As the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) draws to a close, China has achieved a series of historic milestones, from economic resilience and green transition to technological breakthroughs.

Despite evolving priorities across all 14 five-year plans, from industrialization and economic reform to sustainability and innovation, the overarching goal has remained constant – advancing national development and prosperity.

Marking a strategic pivot from growth-centric targets, the 14th Five-Year Plan has championed high-quality development, serving as a catalyst for nationwide progress across all sectors.

At a press conference on the country's high-quality fulfillment of targets set for the 14th Five-Year Plan period on July 9, Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, described the five years as a period of "pioneering progress, transformative breakthroughs, and historic achievements."

"China has become the most stable, reliable, and dynamic force in global development," he said.

A resilient economy

According to the NDRC, China's economic increment is projected to exceed 35 trillion yuan (around $4.89 trillion) in the five-year period, contributing about 30 percent annually to global economic growth.

Over the first four years, the economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.5 percent. Despite various global challenges, the growth of China, given its vast economic scale, is an unprecedented achievement.

The growth has especially been driven by deepening economic transformation. Domestic demand accounted for 86.4 percent of the GDP increase on average, with final consumption contributing 56.2 percent – an 8.6 percentage point increase over the previous planning period, underscoring the rising dynamism of China's consumer market.

The steady economic performance has also translated into tangible improvements in people's livelihoods. Urban job creation exceeded 12 million annually, reflecting the populous country's stable labor market.

Over the period, China has added 114 national-level regional medical centers, bringing the total to 125. Direct settlement for cross-provincial medical bills has been established nationwide, benefiting over 400 million people.

China's national strength has been significantly enhanced during the five-year period, which will also offer opportunities for global development, Zheng said, adding that no matter how the international landscape evolves, the country will manage its own affairs well and push forward the Chinese modernization.

Major tech breakthroughs

During the 14th Five-Year Plan, China placed innovation in an important position. Over the past five years, the country's total investment in research and development has reached a new high.

In 2024, China's R&D spending surged nearly 50 percent, or 1.2 trillion yuan, from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), according to the NDRC. Its R&D intensity reached 2.68 percent, approaching the average of OECD economies.

Continuous investment in research funding has yielded concrete outcomes. In June 2022, China unveiled its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian. The carrier, named after Fujian Province, is China's first aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult.

In early 2024, the country's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, was completed and put into operation, opening up a new chapter for the country's shipbuilding and cruise industries.

On land, the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, China's Shidaowan high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power plant, officially went into commercial operation in 2023, promoting the safety as well as the scientific, technological and innovation capabilities of China's nuclear power developers.

In the sky, the C919, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner in accordance with international airworthiness standards and with its own independent intellectual property rights, has entered commercial service.

In space, the returner of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe has brought back samples collected from the moon's far side for the first time in human history, marking another milestone in China's space exploration endeavors.

"These 'firsts' demonstrate China's major innovative breakthroughs," Zheng said, adding that driven by scientific and technological innovation, industries are steadily upgrading toward mid-to-high-end development.

Across numerous sectors, China is accelerating its transformation from quantitative growth to qualitative progress, emerging as a global innovation frontrunner.

Green development

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has deeply embedded green development across industrial and social production, pioneering a development path that harmonizes economic growth with environmental protection.

As a responsible major economy, China has not only met but exceeded its sustainability promises. NDRC data reveals that from 2021 to 2024, energy consumption per unit of GDP fell 11.6 percent, cutting carbon emissions by around 1.1 billion tonnes, nearly half the European Union's total emissions in 2024.

As a global leader in renewable energy, China's installed renewable energy capacity reached 2.09 billion kilowatts by May 2025, more than doubling that in 2020. One in three kilowatt-hours of electricity nationwide is now from green sources.

The adoption of green lifestyles has surged, with new energy vehicle ownership soaring to 31.4 million in 2024, up significantly from 4.92 million in 2020.

Driven by China's large-scale equipment upgrade and consumer goods trade-in programs, items at the highest energy-efficiency levels account for 90 percent of total sales revenue, effectively promoting investment, consumption, energy conservation and carbon reduction.

The achievements of green development have become a feature and highlight of the country's high-quality development throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period, said Guo Liyan, deputy head of the Economic Research Institute at the NDRC.