GUANGZHOU, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China Central Committee's recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) not only outline a blueprint for the country's economic and social development over the next five years, but have been widely viewed as a new opportunity for shared global development at the 2025 Understanding China Conference.
Themed "New Plan, New Development, New Choices -- Chinese Modernization and New Vision for Global Governance," the conference took place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province. It attracted a record 800 participants from home and abroad.
The recommendations place building a modernized industrial system and reinforcing the foundations of the real economy as a major strategic task for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Yin Yanlin, deputy director of the Committee on Economic Affairs of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that China is moving beyond its role as the "world's factory" toward intelligent, green and service-oriented manufacturing, a shift that will unlock abundant new opportunities for industrial cooperation worldwide.
Romano Prodi, former prime minister of Italy and former president of the European Commission, said China has developed from a country with great development potential into a true leader in the global economic arena, and now holds a leading position in emerging industries such as solar energy, wind energy, batteries and electric vehicles.
Over the next five years, China's focus on science and technology means that China will be important in the technological progress, Prodi said, adding that Europe should seek more cooperation with China.
China and the EU are each other's second-largest trading partners, and nearly 3,000 Chinese enterprises have established a presence in the EU, creating over 260,000 local jobs, according to a report released by the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU and consultancy Roland Berger in Brussels in mid-November.
Green development was also a key topic at the conference. Guo Lanfeng, president of the China Society of Economic Reform, noted that China is a global advocate for green transition, serving as the largest electric vehicle market and a top investor in renewable energy such as solar and wind power.
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will move steadily toward and achieve peak carbon emissions," Guo said. While accelerating its own green development, China will strengthen international cooperation in green technologies and industries and promote the free flow of high-quality green products, he added.
Erastus Mwencha, former vice chairman of the African Union Commission, highlighted that China's substantial investment in solar energy is already delivering benefits in Africa.
Mwencha said that Africa's push for electric vehicles and infrastructure upgrades aligns closely with China's green transition goals, creating win-win opportunities for China-Africa cooperation.
Participants also hailed China's commitment to high-level opening up.
Isabelle Hannedouche, managing director of Sodexo Greater China, said that since entering the Chinese market in 1995, the French food services and facilities management company has expanded to over 950 operational sites across the country, employing more than 17,000 people and serving over 1.2 million consumers daily.
The company's client base has diversified from primarily foreign-funded enterprises in the early years to include state-owned enterprises, private companies and leading tech firms, a testament to the opportunities created by China's open market, said Hannedouche.
The open market has also greatly boosted trade. Mwencha noted that China-Africa trade had surged from 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2000, when the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was established, to approximately 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.
With China granting 100 percent tariff-free access to African products, Africa's trade deficit is expected to narrow gradually, Mwencha said, adding that China's shift toward high technology and demographic changes are creating space for Africa's labor-intensive industries. Enditem
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