Despite evolving priorities across all 14 five-year plans, from industrialization and economic reform to sustainability and innovation, the overarching goal has been unwavering -- national development and prosperity.

　　Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that from the first Five-Year Plan to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the consistent theme has been to build China into a modern socialist country.

　　Hailing the five-year plans “strategic and flexible,“ British scholar Martin Jacques said: “The five-year plans are suited to the Chinese mentality and the Chinese idea of thinking long-term.“

　　As Yang Yongheng, vice dean of the China Institute for Development Planning of Tsinghua University, noted, “From a historical perspective, the five-year plan functions as the phased deployments of China's national development strategy. Each of them serves as a step-by-step arrangement to ensure policy continuity and alignment with long-term strategic objectives.“

　　During the evolvement of the five-year plans, two terminology revisions in its title are worth noting. One is the sixth Five-Year Plan (1981-1985). “Social development“ was added in the document's title alongside “national economy,“ broadening its scope and emphasizing the link between economic growth and social progress, and reflecting a shift toward coordinated economic-social development.

　　The other is the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010). The official title has been referred to in Chinese as “guihua“ instead of “jihua.“ Though both meaning “plan,“ “guihua“ is more macroscopic, strategic and policy-oriented than “jihua.“