Eleventh Five-Year Plan

Eleventh Five-Year Plan
Name	Eleventh Five-Year Plan
Period	2006–2011
Country	People's Republic of China
Approved	2006
Premier	Wen Jiabao
General secretary	Hu Jintao
Legislature	National People's Congress

Eleventh Five-Year Plan is the 11th quinquennial policy blueprint issued by the Communist Party of China and the State Council covering the period 2006–2010 aimed at steering national development across industrial, environmental, and social spheres. The plan was ratified at a session of the National People's Congress chaired by Wu Bangguo and presented by Premier Wen Jiabao and General Secretary Hu Jintao, reflecting strategic priorities formulated within the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the Politburo Standing Committee. Implementation involved coordination among provincial governments such as Guangdong, Sichuan, and Jiangsu and central ministries including the Ministry of Finance (People's Republic of China), National Development and Reform Commission, and Ministry of Commerce (China).

Background and Planning

The plan emerged after deliberations at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China preparatory meetings, and technical reviews by the National Development and Reform Commission together with the Ministry of Science and Technology (China), Ministry of Environmental Protection (People's Republic of China), and academia from institutions like Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. International considerations included trade patterns with partners such as the United States, European Union, Japan, and resource links with Australia, Russia, and Brazil. Domestic shocks such as the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami informed resilience discussions alongside fiscal lessons from the Asian financial crisis and regulatory reforms inspired by cases studied at the World Trade Organization. Planning documents cited targets developed in consultation with provincial party secretaries including figures associated with Zhejiang, Shandong, and Hunan leadership.

Goals and Targets

Key quantitative targets set by the plan included goals for average annual gross domestic product growth and structural adjustment benchmarks managed by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, industrial upgrade expectations for export hubs like Shenzhen and Shanghai, and energy intensity reductions measured against baselines for provinces such as Hebei and Liaoning. Targets encompassed environmental metrics linked to obligations under international instruments such as the Kyoto Protocol, technology milestones promoted via the 863 Program and the Torch Program, and social aims tied to employment in urban centers like Beijing and Tianjin and rural revitalization in regions including Guangxi and Yunnan. The plan also articulated infrastructure quotas referencing projects like the Three Gorges Dam, railway expansions connecting Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway corridors, and urbanization patterns across municipalities and autonomous regions including Xinjiang and Tibet.

Economic Policies and Sectoral Measures

Policy measures combined fiscal tools by the Ministry of Finance (People's Republic of China), monetary guidance from the People's Bank of China, and regulatory oversight exercised by agencies such as the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Industrial policy emphasized upgrading capacity in sectors led by firms like China National Petroleum Corporation, China Mobile, Huawei Technologies, and Sinopec Group, while supporting private enterprises active in clusters such as Dongguan and Wenzhou. Environmental policy reforms drove investments in renewable energy firms like Goldwind and nuclear projects managed by China National Nuclear Corporation and were aligned with emissions monitoring efforts at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Trade and investment rules affecting foreign direct investment flows referenced frameworks negotiated with the World Trade Organization and bilateral arrangements with entities such as the ASEAN and European Commission.

Implementation and Administration

Administration of the plan relied on multi-level coordination through provincial development commissions, municipal planning bureaus in cities like Guangzhou, county governments in Anhui and Henan, and central task forces led by the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Council offices. Performance monitoring used data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and audits by the National Audit Office (China), while financing drew on instruments from state banks including the Export-Import Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and policy banks such as the China Development Bank. Implementation involved pilot programs in special economic zones including Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and coordinated projects with international partners like the Asian Development Bank and World Bank on urban infrastructure and environmental remediation.

Outcomes and Performance

By the plan's conclusion, official data reported sustained GDP growth and progress in industrial upgrading in regions such as Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta, plus energy intensity reductions tracked by the National Energy Administration. Major infrastructure achievements cited included expansions of the China Railway High-speed network and rapid growth in the automotive industry led by companies like SAIC Motor and Geely. Advances in renewable deployment involved manufacturers such as Trina Solar and Longi Green Energy Technology, while social programs affected urban migration trends studied by scholars at Renmin University of China and Fudan University. International trade volumes with partners such as the United States, Germany, and South Korea increased, and China’s engagement in multilateral fora like the G20 evolved during the period.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques from scholars at institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and international commentators from outlets referencing analyses by the World Bank highlighted issues including uneven regional development in provinces like Gansu and Guizhou, pollution episodes in industrial centers such as Tangshan, and concerns about local government debt accumulation linked to financing structures at municipal levels like Wenzhou. Environmental NGOs and researchers from Greenpeace and universities including University of Oxford raised alarms over implementation gaps in emissions targets and transparency in projects involving firms such as China National Offshore Oil Corporation. Debates at the National People's Congress and among policy think tanks including the Development Research Center of the State Council examined trade-offs between growth and sustainability, fiscal stimulus through state-owned enterprises like China Construction Bank, and the distributional impacts on migrant workers moving between provinces such as Sichuan and Guangdong.

Category:Five-Year Plans of the People's Republic of China