid example of whole-process people's democracy.
Noting that the public has put forward many valuable opinions and suggestions, Xi called on relevant departments to thoroughly study and integrate them into the plan.
He called on Party committees and governments at all levels to learn more about people's lives, hear their views and gather their ideas extensively to meet their aspirations for a better life.
First launched in the 1950s, five-year plans serve as key strategic documents that guide China's medium- and long-term development. They outline national goals, major tasks and policy directions across various sectors for each five-year period.
Global Times
Aug 04, 2025
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202508/1340027.shtml
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The phrase "300多万条十五五建议汇聚中国力量," which translates to "over 3 million suggestions for the 15th Five-Year Plan gathering Chinese strength," has been trending on social media platforms. It signifies a collective effort and broad public participation in shaping national development plans. The 15th Five-Year Plan, which will cover the period 2026-2030, is expected to be a crucial roadmap for China's future development.
The government's initiative to solicit public opinion is not new. During the drafting of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), significant efforts were made to gather public input. In 2020, the planning process was opened for public input online, and President Xi Jinping held seven special symposiums with various fields and social classes over three months. This period saw a massive collection of suggestions, demonstrating the scale of public engagement.
The ongoing discussion for the 15th Five-Year Plan is already in progress, with preparatory work starting in August 2024. The National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (Two Sessions) in March 2025 will be crucial in deploying high-quality completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan goals and tasks, and laying a solid foundation for a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan.
The Chinese government continues to emphasize broad public participation and expert input in its long-term development planning. The consultation process for national plans is extensive, involving online platforms, expert discussions, and high-level symposia. The phrase "汇聚中国力量" (converging Chinese strength) highlights the government's commitment to gathering diverse perspectives to strengthen national development.
The ongoing planning for the 15th Five-Year Plan shows a proactive approach to addressing future challenges and opportunities, built on the experience of previous plans like the 14th Five-Year Plan's comprehensive public engagement. This consultative approach has significant implications across industry, society, and politics.
The convergence of such a vast number of recommendations from diverse sources suggests that future industrial policies will likely be highly attuned to ground-level realities, emerging trends, and the specific needs of various sectors. This could lead to more targeted and effective industrial policies, enhanced industrial resilience and adaptability, and an increased focus on new growth drivers.
The active participation of millions in shaping national policy reflects a growing emphasis on democratic consultation and could have profound societal impacts. This includes increased public ownership and support for policies, more inclusive and equitable development, strengthened social cohesion and collective action, and improved quality of public services.
The political implications of this extensive consultation process are substantial, demonstrating a commitment to more open governance and collective decision-making. The process highlights a move towards data-driven and evidence-based policy formulation, complemented by a broad democratic input. This combination aims to reduce the risk of policy errors and increase the chances of successful implementation.
In essence, the "300多万条十五五建议汇聚中国力量" signifies a dynamic and participatory model of governance that seeks to harness the collective intelligence and aspirations of the Chinese people to drive national development across all sectors. As China continues to navigate the complexities of its rapid development, this approach will likely play a crucial role in shaping the country's future.
Weibo August 5, 2025
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Chinese people submit over 3 million suggestions for government’s 15th Five-year plan
August 07, 2025 by Mauro Ramos
The Chinese government has received more than 3,113,000 online suggestions for consideration in the country’s five-year plan, to be implemented from 2026 to 2030. The number is extraordinary even by Chinese standards and represents three times the number of suggestions made for the previous five-year plan.
In the previous consultation, for the 14th Five-Year Plan in 2020 – the first time suggestions were submitted online – people in China had submitted just over a million suggestions.
Earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping, instructed the government and the Party to “investigate broadly and deeply the people’s conditions, listen to the voices of the people, and gather the wisdom of the masses to consolidate a powerful joint force that will push forward Chinese-style modernization and continuously realize the people’s aspirations for a better life.”
The president stated that the “high participation and broad coverage” represents an “exemplary practice of comprehensive process popular democracy“.
The online consultation was carried out from May 20 to June 20 this year through various national platforms, such as state media websites (People’s Daily, Xinhua and CCTV), and those of provincial or local governments.
The “Study to Strengthen the Nation” app was also one of the tools through which Chinese citizens submitted their suggestions. This platform was created in 2019 and brings together a significant collection of free content, including periodicals, ancient classics, music, films, and books, as well as online courses for Party members, civil servants, and the general public. As of last year, the platform had 345 million registered users and an average of 700 million daily visits.
Read some of the proposals
The suggestions covered a range of diverse topics such as scientific and technological innovation, diplomacy, defense, in addition to culture, rural revitalization, environment, education, employment, and common prosperity, among others.
The “Study to Strengthen the Nation” app gathered suggestions and made several of them available in blocks for the general public. User Du** (only the last name is disclosed) proposed, for example, “strengthening tobacco control in public places by adding more visible no-smoking signs and accessible reporting channels, encouraging public participation in enforcement.”
Du also suggested “increasing investments in public tobacco control propaganda and health education, raising health literacy and awareness about tobacco control across the population.”
The smoking rate among people aged 15 and older in China is 23.2%, above the world average according to the 2024 China Adult Tobacco Survey, conducted by the Planning Department of the National Health Commission and released in May of this year. The rate has been declining, but the country faces a significant problem with secondhand smoke, as smoking in public spaces, although prohibited, is widely practiced throughout the country.
User Li** expressed concern about the use of pesticides on crops:
“I recommend continued strengthening of food safety oversight; during the production stage, the use of hormones, ripening accelerators, chemicals, and prohibited pesticides should be strictly prohibited, and a safe withdrawal period should also be ensured after the application of pesticides.”
“It is necessary to establish a food traceability system, ensuring comprehensive supervision from the field to the table, to protect the safety of food consumed by the population,” he recommended.
Li** expressed concern about “the wide variety of consumer credit products on the market, with low down payment requirements and high interest rates. Students, in particular, lack experience and are prone to taking out high-value loans, which pose significant risks,” she argued.
“We should explicitly prohibit or strictly restrict the provision of student loans by credit institutions to protect their legitimate rights and interests,” Li suggested.
Yang** recommended more subsidy policies for raising children, “with the staggered granting of financial aid to families with second and third children, in addition to exploring mechanisms linked to policies such as income tax deductions and housing guarantees.”
They also stated that it is “necessary to expand maternity insurance coverage for informal workers … and increase the health insurance membership rate for newborns.”
Proposals submitted through the aforementioned platforms should contain up to 4,000 words. For longer suggestions, an email address from the State Council Information Office was made available.
*With information from Xinhua News Agency