2015 is the final year of the 12th five-year plan, setting the goal for the 13th five-year plan.
On Oct. 26-29, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held, to plan the 13th five-year project for national economic and social development.
It concerns the realization of the first century objective for a moderately well-off society in the country, which has captured global attention.
During the 12th five-year, in a complex and volatile political and economic situation of the world, China's economic development was better than anticipated.
From 2011 to 2014, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ranked second in the world, the average annual economic growth rate reached 8 per cent, far exceeding the world's developed economies.
Three industrial structures are more optimized, and agriculture has gotten more stable. Grain production has been increasing for 11 consecutive years, and services have risen to be the biggest industry.
With further economic reforms, the State Council (China's cabinet) has decentralized and released reforming bonuses. Reforms of the household registration system, rural land, social security, and other initiatives are flowering.
The pace of opening up to the outside world is picking up. During the 12th five-year, China has become the superpower of imports and exports, foreign exchange reserves and foreign investments.
The construction of the Shanghai, Guangdong and Tianjin free trade zones were launched. Beijing also carried out the Belt and Road strategy and set up the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Nevertheless, new problems have emerged. Economic growth has entered a new normal. From 2011 to 2014, China's economic growth rates scaled-back from 10 per cent to 7 per cent.
Environmental governance has gotten more urgent. From 2012-2014, most Chinese cities were struck by haze. Clear sky days are rare in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.
Pollution of water and air, along with food contamination have caused an increase cancer cases.
The income gap should be narrowed. The lagging development in poor areas is constraining the economy. According to national statistics, China has more than 70 million living in poverty.
Yet, the World Bank claims that its impoverished population stands at more than 200 million. These are problems that need solutions.
The 13th five-year period - 2016-2020 - is crucial for the nation to escape a "middle-income trap" and progress to a higher level.
In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping held in-depth discussions with Party chiefs of 18 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, along with sessions of 7 provinces and cities in East China to talk about the ten directions of the 13th five-year plan.
The ten objectives for the 13th five-year plan includes "maintaining economic growth, transforming patterns of economic development, optimizing the industrial structure, promoting innovation-driven development, accelerating agricultural modernization, reforming institutional mechanisms, promoting coordinated development, strengthening ecological construction, safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods and promoting pro-poor development."
Economic growth remains the top priority, but we should transfer the mode, adjust the structure, promote innovations and conserve ecology. Accordingly, economic development needs more quality focus.
This signifies scientific understanding of economic development.
The objective is to support economic social ecology that improves quality of life. Plotting development seeks a good environment. Economic growth should attach greater importance to social and ecological benefits.
Frequent social and environmental issues warn us that extensive growth causes bottlenecks on natural resources and environmental protections.
China has stridden forward from the "overtaking-model" stage of development to transform into the world's second-largest economy. The adjustment of economic growth is the right mode.
Beijing must adapt to the new normal. Meanwhile, the "world's second" is by no means an easy sitting position, blind confidence and self-expansion are undesirable. Japan's mistakes have alarmed the world.
Beijing should proceed from China's actual conditions, recognizing the current historical phase, handle the relationship between economic growth and social development, along with the well-being of society.
It's time to change the concept of development for China to be more prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious, to make the Chinese dream a reality for its people.
