Advertisement
Will China’s self-sufficiency drive raise the risk of a US conflict?
- The economic policy outlined for the next five years keeps focus on model that has been the source of trade tensions with the West, analyst says
- ‘Ideological differences will continue to set Beijing apart from Washington’
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
China’s new five-year road map to steer the nation towards self-sufficiency and spur growth through domestic demand could lead to even bigger conflicts with the United States.
That was the assessment of a number of observers after the Communist Party’s top policymaking body, the Central Committee, last week endorsed the country’s 14th five-year plan and a set of long-term development objectives for China by 2035.
The plan and the objectives outlined a shift in priorities towards industrial and national security and reducing reliance on technological imports amid the threat of decoupling with the US, according to a statement released at the end of the meeting.
Advertisement
These goals would be realised by China’s vast state planning agencies and under the centralised and unified leadership of the party.
Chinese President Xi Jinping signalled the drive for self-reliance and domestic production in an address to senior advisers in April, according to a copy of the speech published in party-affiliated journal Qiushi on Saturday.
Advertisement
Xi said the aim was to ensure the country’s industrial supply chains would not be disrupted even in critical times, with sectors like high-speed rail and power generation needing to be able to withstand foreign boycotts and sanctions.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x