Decoding China: What to Expect From the 15th Five Year Plan

31st of March 2026 / IHK Frankfurt am Main

China’s 15th Five Year Plan, released in early March 2026, will set the tone for the country’s economic and industrial direction through 2030. For companies that operate in or with China, the plan represents far more than a political document, it is a roadmap that will influence technological priorities, market opportunities, regulatory developments, and competitive conditions for years to come.

As China continues to place an even greater emphasis on innovation, advanced manufacturing, domestic demand, and selective economic opening, German businesses are asking what these signals mean in practice. Which sectors are likely to see new momentum? Where could pressure increase? And how should companies interpret the early policies that will shape China’s next phase of economic development?

This event brings together scholars and business practitioners from China and Germany to decode these questions from different macroeconomic and industrial political angles. The discussion will look at the strategic messages of the new plan, highlight areas where German companies may see opportunities emerge, and address the challenges that could arise as China refines its industrial and technology policies.

Participants will gain insights into:

how China’s policy priorities are expected to evolve between 2026 and 2030,
what businesses should consider as they assess long term engagement in the Chinese market, and
which trends may influence supply chains, investment decisions and innovation efforts.

Following the panel, attendees are invited to continue the conversation during a networking lunch.

Join us on 31 March 2026 to better understand the direction China is setting for the coming half decade and what it may mean for your business.

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Agenda

Melanie Miller, Director East Asia, IHK Frankfurt

Vivian Fang, Chief Representative, CCPIT Germany/ Chinese Enterprise Association Frankfurt

HUANG Yiyang, General Consul, General Consulate of China in Frankfurt

Dr. Jürgen Ratzinger, Head of the International Department, IHK Frankfurt

Content:
Following the official release of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) in early March, companies are confronted with a new policy framework that will shape China’s economic and industrial development for the next half decade. While concrete implementation measures will evolve over time, the plan already sends strong strategic signals on priorities such as advanced manufacturing, technological self-reliance, innovation, domestic demand and selective opening-up. But what exactly does this mean for German companies? What will the next five years of business with China look like? Where do early opportunities emerge and where should companies anticipate rising competitive or regulatory pressure?

Moderator: tbd

Speaker:

Prof. Dr. Philipp Böing, Senior Researcher, ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research
Fengchao Hu, Economist, ICBC Standard Bank Plc.
Prof. Lei Li, Professor at the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Faculty of Humanities, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Prof. Dr. Markus Taube, Professor of East Asian Economics/China, Mercator School of Management

Organizer

China Competence Center

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade

Kindly supported by

Verein der chinesischen Unternehmen Frankfurt e.V.

China-Institut an der Goethe-Universität