China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) makes clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is prioritizing its own political goals over the development of the Tibetan people. The PRC National People’s Congress adopted the Plan on 12 March 2026, and finalized the Tibet-specific components in provincial level meetings earlier this year. The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)’s analysis of the Tibet-specific details and related statements by Chinese leaders demonstrate that fulfilling Xi Jinping’s political agenda of Sinicization and assimilation remains driving force of the CCP’s Tibet policy.
Chinese state media alluded to the political objective of the 15th Five-Year Plan by quoting Xi Jinping: “As long as we maintain strategic resolve, forge ahead step by step, and advance steadily from one stage to another, we will continue to turn small victories into great success in advancing the cause of the Party and the country, and our goals will surely be achieved.” China believes the 15th Five-Year Plan period is critical to achieving “socialist modernization” by 2035. “Its focus on high-quality development prioritizes innovation, sustainability, and making domestic demand a more prominent economic driver,” according to Chinese state media.“ For Beijing, the logic behind this approach is straightforward. Over the past decade, Chinese policymakers have become increasingly convinced that globalization – once the engine of the country’s meteoric growth – is becoming a source of vulnerability,” says Dr. Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China in Chatham House’s Asia-Pacific program.
Click here to read ICT’s full analysis of China’s 15th five-year plan and its implications for Tibet.
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