Overall Development Plans
In accordance with the goal to build a modern socialist country and the associated development strategies, the Chinese government regularly makes national development plans to ensure the people's right to development. In the period between 1953 and 2001, it issued national development plans every five years addressing issues concerning the country's economy, culture, and society. After 2006 the plan has been changed to program which is less detailed, with fewer numerical targets to guide the macro-economy and social development. To date China has made 13 consecutive five-year plans (including the program starting from 2006) for the nation's economic and social development. These plans have connected the country's overall development goals to the concrete plans to implement them, and are divided into different stages to steadily promote the people's right to development, with mid- and long-term guidelines, goals and directions, basic requirements, and specific measures.
On October 29, 2015, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee approved the "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Developing the 13th Five-Year Program for National Economic and Social Development." On March 16, 2016, the Fourth Session of the 12th National People's Congress approved by vote the "Outline of the 13th Five-Year Development Program of the People's Republic of China for National Economic and Social Development." Following the new philosophies on development and based on universal participation and benefits, China stresses equal opportunities, with an emphasis on ensuring basic living standards, improving the people's wellbeing, and realizing a moderately prosperous society for all the people. China has made breakthroughs in equal access to the fruits of development, mainly in increasing the supply of public services, carrying out poverty eradication programs, enhancing the quality of education, granting equal access to educational resources, promoting employment and entrepreneurship, bridging the income gap, establishing a fairer and more sustainable social security system, enhancing public health and fitness, and strengthening the balanced development of the people.
China ensures its people's right to development also by making national human rights action plans. It has issued the "National Human Rights Action Plan" (2009-2010), (2012-2015), and (2016-2020). In these plans, the government puts the people's right to development at the core of human rights, and strives to address the most immediate problems that are of the most concern to the public. While promoting the sound and rapid development of the economy and society, China ensures that all members of the society enjoy the rights to equal participation and equal development.
