On 24 October 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the UK held a symposium on "New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World" to brief participants on the important decisions made by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang delivered a keynote speech at the symposium. Representatives of several UK political parties and those from different sectors attended the symposium and joined in the discussions.
In his speech, Ambassador Zheng noted that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee comes at a time when China is marching towards the second Centenary Goal and represents a call to action for the entire country to seize the momentum and advance Chinese modernisation.
With this meeting, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core sets to unite and lead the Chinese people to write yet another chapter on the miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability and to open up new horizons for Chinese modernisation.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the meeting has identified the critical role the next five years will play in China’s development. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has achieved pioneering progress, breakthrough transformation, and historic accomplishments in its economic and social development. Over these five years, China has reached new heights in terms of economic, scientific and technological capabilities, and composite national strength. China’s economy will grow by about 4 trillion pounds.
In the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's economy will remain on solid foundations, demonstrating advantages in many areas, strong resilience and great potential. The conditions and underlying trends supporting long-term growth remain unchanged. China will fully leverage its strengths of social system, enormous market, complete industrial system, and abundant human resources. All of these will translate into tangible results for China's high-quality development.
Ambassador Zheng noted that the meeting has outlined a new blueprint for the ongoing advancement of Chinese modernisation. The most important outcome of the meeting is the adoption of the Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, which identified the guiding principles and laid out the major objectives for the next five years. In meeting these objectives, 12 major strategic plans were made. Overall, a top-level design has been put in place.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the meeting has sent out a positive message of China's readiness to share opportunities and seek common development with the world. The meeting made clear that China will expand institutional opening up, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and promote broader international economic flows. China will take the initiative to open wider, promote innovative development of trade, create greater space for two-way investment cooperation, and pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. With these initiatives, China has shown its determination and confidence in expanding high-standard opening up. China's development will surely continue to inject certainty and positive energy into the world.
Ambassador Zheng emphasised that China cannot develop in isolation from the world, while the world cannot prosper without China. While pursuing Chinese modernisation, China will strive to safeguard world peace and development. The modernisation of China itself is a major contribution to human progress. President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Following that, President Xi has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI), and most recently, the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). Together, these initiatives form a complete scientific system and demonstrate the CPC's global vision. They also represent China's sense of responsibility as a major country for global peace, development and human progress. China stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with countries around the world to implement these initiatives and build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that since last year, under the strategic guidance of leaders from both countries, positive progress has been made in China-UK relations. Meanwhile, from time to time, this relationship has also been disturbed and undermined by anti-China forces. The improvement and development of China-UK relations is in the fundamental interest of people in both countries, and it requires the concerted efforts of both sides.
The UK side should have the right perspective. Those who attack China by touting "China threat" and fabricating lies are ignorant and arrogant. They do not represent the mainstream of the UK, and their attempts are doomed to failure. Both sides should uphold mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. The UK must honour its commitment, and properly handle Taiwan-related issues in accordance with the one-China principle. The two sides should commit to mutually-beneficial cooperation, create new highlights of cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples.
Other diplomats from the Embassy elaborated on the core principles and global significance of the GGI. They also recounted the historical and legal facts surrounding the Taiwan question and the importance of UNGA Resolution 2758.
The British participants expressed sincere admiration for China's development achievements, noting that the blueprint for the next five years outlined at the Fourth Plenary Session demonstrates China's unique advantages and will have profound and positive impacts on both China and the world. They look forward to China continuing to inject new momentum and positive energy into world peace and development, and stand ready to continue supporting practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the UK and China, thus contributing to the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations.
