Editor's note: The year 2025 marks the final year China implements its 14th Five-Year Plan. Over the past five years, from technological innovation to green development, from rural revitalization to a tightly knit high-speed rail network, the Chinese people have experienced remarkable transformation in their daily lives. To reflect on and celebrate the shared progress among the Chinese nation, CGTN presents "Our Nation, Our Home: A Five-Year Journey" series. This is the second article in the series. Song Yuehong, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is deputy director and research fellow at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

　　In March, a meeting was held in port city Tianjin in north China to launch the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS)-based oceangoing vessel monitoring system project. It marked the official transition of the project into its substantive implementation phase, another testament to the evolution of the BDS from humble beginnings to its current global strength.

　　Five years ago, the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 incorporated the industrial application of the BDS into the section on "Industrial Modernization and the Foundation of Real Economy," identifying it as a key component of the strategy to build China into a manufacturing powerhouse. Today, the BDS not only serves the Chinese but people worldwide, demonstrating the scientific and practical value of the five-year plan.

　　The five-year plan is an essential instrument to govern China and guide national development medium to long term. It is both a practical framework and a repository of valuable experience in steering economic and social progress.

　　Each plan defines the goals and directions for national economic and social development during a given five-year period, clarifies strategic priorities and government focuses, plans the distribution of productive forces and major economic proportions and provides guidance to market participants.

　　As China ushers in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the five-year plans are blueprints for deepening reform, advancing Chinese modernization and building a modern socialist country in all respects.

　　Approaching the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China is formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). Over the past five years, facing profound changes unseen in a century and guided by the strategy of national rejuvenation, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led all ethnic groups in building a moderately prosperous society and beginning a new journey toward the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.

　　During this period, China has made historic accomplishments in economic and social development, significantly strengthening its economic capacity and enhancing its overall national power. A new chapter in Chinese modernization has been opened. These achievements are particularly reflected in several aspects.

　　The development of a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing accelerated and the industrial structure optimized. Between 2020 and 2024, the total added value of all industries increased from 31.3 trillion yuan ($4.4 trillion) to 40.5 trillion yuan, while that of manufacturing rose from 26.6 trillion yuan to 33.6 trillion yuan. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the added value of the manufacturing sector is expected to grow by 8 trillion yuan, contributing over 30 percent to global manufacturing growth.

　　Traditional industries have advanced through high-end, intelligent, green and integrated development, while emerging industries have expanded rapidly, driven by strategic sectors such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaics. In key areas including aerospace, artificial intelligence and quantum communication, China has achieved world-leading results, demonstrating the growing strength and global competitiveness of its advanced manufacturing sector.

　　Moreover, China's capacity for scientific and technological innovation has grown remarkably, with its core national competitiveness continuously enhanced. By 2024, the country's total research and development (R&D) expenditure had increased by nearly 50 percent compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period while its R&D intensity reached 2.68 percent – close to the average level of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

　　China now ranks among the world's leaders in the number of high-caliber scientific and technological professionals, as well as in publications in top international journals and invention patents. Progress in tackling key and core technologies has accelerated, leading to the emergence of a series of landmark innovations such as China's open-source large language model DeepSeek, domestically produced humanoid robots, and breakthroughs in biomedicine.

　　The integration of scientific research and industrial development is deepening, with cutting-edge achievements increasingly transformed into new quality productive forces, contributing to technological advancement and innovation for all.

　　China has also made comprehensive strides toward green transformation in economic and social development. Statistics show that by 2024, its energy consumption per unit of GDP had fallen by 11.6 percent compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, making it one of the fastest countries in the world to reduce energy intensity.

　　The output rate of major resources increased by about 12 percent over the same period. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's forest coverage exceeded 25 percent, accounting for one-quarter of the world's new green areas. The country has also built the world's largest clean energy generation system, with the installed capacity of new energy power surpassing that of coal power for the first time in history. Today, one out of every three kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed in China comes from renewable sources, resulting in cleaner energy use and a more beautiful environment.

　　China has also continued to strengthen its education, healthcare and social security systems, ensuring more comprehensive protection of people's livelihoods. The nation now maintains the world's largest education, medical and social security networks, with the retention rate of nine-year compulsory education, as well as the participation rates in basic pension and medical insurance, all remaining above 95 percent.

　　Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 12 million new urban jobs have been created annually, while the income gap between urban and rural residents has further narrowed. Indicators such as the urbanization rate of the permanent population and average life expectancy have surpassed expectations.

　　The formulation and implementation of the five-year plans represent an important institutional advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. They embody the CPC's people-centered development philosophy and reflect its deep understanding of the underlying principles and practical achievements in advancing Chinese modernization. This system will continue to serve as a powerful and effective driving force, ensuring that China's path to modernization remains steady, resilient and sustainable in the long run.