From Ouyang Yujing
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development, approved by the National People’s Congress of China (NPC) this month, will provide a carefully designed roadmap for the next five years of China’s growth.
China will advance its style of modernisation by further consolidation of foundational sectors and fully uncovering the potential of all fields in this period.
Having met all the major targets of the 14th plan, with our GDP exceeding 140 trillion yuan (RM81 trillion), China is moving forward with new tasks represented by 20 main indicators, important strategic tasks in 16 key sectors, and 109 major projects in various fields.
China will take coordinated efforts to promote high-quality development, achieve greater sci-tech self-reliance and strength, and comprehensively deepen reforms in various fields.
We are dedicated to achieving notable cultural and ethical progress across society, elevating the people’s quality of life, further implementing the Beautiful China Initiative, and strengthening overall national security.
China will work hard to achieve higher-quality economic growth by increasing output, substantially promoting all-rounded development, and making solid progress toward common prosperity for all.
Fulfilling these tasks will prepare China to realise its goal of joining the ranks of moderately developed countries in terms of GDP per capita and basically achieving socialist modernisation by 2035.
We will be resolute in opening up at a high level by continuously providing stability and progress to our people and the rest of the world.
Serving the greater good
A country’s greatness lies in serving the greater good, not just its own interests.
China’s annual economic growth averaged at 5.4% in the past five years, contributing around 30% to global economic growth. In the next five years, China will maintain resilient development with a stronger economic structure and sustained growth momentum.
As the world’s largest potential consumer market and a major emerging economy, China is committed to providing continued stability and growth to the global economy.
At the institutional level, Beijing will open up further, widen market access in various sectors — particularly services — and upgrade trade and investment cooperation.
China is happy to grow with the rest of the world by sharing development opportunities and opening its super-large market.
We will further advance and enrich the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity by continuing to contribute to the global community during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
War, poverty, hunger, and injustice — not people of different nations or races — are the enemies of mankind. We humans must unite and support one another to defeat these real enemies.
In a world marked by increasing uncertainty and volatility, building a community with a shared future for humanity is gaining broader support and participation.
China is a country of commitments and will continue to work with the international community to shape an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive global economy.
We are committed to advancing global modernisation through peaceful development, win-win cooperation and common prosperity.
Beijing will continue working with the international community to oppose hegemony and bullying, striving for a fairer and more equitable international order.
Moving forward with Malaysia
As 2026 marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the 13th Malaysia Plan, it is a crucial time for both countries to shift to the next phase of modernisation.
Given this opportune time, China is willing to continue strengthening alignment of development strategies, and further substantiate the outcomes delivered by President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries.
China will work with Malaysia to continue advancing the East Coast Rail Link, the “Two Countries, Twin Parks”, and other high-quality Belt and Road Initiative projects.
Both nations will also tap into their complementary strengths and cooperation potential in cutting-edge fields like the digital economy and green economy, while fostering new regional hubs for innovation-led growth and high-tech development.
Together, China and Malaysia will accelerate efforts to build a high-level, strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, delivering more tangible benefits.
The journey is long but the future is bright. Standing at a new starting point, China and Malaysia will take bigger strides in jointly writing a more glorious chapter for another “Golden 50 Years” of friendly ties.
As good neighbors, friends, and partners, China and Malaysia have always had, and will always have, each other’s strong support and assistance in times of need and difficulty.
By working hand in hand, China and Malaysia will shape a brighter future for both nations and the wider region beyond.
Ouyang Yujing is China’s ambassador to Malaysia.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.