Communiqué of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

Summary: The plenary session proposed the main goals for the economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period: achieving remarkable results in high-quality development, significantly improving the level of scientific and technological self-reliance, making new breakthroughs in further comprehensive reform, significantly enhancing the degree of social civilization, continuously improving the quality of people's lives, making significant new progress in building a beautiful China, and further consolidating the national security barrier. Building on this foundation, after another five years of effort, by 2035, we aim to achieve a substantial increase in China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, national defense strength, comprehensive national power, and international influence. The per capita GDP is expected to reach the level of moderately developed countries, people's lives will be happier and better, and basic socialist modernization will be achieved.

Communiqué of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

(Adopted by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on October 23, 2025)

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China will be held in Beijing from October 20 to 23, 2025.

Attending this plenary session were 168 members of the Central Committee and 147 alternate members of the Central Committee. Members of the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and responsible comrades from relevant departments were also present. Some grassroots representatives and experts and scholars from the 20th National Congress of the Party were also in attendance.

The plenary session was presided over by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech.

The plenary session listened to and discussed the work report made by Xi Jinping on behalf of the Central Political Bureau, and approved the "Suggestions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development." Xi Jinping provided an explanation of the "Suggestions (Draft for Discussion)" to the plenary session.

The plenary session fully affirmed the work of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee since the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party. It was unanimously agreed that the Political Bureau of the Central Committee has conscientiously implemented the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party and the previous plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee. It adheres to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully and accurately implements the new development concept, and coordinates the promotion of the overall layout of "Five in One" and the strategic layout of the "Four Comprehensives." It coordinates both domestic and international situations, as well as development and security, further deepens comprehensive reforms, and solidly promotes high-quality development. It advances the construction of socialist democracy and the rule of law, strengthens efforts in propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, effectively ensures people's livelihoods and ecological environment protection, maintains national security and social stability, conducts in-depth education on implementing the spirit of the Central Committee's Eight Provisions, advances the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in depth, strengthens the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, and effectively handles work related to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. It also deeply promotes major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and promotes a sustained economic recovery. The main goals and tasks of the "14th Five-Year Plan" are about to be successfully completed. The grand commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War greatly inspired national spirit, stimulated patriotic enthusiasm, and consolidated the strength for struggle.

The plenary session highly evaluated the significant achievements made in China's development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. The development journey during this period has been extraordinary and remarkable. In the face of a complex international situation and the arduous tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups in the country to confront challenges head-on and forge ahead. We have withstood the severe impact of the pandemic of the century, effectively responded to a series of major risks and challenges, and propelled the Party and country's endeavors to achieve new significant accomplishments. China's economic strength, technological prowess, and overall national power have reached new heights, and Chinese-style modernization has made solid new progress, marking a good start for the new journey toward the second centenary goal.

The plenary session pointed out that achieving socialist modernization is a historical process of step-by-step advancement and continuous development, requiring persistent efforts and sustained struggle. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a crucial phase for laying a solid foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically achieve socialist modernization. It holds an important transitional position in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization. During this period, China faces profound and complex changes in its development environment, with a coexistence of strategic opportunities and challenges, and an increase in uncertain and unpredictable factors. However, China's economic foundation remains stable, with many advantages, strong resilience, and great potential. The long-term positive conditions and basic trends supporting development have not changed. The advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the advantage of a super-large market, the advantage of a complete industrial system, and the advantage of abundant human resources have become more prominent. The entire Party must deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the "Two Establishes," enhance the "Four Consciousnesses," strengthen the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Upholds." It must maintain strategic resolve, bolster confidence in victory, actively adapt to changes, and be ready to face significant tests even amidst high winds and turbulent waves. With a proactive historical spirit, the Party must overcome difficulties, tackle risks, embrace challenges, focus on managing its own affairs, and continue to write new chapters in the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. It must strive to forge a new path in building Chinese-style modernization.

