China offers a path grounded in long-term planning, international cooperation, and mutual trust

I have had the privilege of living through and studying, since 1978, the entire process of China's reform and opening-up. For more than four decades, I have witnessed how each Five-Year Plan has served not only as an economic guide but also as a political, social, and philosophical compass marking the country's path. The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) is another example of the coherence and predictability of Chinese planning, which has made China both a reliable partner and a key actor in 21st-century global governance.

China's five-year plans are far more than economic planning documents. They are the outcome of a collective process that mobilizes thousands of experts, academics, officials and representatives from all levels of the Communist Party of China (CPC), from the most remote provinces to the central organs of power in Beijing. Their formulation involves millions of people through consultations, sectoral studies, and strategic debates. This participatory and scientific approach ensures that five-year plans are not imposed decrees, but shared roadmaps embraced by society as a whole.

China has taken firm steps toward an economy driven by what it calls "new quality productive forces," which involve areas like innovation, digitalization, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and biotechnology, laying the foundations for a model that goes beyond traditional industries. It is a system that integrates science, technology, and social well-being under the guidance of the state.

The results are indisputable. China has become the world's leading country in the number of patents filed, proving that creativity and innovation are not the exclusive domain of the West. Its leadership in electric vehicles, renewable energy, telecommunications, and quantum technology demonstrates a development model that looks confidently toward the future. At the same time, the country has maintained social stability and national cohesion — elements that appear increasingly fragile in the Western world.

Another milestone achieved through the 14th Five-Year Plan is the eradication of extreme poverty in 2021. Nearly 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty over four decades — an unprecedented achievement in human history. Beyond the numbers, this reflects a profoundly Confucian philosophy: the well-being of the people is the measure of good governance. In China, development is not an end in itself, but a means to achieve social harmony and balance. This vision extends outward through China's cooperation with developing countries, under the principle of "winning together or no one wins." China does not seek to dominate or impose its model but to offer sustainable alternatives that allow other nations to follow their own path to prosperity.

The leadership of President Xi Jinping has been decisive in this process. His vision of "Chinese modernization" integrates tradition and innovation, patriotism and openness, stability and reform. Under his direction, the CPC has strengthened the country's governance, reaffirming its role as the guarantor of historical continuity and strategic direction. In contrast with the Atlanticist models, now mired in legitimacy crises and exclusionary hegemonies, China offers a path grounded in long-term planning, international cooperation, and mutual trust.

Europe — and especially Spain — should take note of this experience. The old model of blocs, confrontation, and mistrust has failed. The European Union needs a new governance framework that promotes stability, positive interdependence, and dialogue with China. The goal is not to imitate China's system but to understand it and find avenues of collaboration that benefit both sides. The predictability offered by China's five-year plans is a strategic asset for any country seeking long-term relations with the world's second-largest economy.

Looking ahead, the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will mark a line that is both continuous and forward-looking. Continuous, because it will uphold the principles that have made China a stable, modern, and people-centered country; forward-looking, because it will emphasize the development of new quality productive forces, self-reliance in science and technology, and a deeper opening to the world.

Those of us who have had the privilege of studying each of the five-year plans know that China delivers on its objectives. That is its greatest credential as an international partner. Its planning is the commitment that has made it possible for a once-impoverished and war-torn country to become a pillar of global stability within just half a century.

For those who truly wish to work with China, understanding its five-year plans means understanding the soul of its development. They are living proof that coherence, perseverance, and rational planning remain the best tools to build the future.

(Marcelo Muñoz is the President of the Cátedra China Foundation, Ambassador of Friendship with the Chinese People, and Dean of Spanish Entrepreneurs in China.)