These days, European headlines are often occupied with internal debates and the challenges of a shifting global economic order. Amidst this media noise, it is easy to miss the significance of the recently published coherent and forward-looking vision for the next half-decade by the world’s second largest economy. The priorities of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) represent more than a national roadmap; they offer a compelling case study in proactive economic management that Europe, as it seeks its own path, would be wise to consider.
In a world where the United States is increasingly isolationist and unpredictable, the strategic direction of the 21st century’s most dynamic major economy provides valuable insights into how to address the systemic blockages that challenge modern capitalism, while seeking a new balance between human progress and the natural world.
To understand the relevance of China’s approach, one can apply the framework of the well-known British scholar and influential Marxist thinker David Harvey, who in his book The Enigma of Capital: And the Crises of Capitalism describes capital as a process of circulation perpetually threatened by potential blockage points. The Chinese plan appears to be a deliberate strategy to navigate these blockages, with a clear focus on long-term resilience and human development.
First, the plan’s top priority, “building a modernized industrial system,” directly addresses the blockage points of “technological and organizational forms” and the “availability of the means of production.” Harvey warns that stagnation arises from a lag in innovation. China’s response is a strategic dual approach: upgrading traditional industries to safeguard employment, while cultivating future sectors like biomanufacturing, hydrogen energy, and embodied intelligence. Crucially, these fields are central to developing technologies that will allow human societies to flourish in balance with nature, creating circular economies, clean energy systems, and sustainable materials. For Europe, with its own Green Deal ambitions, this highlights how industrial policy can be intrinsically linked to the goal of achieving a new, sustainable relationship with our planet.
Second, the drive for “greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology” is framed as a commitment to human capital and indigenous innovation. By investing heavily in its research ecosystem, China aims to equip its people with the tools to solve pressing challenges in health, resource efficiency, and environmental protection. This focus on developing “new quality productive forces” is about empowering its society to build a future that is both technologically advanced and ecologically mindful. For Europe, this reinforces the vital link between education, research, and achieving its own environmental and economic ambitions.
Third, the commitment to “broader opening up,” particularly in the services sector, reveals an inclusive and connective vision. By expanding market access in areas like green technology and digital services, China is creating a platform for the exchange of knowledge and sustainable solutions. This opens a pathway for collaborative advancement across the Eurasian landmass. For European policymakers, this is an opportunity to craft policies that foster symbiotic relationships, where European expertise in green tech and sustainable infrastructure can align with China’s scale and drive, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation that benefits both societies and the global environment.
Finally, the entire plan is underpinned by a holistic vision that integrates what Harvey calls the different “moments” of social change. The Chinese model seeks to co-evolve its technological base, its social relations, and its relation to nature, viewing them as interconnected. This integrated approach illustrates that economic, social, and environmental policies do not have to be treated as separate silos.
Europe is not China, nor should it seek to replicate China’s model. However, this signal of strategic foresight demonstrates the power of long-term, strategic thinking that connects economic advancement with societal and environmental goals. For Europeans, the lesson is to find their own cohesive vision – one that unlocks economic potential by paying close attention to the strategic shifts that others are wisely not ignoring.
THOMAS KARLSSON is a researcher at the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden.
