Strategic Governance in China’s New Five-Year Plan

China’s New Five-Year Plan 2026-2030

An Analysis of Technological Self-Reliance, Holistic National Security, and the BCI Agenda

Introduction

China's new Five-Year Plan, which reflects a move toward increased self-sufficiency,

security-driven governance, and long-term structural resilience, is a turning point in the

nation's strategic direction. The plan describes the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP)

attempts to protect national growth from both external pressures and internal weaknesses.

It was developed during a period of increased geopolitical tension, global economic

instability, and accelerated technical rivalry. Xi Jinping's "Holistic National Security Concept,"

which combines technological sovereignty, ecological sustainability, economic stability, and

geopolitical positioning into a single policy framework, is at the heart of this change.

In this regard, the Plan emphasizes technical independence, especially in key areas like

digital infrastructure, sophisticated manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. These

initiatives are a direct reaction to growing export restrictions and supply-chain

fragmentation in the West, which Beijing perceives as tactics to limit China's long-term

development. In addition, the Plan emphasizes the significance of resource and ecological

security, which is implemented through programs like the Beautiful China Initiative (BCI). In

addition to addressing environmental deterioration, these policies seek to provide steady

availability to food, energy, and other essential resources, areas that the CCP increasingly

believes are crucial to maintaining national stability.

When taken as a whole, these goals show a five-year plan intended to strengthen China's

strategic independence, lessen its vulnerability to geopolitical risk, and establish the nation

as a key player in a changing global order. The three interrelated pillars of the plan,

technological self-reliance, national security, and ecological security through the BCI, are

examined in detail in this briefing.

Technological self-reliance

During the Communiqué on the new five-year plan, the strive for technological self-reliance

has been elevated to a major objective of the Chinese Communist Party.This comes at a

time in which China faces a lot of turbulence in its relation with the west. In the wake of the

tech race between the two superpowers as well as a growing blockade of foreign markets

for newer technologies, China's own innovation had to become a higher priority for both

security and economic reasons.

From the communiqué we have no clear deadlines on certain development goals yet. We

only know that the party referred back to the Digital China Initiative. This program doesn’t

have further clear implementations for the five-year plan as it was set until 2025. But from

its priorities we can guess some methods of the Chinese Communist Party to achieve self-

reliance. In the initiative, areas like AI development and infrastructure modernization have

been mentioned, as well as the data industry and "digital talent development." The main

goal was to raise the share of the digital sector in the national GDP up to 10%. But

according to official numbers from the Chinese Government that sector only accounted for

4.4% of China’s GDP in the third quarter. Therefore, we can expect a lot of investments for

the digital sector to keep up with their development goals.

The communiqué on the new five-year plan seems to confirm these goals, as they

mentioned a „historic opportunity“ by a „technological revolution.“ Probably this might be a

hint to the rising AI sector. This also includes striving for a „leading position“ in newer

technologies globally and promoting „breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields“.

Altogether the new five-year plan in the field of technological self-reliance can be expected

to be a continuation of the Digital China initiative in order to secure itself from Western

decoupling and confrontation as well as to bolster against its domestic issues.

National Security

The foundation of China's new Five-Year Plan is a more comprehensive concept of national

security, which under Xi Jinping has developed into the "Holistic National Security Concept"

This approach views security as a holistic condition that underpins all facets of governance

rather than as a single topic. It positions development and security as complementary

objectives by combining technical innovation, ecological resilience, economic stability, social

cohesiveness, and geopolitical strategy into a single, cohesive system. By doing this, it marks

a change toward a model where all significant policy initiatives, from environmental

regulation to digital innovation, are evaluated under the prism of long-term national

stability and strategic autonomy.

1. Technological Sovereignty and National Security

Nowadays, technological independence is presented as a fundamental requirement for

national security. Beijing sees U.S. export restrictions on semiconductors, cutting-edge AI

chips, lithography equipment, and quantum-related technology as measures to limit China's

long-term economic growth and military modernization. Consequently:

- The state is speeding up the development of domestic capabilities in crucial

areas, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum technology.

- China aims to protect vital supply chains and lessen susceptibility to foreign

technology embargoes.

- Creating a "secure and controllable" base for technological advancement is a

recurring theme in the Five-Year Plan.

Therefore, national sovereignty and regime stability are inextricably linked to technical

autonomy.

2. National Security and Food/Resource Security

China's security architecture now includes food security as a fundamental component.

