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A ROUTE MAP FOR CHINA'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
In March, the spring wind caresses people's faces and ushers in the two annual sessions in Beijing, the sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which are held almost at the same time during the first and second ten-day periods of March every year.
The two sessions are important events in China's political life. Deputies to the NPC, shouldering the great trust of the people of various ethnic groups and from all circles, deliberate and vote on the major plans and policies. The CPPCC delegates perform the function of political consultation by participating in the administration and discussion of State affairs and making suggestions.
The two sessions of 2016 focus on the 13th Five-Year Plan. From 1953, a Five-Year Plan has been made annually to decide upon the major construction projects and important issues concerning the national economy and set objectives and direction for the long-range national economic development. By 2015,12 Five-Year Plans had been completed. The 13th Five-Year Plan lasts from 2016 to 2020. Thus, the year 2016 sees the heavy task of formulating the development plan for the five years to come.
On Nov 3, 2015, the 5th Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was held, and one major item on its agenda was deliberating on and approving the proposal of the CPC Central Committee for the 13th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development (2016-2020). The Proposal determines the guiding principle, objectives, tasks and major initiatives for China's economic and social development during the five-year period and establishes a master plan for China's development in that time. This Proposal will be deliberated on by the NPC in March and become a formal program document guiding China's economic and social work after being adopted.
This Proposal provides a new blueprint for completing the building of a well-off society in an all-round way and puts forward five major principles of innovative, coordinated, green, open and inclusive development. The five major development principles serve as the development thought, direction and focus in the period 2016-20 and even longer, and also represents an epitome of China's development experiences accumulated in over 30 years of reform and opening up.
From the five major development principles, one can find clues to how China will complete the transformation of its economic development mode and realize the established strategic goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way by 2020.