By Li Hongxing, People’s Daily
Malaysia is currently in its durian harvest season. Remarkably, durians picked in Malaysian orchards can reach markets in China within as little as 36 hours. This accelerated timeline is made possible by advancements across the supply chain – from quarantine and customs clearance to institutional innovation. Upgraded China-Malaysia trade cooperation has expanded market reach, meeting the needs of Chinese consumers while boosting Malaysia’s export-oriented industries.
The durian business exactly mirrors the increasingly closer collaboration between China and ASEAN countries. This growing collaboration is further solidified by the recent signing of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol. This agreement unlocks new market opportunities provides a significant boost of confidence for both regional and global economic growth.
Examining contemporary China and its strategic plans, including the next Five-Year Plan and beyond, offers the world a crucial anchor of stability, a source of growth momentum, and a clear window of opportunity.
The global significance of China’s five-year plans is well understood. As noted by international observers, these plans function as the “steady rhythm” of China’s modernization journey. This metronome reflects not only the continuity of China’s policy direction but also its resonance with the broader trends of global development.
The influence of the plans stems from their forward-looking nature. Achieving such strategic foresight and effective implementation requires exceptional leadership and governance.
Historically, China’s five-year plans have combined top-level design with extensive public consultation, showcasing the institutional strengths of effective national governance. The transition of each plan from blueprint to reality illustrates the collective power of unity and determination. The Communist Party of China (CPC) possesses strong leadership, organizational, and implementation capacity, enabling it to balance short-term and long-term interests as well as local and national priorities.
The plans’ influence also lies in the opportunities it creates. As an observer put it, China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) represents a “list of opportunities” for the world. Many multinational corporations have drawn the same conclusion: to move in step with China is to align with the future.
Amid a turbulent international environment, China’s stability, growth, and contribution serve as a crucial “anchoring force.” The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, call for expanding the space for two-way investment cooperation and developing new advantages in attracting foreign investment. These commitments send a clear and positive message to the world.
Apple has announced plans to expand its investment in China, while Goldman Sachs has pledged to support financing for enterprises headquartered in China. “Continuing to invest in China” has become a shared consensus among foreign investors because of China’s stable growth prospects and vast potential for mutual benefit.
Viewed through the prism of modernization, the five-year plans embody China’s unique model of “goal-oriented governance,” delivering a clear message: “There is no such a thing as a single authorized model of modernization, nor a universally applicable standard of modernization.”
As Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank, noted, China is charting its own path of independent and sustainable development, precisely what many Global South countries aspire to achieve.
From the China-Europe freight trains revitalizing the Port of Duisburg in Germany, to China’s decision to grant zero-tariff treatment to 100 percent of taxable products originating from all least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, and to the signing of 23 free trade agreements with 30 countries and regions, China is partnering with nations that share a common aspiration for win-win development. Emerging economies and developing countries, whose development demands are often marginalized, now find new opportunities.
Chinese modernization represents a contribution not only to China’s development but to global progress. In this context, China’s five-year plans exemplify both the nation’s long-term strategic vision and its role in shaping a new form of human civilization – reflecting the cohesion of development and the centripetal pull of civilization.
Recent discourse has characterized China through three distinctive lenses: a “forward-looking nation,” an “enabler,” and a “civilizational state.” Together, these perspectives capture the threefold certainty China contributes to global development – steadfastness in strategy, stability in markets, and openness in cultural exchange.
China has persistently advanced generation after generation along the same developmental roadmap. The nation seeks neither to challenge nor displace others, but rather focuses on responsibly managing its own affairs, pursuing continuous self-improvement, and sharing development opportunities worldwide. This approach demonstrates China’s distinctive wisdom and its constructive contribution to global governance.
