Report from the People's Republic decoded: This is how the Chinese plan to transform into a world power

Once upon a time, China was inspired by a German idea called Industry 4.0. This plan was introduced in 2013 and was intended to bring digitalization into companies. Two years later, in 2015, when Chancellor Angela Merkel, highly respected in China, was in her tenth year in office, the government in Beijing launched its "China 2025" strategy, following a resolution of the National People's Congress. The goal was to transform the nation of 1.4 billion people from the world's workshop into a modern industrial power. The state and party leadership defined ten key areas in which the country would become a global market leader.

It was already clear that they weren't just embarking on one major leap , but on many at once. The following were defined as priorities: agricultural machinery, shipbuilding, energy conservation and electromobility, information and communications technology, high-end machine tools and robotics, aerospace, new materials, rail transport, biomedicine, and high-performance medical devices. The scale and intention are evident. By 2025, even the last sycophant will have to admit that their rivals should have been taken more seriously.

On the way to number 1

Of the approximately 250 individual goals formulated in the plan, 86 percent have been achieved – and the year isn't even over yet. Based on the GDR experience, one might remain skeptical and think of plan-fulfillment acrobatics – but the reality speaks for success, which is why venerable industries in Germany are now trembling with worry: China is the number one automotive nation, the number one solar nation, the number one mobile communications nation , and dominates the global market for drones and robots.

Recently, humanoid robots from 20 manufacturers ran a two-legged half marathon in Beijing; the winner, named Tian Gong (like the Chinese space station "Sky Palace"), completed the 21 kilometers in two hours, 40 minutes, and 24 seconds. Soon, these electric robots will be serving waiters and taking on heavy work in ports or agriculture – without getting back pain.

"China 2025" envisioned selling three million electric and hybrid cars annually, rising to twelve million by 2024! Incidentally, China is solving the smog problem that was massive in its megacities just ten years ago—thus, the human right to breathable air is in good shape. China dominates the entire chip manufacturing chain as well as software production, is testing 6G in its communications network, and has scared off the competition with its AI DeepSeek .

This is just the beginning. By 2049, the 100th anniversary of its founding, the People's Republic of China is set to become the world's high-tech superpower. It's safe to assume that what the party says will happen. This also means that those who are familiar with the decisions of the party leadership and the National People's Congress have an advantage, especially if they take note of the government's concrete implementation of the plans.

Premier Li Qiang's activity report, delivered to the delegates of the National People's Congress on March 5, has been obtained by the Berliner Zeitung in an official translation (the full text is available via the link at the end of the text). It provides detailed and concrete details on what is being done, what is important, and what's next. From grain harvesting to reducing bureaucracy, from the development of the Beidou satellite navigation system and innovative energy storage systems to the training of top talent, from species conservation to emission reduction – everything is discussed.

But there are also sensitive issues: Domestic consumption remained weak. Companies complained of payment delays. Employment and income are not growing fast enough. Local governments are experiencing financial difficulties. Some authorities lack a sense of service. Sounds quite familiar.

Chapters II and III of the 54-page work report outline the tasks for the current year. So, if you want to know what China is currently working on, here it is: Stimulating growth, getting more people into employment, and so on. Particularly interesting is the section on a "strong revival of consumption" and the "expansion of domestic demand." This reveals how—even before Trump's tariff war—China's most important bulwark was being fortified: the vast and far from fully developed domestic market of its 1.4 billion people.

Large reserve internal market

For example, the "Special Campaign to Stimulate Consumption" will take place in 2025. "Special measures" are listed, such as increasing the incomes of low- and average-income earners and reducing their financial burdens. Extra-long-term government bonds worth 36 billion euros (300 billion yuan) will be issued to support the exchange of old consumer goods for new ones—a kind of scrappage scheme in Chinese. Services in healthcare, senior care, assistance for the disabled, preschool childcare, and household services are intended to generate further momentum.

Then it's about the "AI Plus" campaign, "new generation intelligent devices," smart and networked electric mobility, AI cell phones and computers, and intelligent robots. And about the people needed for all of this: educated people. So, a three-year campaign is being launched to build a strong educational nation.

China gained global recognition around the turn of the millennium by lifting 800 million people out of poverty in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Poverty reduction will continue in 2025 under the motto of the "Triple Guarantee" (compulsory education, basic healthcare, and safe housing).

Finally, from the list of selected projects – all of which can be read in full in the attached document – ​​we would like to mention the major global issue of climate change, because it also concerns us if, while the proverbial sack of rice does not fall over in China, energy production and consumption increase, for example through gigantic data centers.

It's about blue skies, clear water and clean earth, about environmentally friendly buildings, green energy and green transport, about national parks and a ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze to protect species, about recycling and waste management.

The activity report lists a series of measures to achieve the CO₂ zenith (i.e., the trend reversal toward lower emissions while consumption increases) and thus achieve the goal of climate neutrality. "Major climate protection programs" can be taken literally in China: as major.

Anyone concerned about whether the People's Republic of China is planning a military invasion of Taiwan should read the relevant section at the end of the government report and make up their own minds. Here are just two sentences: "We are firmly committed to combating all divisive machinations for so-called 'Taiwan independence,' as well as any foreign interference. We promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations."

All in all: no "partisan Chinese," just compact information about China. With this firsthand perspective, supposed Chinese surprises can be avoided when it's again said that this or that German industry is losing its global leadership. Following the decoupling of the US from Europe, the major partner rival in the East presents itself as an alternative. Those who have alternatives and are familiar with them have an advantage – see above.

Link to PDF download: Chinese Government Activity Report 2025