Published by ChinaMNC · Xuanwu

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan Special Plans: What Foreign Founders Need to Know About New Quality Productive Forces

A guide for foreign entrepreneurs on how China’s 15th Five-Year Plan special plans promote new quality productive forces, with practical implications for company registration and operations in China.

China’s Push for New Quality Productive Forces

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) has placed “new quality productive forces” at the center of its economic strategy. For foreign founders considering or already operating a company in China, these policy directions signal where government support, regulatory focus, and market opportunities are likely to concentrate. This article summarizes key points from official government releases and explains what they mean in practice.

What Are New Quality Productive Forces?

New quality productive forces refer to growth driven by technological innovation, advanced industrial systems, and improved factor allocation. The 15th Five-Year Plan outlines a roadmap to accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and to lead the development of these forces. National-level special plans have made this a key priority, and local plans have also made specific arrangements. For foreign founders, this translates into a policy environment that favors innovation-driven sectors and may offer incentives for companies aligned with these goals.

Recent Innovation Milestones

According to the source, several notable achievements have already emerged: the world’s largest 27.1-cubic-meter LNG carrier began construction in China; T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber was released and achieved mass production globally for the first time; and the quantum computing prototype “Jiuzhang 4” set a new world record in optical quantum information technology. These examples illustrate the types of breakthroughs China aims to foster.

Key Policy Priorities for Foreign Founders

1. Scientific and Technological Innovation

Technological innovation is identified as the core element of new quality productive forces. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the “Opinions on Developing New Quality Productive Forces,” which lists “vigorously advancing scientific and technological innovation” as the top task. Specific plans include:

• Information and Communication Industry Development Plan: Accelerate research on 6G core technologies and continue 6G technology trials.
• Railway Science and Technology Innovation Plan: Conduct research on systematic key core technologies oriented toward national strategy, exploratory technologies oriented toward frontiers, and applied technologies oriented toward the market.

Multiple special plans target key core technology breakthroughs in areas such as integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, and advanced materials, leveraging the new nationwide system to pool resources. For foreign founders in tech sectors, these priorities may open collaboration opportunities or access to supportive policies.

2. Industrial Base and Modernization

On October 22, the “Industrial Base Capacity Improvement 15th Five-Year Plan” was released. It focuses on strengthening weak links, reinforcing strengths, and laying out frontiers in industrial foundations, including tackling key products in key industrial chains and accelerating breakthroughs in common basic products. The plan aims to support the construction of a modern industrial system.

Other plans detail specific technology breakthroughs: the “New Battery Industry Development Plan” includes a column on improving common and key technologies, with detailed arrangements for all-solid-state battery technology. The “National Informatization Plan” lists the “Network and Information Technology Innovation Breakthrough Project” as a column, deploying specific research in basic software, industrial software, and intelligent technologies.

肖宏伟, a researcher at the State Information Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, noted that these special plans are both practical arrangements to clear bottlenecks and stabilize security, and strategic choices to cultivate new tracks and shape new advantages for the long term.

3. Integration of Innovation and Industry

A modern industrial system is the fertile ground for new quality productive forces. The plans emphasize integrating scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation. Examples include:

• Electronic Information Manufacturing Plan: Support the construction of pilot testing platforms and application validation centers for electronic components and materials.
• Intellectual Property Protection and Utilization Plan: Guide the formation of industry intellectual property innovation consortia.
• New Energy System Construction Plan: Encourage large-scale application of independently innovative products.

These measures aim to accelerate the journey of innovations from laboratory to market. Foreign founders with R&D activities may find opportunities to participate in pilot platforms or benefit from improved IP protection and application mechanisms.

4. Strengthening Enterprises’ Role in Innovation

The plans repeatedly emphasize strengthening the principal role of enterprises in innovation. Measures include supporting enterprises to lead national science and technology tasks in information and communication, supporting joint research by pharmaceutical enterprises, universities, research institutes, and medical institutions, and supporting qualified enterprises and research institutes to establish global innovation carriers. The goal is to concentrate innovation resources in enterprises and transform technological advantages into productivity advantages.

For foreign founders, this suggests that companies with strong innovation capabilities may be well-positioned to access government-supported research projects or partnerships.

5. Cross-Sector Integration and Data Flows

The “Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan,” released in September, addresses cross-sector integration trends. It includes measures such as promoting interoperability of cross-industry information platforms and supporting the construction of cross-domain cloud-controlled basic platforms. These steps aim to remove barriers to data element circulation. Foreign founders in smart mobility or related fields should note these developments.

6. Institutional and Regulatory Reforms

Institutional innovation accompanies technological innovation. Key points include:

• Human Resources and Social Security Plan: Support and encourage researchers from research institutes and universities to engage in technological innovation and commercialization in enterprises according to regulations.
• People’s Bank of China Reform and Development Plan: Build a science and technology finance system compatible with innovation, and high-quality develop the “science and technology board” of the bond market.
• Intellectual Property Plan: Promote examination information sharing and data exchange with Belt and Road countries and regions.

These reforms aim to break down barriers to the flow of talent, capital, data, and technology, and to better utilize global markets. Additionally, plans address market order: the Electronic Information Manufacturing Plan proposes coordinating capacity planning and early warning for sub-sectors and comprehensively addressing “involutionary” competition; the New Power System Construction Plan proposes regulating the scope of natural monopoly and competitive businesses of grid enterprises. These measures aim to foster fair competition and orderly industrial development.

Practical Implications for Foreign Founders

For foreign entrepreneurs, these policy directions suggest several practical considerations:

• Sector selection: Sectors highlighted in the plans—such as information and communication technology, advanced materials, new energy, intelligent connected vehicles, and biopharmaceuticals—may offer greater access to incentives, pilot programs, and government-supported R&D.
• Partnerships: The emphasis on enterprise-led innovation and joint research creates opportunities for foreign companies to collaborate with Chinese enterprises, universities, and research institutes.
• Compliance and market order: Measures to regulate competition and data flows mean foreign founders should stay informed about evolving regulations in their industries.
• Talent and finance: Reforms to facilitate researcher mobility and science finance may make it easier to recruit talent and access funding for innovative projects.

While these plans are national-level, local governments are also making specific arrangements. Foreign founders should monitor local implementing rules in the regions where they operate.

Conclusion

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan special plans provide a clear signal that innovation-driven sectors will receive priority attention. By understanding these priorities, foreign founders can better align their business strategies with China’s development goals and navigate the regulatory environment more effectively.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

For assistance with registering and operating a company in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.