The meaning of modernisation
The report describes Chinese modernisation through five connected features: the scale of the population, prosperity shared across society, material and cultural development, harmony between humanity and nature, and peaceful development. Modernisation therefore encompasses institutions, public wellbeing and the relationship between development and the environment. Its strategic horizon has two stages: basically achieving socialist modernisation by 2035, followed by building a modern socialist country by the middle of the century.
Economic development and productive capacity
The economic section brings together the socialist market economy, industrial development, rural revitalisation, regional coordination and opening to the world. It maintains a leading role for public ownership while supporting the non-public sector. Domestic demand, the circulation of goods and resources, and international exchange are discussed within the same development strategy. These proposals connect the organisation of production with the wider objectives of national development.
Education, science and public wellbeing
Education, scientific innovation and talent development receive a dedicated section. Its subjects include stronger basic research, vocational education and a more balanced compulsory education system. The wellbeing section addresses income distribution, employment, social security and health. Together, these chapters connect productive capacity with the capabilities and security of the population, giving the document a broader scope than an economic growth programme alone.
Ecology and institutional direction
The green-development section covers resource conservation, pollution control, ecosystem protection and carbon objectives. Other chapters concern democracy, law, culture, security, defence and international relations. The concluding discussion of Party self-governance addresses the organisation expected to carry the programme forward. The report thus joins policy fields that are often presented separately in specialised documents.
Document date: delivered 16 October 2022, approved on 22 October and published in English on 25 October. Its strategic objectives describe the programme adopted at that Congress; later measures and outcomes have their own documentary record.
Original source: Xi Jinping; official English text published on the State Council website.
Related reading: Socialist Theory and Chinese Documents · Chinese Modernisation · Economy and Development.