China's Two Sessions Reset
China’s Two Sessions approved a 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026–2030) that explicitly prioritizes technological self‑reliance, industrial upgrading and deeper engagement with Africa and the Global South—a strategic recalibration as the China–US tech contest intensifies ‘Two sessions’ signals... China’s Two Sessions chart new path for development. Beijing also kicked off 2026 with stronger‑than‑expected early momentum—industrial output and retail sales rose in Jan–Feb and exports, particularly in AI‑related tech, helped the rebound—so policymakers are doubling down on high‑tech manufacturing and targeted social supports reported reported.
Lawmakers approved the 15th Five‑Year Plan at the closing meeting of the National People’s Congress on March 12, 2026 ([english.www.gov.cn)]. Beijing raised the central science-and‑technology budget to about 426 billion yuan for 2026, a roughly 10% increase from 2025 ([nature.com)]. The government work report commits to driving total R&D investment to grow by more than 7% per year on average across 2026–2030 ([yicaiglobal.com)]. The draft plan mentions artificial intelligence more than 50 times (analysts counted about 52 mentions), and the government work report introduces new policy language such as “smart economy,” “AI agents” and “intelligent computing clusters.” ([flanders-china.be)] Official data show industrial output rose 6.3% year‑on‑year in January–February 2026 and retail sales increased about 2.8% for the same period, while exports jumped 21.8% to roughly US$656.6 billion in Jan–Feb 2026. ([stats.gov.cn)] China’s integrated circuit exports surged — IC shipments fetched about US$43.3 billion in Jan–Feb 2026, up roughly 72.6% year‑on‑year, a boost observers link to rising global AI hardware demand. ([scmp.com)] The plan proposes 109 major projects across six strategic areas to be implemented during 2026–2030, and Premier Li Qiang set this five‑year framework alongside a 2026 GDP growth target range of 4.5%–5.0% in his government work report. ([news.cgtn.com)] Beijing formalised outreach to the Global South inside the package — 2026 has been billed as a China–Africa year of people‑to‑people exchanges and state media pointed to continued FOCAC‑era investment flows as part of the plan’s overseas engagement. ([un.china-mission.gov.cn)]