The plenary session emphasized that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period for economic and social development, it is necessary to adhere to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "Three Represents," the Scientific Outlook on Development, and fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is also crucial to thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and all plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee. This involves focusing on the comprehensive building of a socialist modernized country and achieving the second centennial goal. With Chinese-style modernization, we will fully advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, coordinate the overall layout of the "Five-in-One" framework, and advance the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout. We will balance domestic and international situations, fully and accurately implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, focus on economic development as the center, promote high-quality development, and regard reform and innovation as the fundamental driving forces. The ultimate aim is to meet the people's growing needs for a better life, with strict and comprehensive governance of the Party as the fundamental guarantee. This will drive qualitative and effective improvements in the economy and reasonable growth in quantity, ensure solid steps towards all-round human development, and achieve common prosperity for all people, ultimately ensuring decisive progress in the basic realization of socialist modernization.

The plenary session emphasized that the economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period must adhere to the following principles: upholding the comprehensive leadership of the Party, putting people first, pursuing high-quality development, deepening reform comprehensively, combining an effective market with a proactive government, and coordinating development with security.

The plenary session proposed the main goals for economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period: achieving significant outcomes in high-quality development, greatly improving the level of scientific and technological self-reliance, making new breakthroughs in further deepening reform, significantly enhancing the level of social civilization, continuously improving people's quality of life, making new major progress in building a Beautiful China, and further consolidating the national security barrier. Building on this foundation, after another five years of effort, by 2035, China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, defense strength, comprehensive national power, and international influence will be significantly enhanced. The per capita GDP will reach the level of moderately developed countries, people's lives will be happier and more beautiful, and basic socialist modernization will be largely achieved.

The plenary session proposed building a modern industrial system to consolidate and strengthen the foundation of the real economy.Focus on developing the real economy, adhere to the direction of intelligent, green, and integrated development, and accelerate the building of a manufacturing powerhouse, a quality powerhouse, an aerospace powerhouse, a transportation powerhouse, and a cyber powerhouse. Maintain a reasonable proportion of the manufacturing industry and build a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone. Optimize and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and expand emerging and future industries, promote the high-quality and efficient development of the service industry, and build a modern infrastructure system.

The plenary session proposed to accelerate high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology to lead the development of new productive forces.Seize the historical opportunity of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, coordinate the construction of an education powerhouse, a science and technology powerhouse, and a talent powerhouse, enhance the overall efficiency of the national innovation system, comprehensively strengthen independent innovation capabilities, seize the high ground of technological development, and continuously foster new qualitative productive forces. Strengthen original innovation and critical core technology breakthroughs, promote deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, advance the development of education, technology, and talent in an integrated manner, and further promote the construction of Digital China.

The plenary session proposed building a strong domestic market and accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern.Adhere to expanding domestic demand as the strategic foundation, closely integrate benefits for people's livelihoods with promoting consumption and investment in goods and people, lead new supply with new demand, create new demand through new supply, and promote a virtuous interaction between consumption and investment, supply and demand, enhancing the internal motivation and reliability of the domestic circulation. We must vigorously boost consumption, expand effective investment, and resolutely eliminate the bottlenecks and obstacles hindering the construction of a unified national market.

The plenary session proposed to accelerate the construction of a high-level socialist market economy system and enhance the driving force for high-quality development. Persist and improve the basic socialist economic system, better leverage the leading role of economic system reform, improve the macroeconomic governance system, and ensure that high-quality development remains steady and enduring. It is necessary to fully stimulate the vitality of various business entities, accelerate the improvement of the system and mechanism for market-based allocation of factors, and enhance macroeconomic governance efficiency.

The plenary session proposed to expand high-level opening-up and create a new situation of win-win cooperation.Steadily expand institutional openness, uphold the multilateral trading system, and expand international circulation to promote reform and development through openness, sharing opportunities and achieving common development with countries around the world. Actively expand autonomous openness, promote innovative trade development, broaden the space for bilateral investment cooperation, and jointly build the "Belt and Road" at a high quality.

