A Chinese paramilitary policeman stands guard outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Feb. 26, 2025. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images
Beijing’s recently announced five-year plan is an attempt to put the economy on a war footing, according to some China analysts, who say that the communist regime is preparing for a prolonged technological blockade or conflict with the United States. Other China-watchers, however, suggest that the plan is merely a continuation of previous strategies.
Five-year plans are a signature tool of planned economies used by the former Soviet Union and other socialist states, including communist China where the latest plan was laid out at the end of the Fourth Plenum, a meeting of top officials.