Abstract
The first half of February 2026 marked a critical phase of internal consolidation in China as preparations intensified for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), emphasising high-quality development, technological self-reliance, and centralised control under Xi Jinping’s leadership. The anti-corruption campaign escalated with high-profile purges in the military, including senior Central Military Commission figures, reinforcing the CMC chairman’s responsibility system and absolute loyalty amid Xi’s consolidation ahead of potential extended tenure. Prosecutions for duty-related crimes surged 20%, even as overall crime rates hit 25-year lows, underscoring efforts to cleanse Party and state apparatuses.
Beijing advanced “New Quality Productive Forces” through AI integration into social governance—particularly targeting middle-aged and elderly populations—and celebrated breakthroughs in natural hydrogen discoveries on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, enhancing energy security and clean energy independence. Rural revitalization gained momentum via targeted investments in “old revolutionary base areas,” while the United Front Work Department accelerated the Sinicisation of religion to align faiths with socialist ideology.
In security and defence, PLA modernisation progressed toward world-class status despite persistent industrial safety failures and fatal accidents in the bio-tech, mining, and transport sectors, exposing tensions between rapid output and grassroots enforcement. Diplomatically, China pursued a “strategic surge,” promoting “true multilateralism” and win-win cooperation to counter perceived Western instability, deepening ties in the Global South and Europe while securing trade routes.
Economically, focused advancements in dual-use technologies—including space life-support, quantum-secure networks, advanced robotics, energy storage, polar mobility, and autonomous logistics—bolstered claims of global leadership and self-reliance.
