As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and why food security is set to remain a cornerstone in Beijing’s push for self-reliance.
For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year plan and more premium content, click here.For decades, one of the most common mantras from China’s leadership has been to “firmly hold the rice bowls of the Chinese people in our own hands” – a principle that continues to shape the Communist Party’s five-year plans.In the current blueprint, the 14th five-year plan (2021-2025), policymakers have prioritised food security, alongside energy and finance, as one of three areas to enhance national economic security.
As officials draft the next five-year plan, analysts said food security will remain a cornerstone in the pursuit of economic resilience.
Despite China’s declining population over the past two years, the need for secure food supplies has only been reinforced by an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape and trade environment, coupled with the mounting impacts of climate change, they noted.
China has stabilised and elevated grain production to record levels over the past five years through heavy investments in agricultural technology and fierce protection of farmland, according to official figures.