The plenary session proposed to accelerate agricultural and rural modernization and steadily promote comprehensive rural revitalization.Persist in prioritizing the resolution of issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers as a critical task for the entire Party, promote urban-rural integration, continuously consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation, and advance the development of rural areas to meet modern living conditions, accelerating the construction of a strong agricultural nation. It is essential to enhance the comprehensive agricultural production capacity and quality efficiency, promote the construction of livable and business-friendly beautiful villages, and improve the effectiveness of policies that strengthen, benefit, and enrich agriculture.

The plenary session proposed to optimize the regional economic layout and promote coordinated regional development.Leverage the synergistic effects of regional coordinated development strategies, major regional strategies, principal functional area strategies, and new urbanization strategies to optimize the layout of major productive forces, utilize the role of growth poles in key areas, and construct a regional economic layout and land spatial system that complement each other's advantages and promote high-quality development. It is essential to enhance the coordination of regional development, promote regional linkage development, optimize the pattern of land spatial development, advance people-centered new urbanization, and strengthen the development, utilization, and protection of marine resources.

The plenary session proposed to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation and to promote the flourishing development of socialist culture.Adhere to the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, root in the profound Chinese civilization, follow the trend of information technology development, and develop a new era of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics that possesses strong ideological leadership, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, and steadily promote the construction of a culturally strong nation. We must promote and practice the core socialist values, vigorously prosper cultural undertakings, accelerate the development of the cultural industry, and enhance the dissemination and influence of Chinese civilization.

The plenary session proposed to strengthen the and improvement of people's livelihoods and to earnestly promote common prosperity for all.Persist in doing our best while acting within our means, strengthen inclusive, fundamental, and basic livelihood construction, effectively address the pressing needs and concerns of the people, facilitate social mobility, and improve the quality of people's lives. We must promote high-quality and adequate employment, improve the income distribution system, ensure the provision of education that satisfies the people, perfect the social security system, promote high-quality development of the real estate sector, accelerate the construction of a healthy China, promote high-quality population development, and steadily advance the equalization of basic public services.

The plenary session proposed to accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and to build a beautiful China.Firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, using carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as a guide to synergistically promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, greening, and growth, thereby strengthening the ecological security barrier and enhancing the momentum for green development. Efforts should continue to deeply advance the battle against pollution and optimize ecosystems, accelerate the construction of new energy systems, actively and prudently promote and achieve carbon peaking, and accelerate the formation of green production and lifestyle methods.

The plenary session proposed to promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, and to build a higher-level Safe China.Firmly implement the holistic approach to national security, follow the path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics, and ensure that society is vibrant yet orderly. It is necessary to improve the national security system, strengthen national security capacity building in key areas, enhance the level of public safety governance, and improve the social governance system.

The plenary session proposed to achieve the goal of building a strong military by the 100th anniversary as scheduled and to advance the modernization of national defense and the armed forces with high quality.Implement Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military, adhere to the military strategic guidelines of the new era, uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the People's Armed Forces, implement the military committee chairman responsibility system, and promote the modernization of national defense and the military according to the new "three-step" strategy. Advance political building of the military, strengthen the military through reforms, enhance military capabilities through technology, cultivate military talent, and govern the military according to the law. Engage in struggle, prepare for combat, and build simultaneously to accelerate the integrated development of mechanization, information technology, and intelligence, improving the strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and developmental interests. Speed up the construction of advanced combat capabilities, promote the modernization of military governance, and consolidate and enhance the integrated national strategic system and capabilities.

