China's Five-Year Plans: From Vision to Reality
If you ask how a country plans its future, the answers can be very different around the world. In China, there is a distinctive approach. It is called the Five-Year Plan. It is not magic. It is not a prediction. It’s a national roadmap for development—a commitment made to the entire people. In this special episode of Let’s Meet, through one city — Chongqing — we will decode how this commitment is transformed, step by step, from an ambitious blueprint into realities within reach.
The 12th Five-Year Plan：Digital Foundation
In 2011, China launched the 12th Five-Year Plan, with a strong focus on improving the level of informatization across the country. For ordinary people, this meant faster internet access. For national development, it meant a fundamental transformation in digital infrastructure. At the end of this five-year period, in 2015, a concept called “Internet Plus” emerged and was elevated to a national strategy. It quickly became a key driver reshaping production and daily life. Within just a few years, China built the world’s largest 4G network. In western China, in Chongqing, these changes were quietly taking place. In this episode, we spoke with Li Binhong, Chairman of Chongqing Zhijia Information Technology Co., Ltd. and one of the city’s early internet professionals, to learn how Chongqing’s internet sector took shape during this period.
The 13th Five-Year Plan: Industrial Breakthrough
如果说“十二五”重在打基础，那么“十三五”则重在定方向。2016年，第十三个五年规划明确将新能源汽车等产业列为重点发展方向。这是一个关键的破局期：市场充满活力，也伴随着不确定性，多种技术路线并行探索。作为中国重要的汽车制造基地，重庆投身于这场面向未来的产业变革。本期节目，主持人Alex走进重庆车企，探访智能电动车的发展路径。
If the 12th Five-Year Plan was about building the foundation, the 13th was about setting direction. In 2016, the Plan identified new energy vehicles and related industries as strategic priorities. It was a pivotal moment of transition — marked by both market vitality and technological uncertainty. As a major automobile manufacturing hub, Chongqing plunged into this future-focused transformation. In this episode, Let’s Meet Host Alex visits local automakers to explore the evolution of intelligent electric vehicles.
The 14th Five-Year Plan: Breakthroughs and Growth
In 2021, China launched the 14th Five-Year Plan. It carries two major tasks: On one hand, to scale up industries that have already shown results, such as new energy vehicles. On the other hand, to concentrate efforts on breaking through key “bottleneck” technologies — including advanced chips, industrial software, and precision instruments. In Chongqing, industrial growth and technological breakthroughs are shaping the city together. The drone light shows that illuminates the night sky over the Yangtze and Jialing rivers is a vivid example of integrated applications of intelligent control, chips, and software technologies.
The 15th Five-Year Plan: Intelligent New Era
The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. If the previous cycles were defined by “Internet” and new energy, then the 15th Five-Year Plan signals the full arrival of the “AI Plus” era. Artificial intelligence is evolving from a supporting tool into a foundational force reshaping industries across the economy. In Chongqing, entrepreneurs are already putting this future into practice. In this episode, we speak with Li Li, CEO of Chongqing Yunwei Technology and a young entrepreneur in the AI space, about how AI-driven innovation is beginning to shape everyday life.
Let’s review this clear path: The internet laid the digital foundation. New energy pointed toward a green future. Scaling up and technological breakthroughs strengthened both the industry and core capabilities. “AI Plus” is now redefining creativity. Every five years lays a solid foundation for the next step. Chongqing has grown from a follower in the digital era into an active explorer in the intelligent era. A new five-year cycle has begun. The next chapter is unfolding — here in Chongqing, and across China.
