Zheng Bi Jian: "The 15th Five-Year Plan" further breaks the myth of "modernization=Westernization".

On the morning of December 1st, 2025, the opening ceremony of the "Understanding China" International Conference was held in Guangzhou. During the conference speeches, Zheng Bijian, founding president of the China Association for Innovation and Development Strategies and chairman of the Academic Committee, stated that the exploration and practice of Chinese-style modernization, symbolized by the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan," further breaks the misconception that "modernization equals westernization." Understanding today's China is crucial in understanding Chinese-style modernization. Zheng Bijian mentioned that the current "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" on the agenda is the national economic and social development plan for the years 2026 to 2030. This plan aims to lay a solid foundation for basic socialist modernization and make comprehensive efforts in a "new layout." This "new layout" will focus on economic development, promote high-quality development, rely on reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, and ultimately aim to meet the increasingly growing needs of the people for a better life. Zheng Bijian believes that the exploration and practice of Chinese-style modernization, symbolized by the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan," further breaks the misconception that "modernization equals westernization" and offers a "new choice" for developing countries in the Global South to modernize, helping them achieve "collective rise" more effectively.