On November 26, Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ji Shumin held a press briefing on China's new 15th Five-Year Plan. The diplomat noted that 2025 will be a turning point, marking the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan, during which China's GDP exceeded 134 trillion yuan and the country's share of global GDP reached 17%. The new program outlines seven key goals for the next five years, including high-quality development, scientific and technological self-sufficiency, deepening reform, and expanding institutional opening-up. Particular emphasis is placed on the high-quality implementation of the “Belt and Road” Initiative and the protection of the multilateral trading system.

Answering a question about international expectations for China's program, the ambassador emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan will bring certainty to an unstable world. In the first three quarters of this year, China's economy grew by 5,2%, and the country will continue to be a key driver of global growth. China intends to share market opportunities with the world—urbanization, industrial modernization, and green transformation offer enormous investment potential.

When asked about the differences between Chinese and foreign development programs, Ji Shumin pointed to several factors. First, institutional advantages—the Communist Party of China acts as a unifying force in implementing plans. Second, China draws on its own realities rather than copying foreign experience. In preparing the 15th Five-Year Plan, the government collected over 3 million citizen suggestions, demonstrating the people-centered nature of planning. Furthermore, China adheres to the principle of mutual benefit, avoiding a "zero-sum game."

The ambassador paid special attention to bilateral relations. President Xi Jinping and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov met twice this year, reaching an important consensus on developing cooperation. For 14 years, China has remained Turkmenistan's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade volume reaching approximately 10,6 billion USD in 2024.

The 15th Five-Year Plan will open up new opportunities for cooperation in energy, transport, communications, the digital economy, e-commerce, and green development. The diplomat emphasized the highly complementary nature of the two countries' economies and expressed China's readiness to deepen high-quality cooperation within the “Belt and Road” Initiative to bring greater benefits to the peoples of both countries.