China's internal food resilience is strengthened by the BCI's goal of 94% contamination-free

agricultural soil by 2027, which also tightens centralized management of the agricultural

sector. ⁠ Two national security purposes are served by this policy direction:

- Reducing the possibility of foreign supply interruptions in the face of trade conflicts

and geopolitical instability.

- Strengthening governmental authority over vital producing industries, particularly in

light of a possible economic conflict between the United States and China.

As a result, food and resource security are positioned as strategic protections rather than

just environmental objectives.

3. National Security and Energy Security

A key component of China's long-term national plan is energy security. Beijing must strike a

compromise between the requirement to provide steady access to energy and its

commitment to peak CO₂ emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.This

entails

1. Securing long-term external energy sources;

2. Reducing reliance on coal while quickly increasing renewable and nuclear energy

3. Increasing resistance to external pressure on importation of vital resources. China's

efforts to stabilize energy imports in the face of global instability are reflected in

large-scale initiatives like the proposed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.

As a result, energy diversification is crucial for both national security and the environment.

4. National Security, Decoupling, and Geopolitics

A global environment characterized by growing geopolitical instability throughout East Asia,

Western "de-risking" initiatives, and the escalating strategic competition between the

United States and China is increasingly influencing China's national security policy. By

incorporating security concerns into its fundamental economic planning, the CCP aims to

lessen external vulnerabilities in response to stricter export regulations, supply-chain

diversification away from China, and growing limitations on high-tech exports. This entails

boosting local innovation capability, encouraging self-sufficiency in vital technologies, and

quickening the "dual circulation strategy," which places an emphasis on safe supply chains

and domestic markets as defenses against outside pressure.

In order to diversify geopolitical dependence and offset Western restraints, China is

simultaneously stepping up its diplomatic and economic ties with non-Western allies,

especially Russia and nations in the Global South. When considered collectively, these

accomplishments demonstrate how the new Five-Year Plan treats economic resilience,

technical autonomy, and international alignment as mutually reinforcing foundations of

national security, integrating security and development more closely than before.

The Beautiful China Initiative

The "Beautiful China Initiative" (BCI) is a program that focuses on China's transformation

into a green economy. For the continuation of the BCI, the new five-year plan will play an

important role, as a number of deadlines set by the initiative will fall into this timeframe.

By the year 2027 there are three main goals. The first goal concerns the EV sector. By 2027,

the threshold of EVs in Chinese traffic is to be increased up to 45%. With the EV market

being one of China’s most important innovative industries, this goal has a high importance

for the Chinese government. By fulfilling this goal, it will not only reach a new milestone in

fighting climate change but also send a signal to Western countries that China is keeping up

on technological development and innovation.

The second goal for 2027 is to reach a condemnation of 94% of all soil used for agriculture.

That comes together with political measures to further survey the agrarian sector to ensure

the implementation of all standards. This raises the question whether higher standard

controls might also be a tool for tighter economic coordination by state. With the ongoing

trade conflict between China and the US, a tighter control on the market is planned on

many levels throughout the BCI. Such controls may become an important tool for the

Chinese government.

The third but less precise goal of the BCI for 2027 is to reach a greater reduction in carbon-

based energy. This comes as Beijing tries to keep up with Western countries in their race for

emission-free energy and technology, therefore being a big part in China's endeavor to gain

a higher position in the technology sector.

Despite being imprecise, the last goal is very important for the Chinese government to reach

its peak in CO₂ emissions in 2030. By that time, China's industry shall have reached an

ultimate climax in its emission. Thereafter, the Chinese government wants to lower carbon

emissions yearly. This shall become the foundation to reach an emission-free economy by

the year 2060. This means that the next five years will reveal how China is about to ensure

its energy security and reduce emissions while at the same time still investing in long-term

projects like Siberia 2 and by handling its trade relations with countries like russia.

Conclusion

Altogether, from what one can tell about China’s new 5-year plan, it can be estimated that it

is going to be a continuation of other long-term strategies such as the Beautiful China

Initiative or the Digital China Initiative. Its most important objectives will most probably be

to prepare China for its upcoming structural and geopolitical challenges, including its

transformation into a green economy, possible decoupling by western countries and

boosting innovation in its domestic economy, as well as the modernization of the military in

cases of possible armed conflicts in the Indo-Pacific Region. But still, it needs to be

emphasized that those focuses are not necessarily new nor do they have the potential to

announce some kind of historical U-turn. Just as the introduction of the communiqué

expressed, the party is planning to “follow the leadership core and keep in alignment with

the central party leadership; stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of

socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position”.