About this episode

The episode discusses China's GDP growth target and the new five year plan focusing on self-reliance and ethnic unity.

China's legislature this month set the nation's GDP growth target at 4.5 – 5%, the lowest since 1991, and also approved the country's new five year plan, which calls for higher quality growth with an emphasis on self-reliance and technological innovation, and pledges to promote domestic consumption and improve citizens' livelihoods. The National People’s Congress also passed a new 'Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity', which among other things, enshrines the use of Mandarin in schools in ethnic min...

Topics covered

• GDP growth
• five year plan
• self-reliance
• technological innovation
• ethnic unity
• domestic consumption
• citizens' livelihoods

Keywords

• China
• GDP growth
• five year plan
• self-reliance
• technological innovation
• ethnic unity
• Mandarin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: China

Books & works: Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity

Places: Mandarin

More episodes of China In Context

• China's Middle East Balancing Act — Peace plans, pragmatism and economic prospects · May 6, 2026 · 36 min
• China's Economic Plans — and Consumer Challenges · March 3, 2026 · 43 min
• Xi Jinping and his Father — Power, purges, parenting · February 17, 2026 · 45 min
• China and Britain — Thawing ties, underlying tensions · February 3, 2026 · 42 min
• Mistress Dispellers and Shanghai Girls — Two female film-makers on love, marriage and divorce in China · December 17, 2025 · 43 min
• Japan-China Tensions — Taiwan, Tourism, Migration · December 1, 2025 · 43 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the China In Context podcast page.