The plenary session emphasized that the entire party and people of all ethnic groups nationwide should unite to strive for the realization of the "15th Five-Year Plan."Persist in using the Party's self-revolution to lead social revolution, continuously advance the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, enhance the Party's political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social mobilization capabilities, and improve the Party's ability and level to lead economic and social development, thereby gathering tremendous strength for advancing Chinese-style modernization. We must uphold and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, promote the construction of socialist democracy and the rule of law, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the whole society to participate in the construction of Chinese-style modernization. Promote the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau, advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and the great cause of national reunification, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The plenary session emphasized that thoroughly studying and implementing the spirit of the plenary session is a major political task for the whole Party and the entire nation at present and for the period to come.We should organize various ways to study, promote, and publicize the spirit of the plenary session, ensuring that the entire Party and society fully understand it. We must effectively implement the spirit of the plenary session, unwaveringly promote high-quality development, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, make solid progress towards common prosperity for all people, better coordinate development and security, and advance economic construction alongside work in various fields, laying a solid foundation for the basic realization of socialist modernization.

The plenary session emphasized that to govern the country, one must first govern the Party; only when the Party thrives can the country be strong.The more effectively the Party is governed and disciplined, the stronger the guarantee for economic and social development. We must persistently advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party with unwavering resilience and dedication, firmly implement the requirements for the Party's self-revolution, promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of the Party's work style construction, and unswervingly carry out the fight against corruption, providing a strong guarantee for achieving the economic and social development goals of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period.

The plenary session analyzed the current situation and tasks, emphasizing the need to resolutely achieve the annual economic and social development goals. It is necessary to continue to accurately implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, focusing on stabilizing employment, enterprises, markets, and expectations, maintaining the economic foundation, and consolidating and expanding the momentum of economic recovery. Macroeconomic policies should continue to exert force and be timely strengthened, effectively implement policies to support enterprises, deeply carry out special actions to boost consumption, ensure the bottom line of the "three guarantees" at the grassroots level, and actively and prudently resolve local government debt risks.

The plenary session emphasized the need to effectively ensure people's livelihood, explore potential through multiple channels, strengthen job stabilization and employment promotion efforts, promote stable employment for key groups, intensify efforts to address wage arrears, enhance basic public services, and effectively address pressing issues faced by the people. It is imperative to effectively carry out post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, the resettlement and livelihood support for affected people, ensuring that those affected by disasters have a warm winter.

The plenary session emphasized the need to ensure work safety and maintain stability, tighten and implement safety production responsibilities, strictly enforce all regulatory systems, and resolutely prevent and contain major accidents. Strengthen full-chain supervision of food and drug safety. Thoroughly investigate and resolve conflicts and disputes, enhance overall social security prevention and control, and lawfully crack down on various illegal activities. Strengthen public opinion guidance and effectively prevent and mitigate ideological risks.

The plenary session decided to appoint Zhang Shengmin as the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China.

The plenary session decided to supplement the alternate members of the Central Committee: Yu Huiwen, Ma Hancheng, Wang Jian, Wang Xi, Wang Yonghong, Wang Tingkai, Wang Xinwei, Wei Tao, Deng Yiwu, Deng Xiuming, and Lu Hong as members of the Central Committee in accordance with the provisions of the Party Constitution.

The plenary session reviewed and approved the investigation report by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China on the serious violations of discipline and law by Tang Renjian, Jin Xiangjun, Li Songsong, Yang Fasen, and Zhu Zhisong. It also reviewed and approved the investigation report by the Central Military Commission on the serious violations of discipline and law by He Weidong, Miao Hua, He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi, Wang Chunning, and Zhang Fengzhong. The session confirmed the decision previously made by the Central Political Bureau to expel He Weidong, Miao Hua, Tang Renjian, Jin Xiangjun, He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi, Wang Chunning, Li Songsong, Yang Fasen, Zhu Zhisong, and Zhang Fengzhong from the Party.

The plenary session calls on the entire Party, the armed forces, and all ethnic groups across the country to unite more closely around the Central Committee of the Party with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, to work together towards the basic realization of socialist modernization, and to continuously create a new situation in comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation through Chinese-style modernization.