Economic Daily:

The year 2025 was an extraordinary year and also the concluding year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The report reviews the past year's work and summarizes the main achievements of the last five years. How should we view the scorecard China's economy has delivered over the 14th Five-Year Plan period? Thank you.

Shen Danyang:

Over the past year, the Chinese economy forged ahead against headwinds, pursuing dynamic, innovation-driven and high-quality development. The past five years were momentous and extraordinary.

The difficulties and challenges China faced during the 14th Five-Year Plan period were among the most severe in more than 40 years of reform and opening up. This is why people often say that over the past five years, we faced headwinds and challenges of a rarely seen magnitude. In response, the CPC Central Committee led the country to tackle these challenges with calm resolve, staying focused on running our own affairs well. This not only stabilized the broader economy but also drove new achievements in high-quality development. To be honest, for an economy of our size to steadily meet its growth targets and continue to grow stronger amid so many headwinds and challenges is something observers widely regard as no small feat — and genuinely remarkable.

Over the past five years, we have achieved major new advances in the cause of the Party and the country, with China's economic, scientific and technological capabilities, and overall national strength all reaching new heights. In the government work report delivered today, Premier Li Qiang summarized this progress with six "new" highlights. Here, I'd like to add a few more figures to illustrate China's economic performance.

In terms of economic scale and growth, over the past five years, our total economic output expanded from 103 trillion yuan at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period to over 140 trillion yuan, jumping by around 10 trillion yuan each year. The total increase over this period exceeded 35 trillion yuan, roughly the total output of a medium-sized economy. The average annual growth rate reached 5.4%, significantly outpacing both other major economies and the global average.

In terms of technological and industrial innovation, which is closely tied to the quality of economic development, major scientific breakthroughs have emerged at an accelerating pace over the past five years. The catalog of homegrown, independently controllable technologies has continued to grow. China's R&D spending intensity reached 2.8%, surpassing the OECD average for the first time. Its ranking in the Global Innovation Index rose from 14th in 2020 to 10th in 2025, and it became the first country in the world to hold more than 5 million valid domestic invention patents. A growing number of our technologies and industries are now running alongside or even leading their global counterparts. Take some familiar examples: in new energy vehicles, photovoltaic products, and high-tech ships, China ranks first in the world across R&D, production, and exports.

In terms of the social welfare generated by economic development, the past five years have brought the well-being of our people to a new level. For example, in early education, a free preschool policy was introduced, benefiting 14 million children. In child care, subsidies were distributed to the families of more than 30 million infants and young children. In education, the gross enrollment rate in higher education increased from 54.4% in 2020 to over 60%. The completion rate of the nine-year compulsory education exceeded 96%, and balanced compulsory education was achieved across all counties. In employment, the number of people lifted out of poverty who remained in work stayed above 30 million each year, and more than 60 million new urban jobs were created over the five years. Residents' income growth kept pace with economic growth. In health care, medical security was continuously strengthened. Nation-wide interprovincial on-the-spot settlement of medical bills, which did not exist five years ago, has now covered more than 400 million visits. Average life expectancy now exceeds 79 years, rising by 1.3 years over the five-year period. In elderly care, a unified national coordination system for basic old-age insurance funds was established. Basic old-age insurance benefits for urban and rural residents were increased annually, with a cumulative increase exceeding 53%, benefiting more than 180 million elderly people.

This solid scorecard fully demonstrates the steady progress of our country's economy, its resilience in moving forward under pressure, and its vitality in pursuing innovation-driven and high-quality development. For this reason, as we look ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we are better equipped to navigate risks and challenges, more firmly resolved to advance high-quality economic development, and more confident in the road ahead.

Thank you for your question.