Sri Lanka’s national initiatives align with China’s 15th five-year plan, says Ambassador

“Partnering with China means embracing opportunities. Believing in China means being optimistic about the future. And investing in China means investing in tomorrow,” said Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, highlighting the long-standing friendship between the two countries.

China has presented its new long-term development blueprint and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with Sri Lanka during a briefing on the outcomes of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Speaking at the event, attended by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and other dignitaries, Ambassador Qi highlighted the conclusions of the recent CPC Plenary Session, which adopted recommendations for China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. 

The Plan sets major economic and social development targets for the next five years and outlines a long-term vision extending to 2035, aiming for high-quality economic growth, technological self-reliance, green development, improved living standards, cultural advancement, and strengthened national security.

“Our two nations are fellow travelers on the path toward development and revitalization, and good partners of win-win cooperation,” Ambassador Qi said. 

He recalled the successful visits of President Dissanayake and Prime Minister Amarasuriya to China in 2025, during which the leaders reached key agreements providing new strategic guidance for China–Sri Lanka relations.

The Ambassador noted that Sri Lanka’s recently launched national initiatives—Clean Sri Lanka, Digital Transformation, and Rural Development—align closely with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, creating new avenues for cooperation.

Ambassador Qi said that China is ready to enhance the alignment of development strategies between the two countries and expand collaboration in priority sectors including:

• Port economy
• Modern agriculture
• Digital economy
• Clean energy
• Tourism
• Other areas under the high-quality Belt and Road framework

Ambassador Qi emphasized that this partnership aims to support Sri Lanka’s socio-economic growth, deliver tangible benefits to both nations, and jointly build a China–Sri Lanka community with a shared future. 

He also noted that China’s modernization and development open up broader opportunities for global cooperation, with Sri Lanka positioned to benefit from China’s expanding economic and technological progress.

The full speech is as follows:

 

China’s New Development: New Opportunity

for the World

--Briefing on the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee

(Shangri-La hotel, November 21, 2025)

 

Hon. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath,

Distinguished Guests, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ayubowan！Vanakkam！Good evening!

Thank you all for joining us at this gathering. On October 23, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully concluded in Beijing. The Plenary Session reviewed and adopted the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. It charts a grand blueprint for China’s economic and social development in the next five years, as well as a promising vision for win-win cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

Since the launch of its first Five-Year Plan in 1953, China has pursued a long-term vision with unwavering commitment to building a modern socialist country. Through the successive implementation of these national blueprints, China has achieved a monumental leap from being impoverished and underdeveloped to completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. As President Xi Jinping noted, the scientific formulation and continuous implementation of Five-Year Plans represents one of the key experience of the CPC’s governance and a significant political strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Although the Five-Year Plan system did not originate in China, it is rare to find another country that has demonstrated such long-term commitment and achieved such major successes through this model. In the wave of economic planning after World War II, many developing countries adopted Five-Year Plans as a means for industrialization. At its peak, nearly one-third of all countries implemented such plans. Yet, most eventually abandoned the model for various reasons. China, by contrast, has continued to refine and develop its Five-Year Plan mechanism, turning it into a key component of the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Now globally recognized as an effective model of development planning, China’s Five-Year Plans have become an important reference for other countries seeking insights from China’s experience, winning widespread international acclaim.

Looking back on the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has achieved groundbreaking progress, transformative changes, and historic milestones in its economic and social development. The economy has reached a new level: despite growing external challenges, China maintained an average annual growth rate of about 5.5%, and its GDP is expected to surpass 19 trillion US dollars in 2025. China has consistently contributed around 30% to global economic growth, cementing its role as the most stable and reliable engine for the world economy.

Scientific and technological innovation has powered high-quality development: China’s spending on research and development has remained the world’s second-highest, and the country has broken into the top 10 of the Global Innovation Index. New quality productive forces have steadily grown, with more than 500,000 high-tech enterprises now operating nationwide.

The transition to a green and low-carbon economy has advanced steadily and resolutely: forest coverage has risen to over 25%, accounting for a quarter of the world’s newly added afforested area. The share of installed renewable energy capacity has increased to about 60%. China has remained the world’s largest producer and seller of new energy vehicles for 10 consecutive years.

People’s livelihoods have continued to improve: per capita disposable income grew from 32,000 yuan in 2020 to 41,000 yuan in 2024. Achievements in poverty alleviation have been consolidated and expanded, the rural revitalization strategy has been fully advanced, and solid progress has been made in promoting common prosperity.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the Plenary Session has  charted a new blueprint for China’s high-quality development over the next five years. The Plan outlines seven major economic and social development objectives:

• Major achievements in high-quality development
• Significant enhancement of scientific and technological self-reliance and strength
• New breakthroughs in comprehensively deepening reform
• Notable progress in cultural and ethical standards across society
• Continuous improvement in the quality of life
• Major strides in building a Beautiful China
• Further advances in strengthening the national security system

 

Building on these goals, we will strive over the next five years to ensure that by 2035, China’s economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, national defense capacity, composite national strength, and international influence will be significantly enhanced; China’s per capita GDP will reach the level of a mid-level developed country; our people will enjoy better and happier lives; and socialist modernization will be largely realized.

With a global perspective, China will leverage its new development to provide new opportunities for all countries. The Plenary Session emphasized that China will promote high-standard opening up and create new horizons for mutually beneficial cooperation. We will continue to expand institutional opening up, uphold the multilateral trading system, and facilitate freer international economic flows. Through wider openness, we will advance reform and development, share opportunities, and achieve common progress with the rest of the world. We will take the initiative to open China even wider, promote innovative development in trade, create more space for two-way investment cooperation, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. These efforts fully demonstrate China’s firm resolve and confidence in pursuing high-standard opening up.

China cannot develop in isolation from the world, and the world also needs China for prosperity. Chinese modernization is grounded in China’s national conditions and draws on international experience. It benefits the Chinese people and promotes common development of the world, making important contributions to the exploration of a path to modernization for humanity. A China steadily advancing modernization will undoubtedly create vast opportunities for the common development of the world. A China committed to the noble cause of peace and development will demonstrate even greater responsibility in advancing human progress.

Distinguished Guests and Friends,

Partnering with China means embracing opportunities. Believing in China means being optimistic about the future. And investing in China means investing in tomorrow. China and Sri Lanka share a long-standing traditional friendship. Our two nations are fellow travelers on the path toward development and revitalization, and good partners of win-win cooperation. In 2025, President Dissanayake and Prime Minister Amarasuriya successfully visited China. The leaders of both countries reached important consensus, providing new strategic guidance for the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. Sri Lanka has formulated and implemented three major initiatives: “Clean Sri Lanka” “Digital Transformation” and “Rural Development”, striving to achieve the vision of “a thriving nation, a beautiful life”, which are highly aligned with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. China is willing to enhance synergy between development strategies with Sri Lanka, expand cooperation in port economy, modern agriculture, digital economy, clean energy, tourism and many other areas under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and help Sri Lanka achieve socio-economic growth, so that we can bring more benefits to our two peoples, and jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future.

 

Thank you!