Interview: Long-term plans play key role in China's comprehensive development, says Egyptian expert

CAIRO, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's five-year plans have long been instrumental in coping with challenges and driving progress across all sectors, Amer Tamam, vice editor-in-chief of Egypt's state-run Akhbar newspaper, has said.

The year 2025 marks the final stage of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which has shifted the country's focus toward high-quality development, he told Xinhua in a recent interview, saying high-quality development has also boosted the reputation of Chinese exports, particularly electric vehicles.

China, he said, has been committed to economic growth, technological innovation, environmental protection and social welfare, and these efforts have improved people's wellbeing at home and delivered benefits to a host of countries.

Despite global turbulence, Tamam noted, China has consistently maintained an annual economic growth rate of about 5 percent, demonstrating its commitment to strategic planning and resilience, saying that with China contributing about 30 percent of global economic growth, the country remains a cornerstone of stability in an uncertain world.

China has proposed and advanced the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and, most recently, the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), said Tamam, deeming these initiatives as embedded in China's long-term planning to achieve comprehensive domestic development while sharing benefits with other countries.

He regards the GGI as crucial to amplifying the voices of developing countries.

To back good global governance, Tamam called for such efforts as concrete development projects, trade exchanges, infrastructure and green economy initiatives that serve mutual interests.

Meanwhile, he said, countries participating in Belt and Road cooperation have already reaped tangible benefits in infrastructure, trade and investment, depicting Egypt as a prime example of "win-win" cooperation with China in projects related to the green economy, infrastructure and construction.

Tamam described China's development in the past five years as "diversified, innovative and open," and predicted that the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan will continue to prioritize such fields as technological innovation, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and carbon reduction.

"China's development model is unique because it is by the people and for the people," Tamam said, referring to the model as an inspiring example by transforming its human capital into a driver of growth. Shared characteristics and political understandings among countries of the Global South, he argued, make it easier for developing nations to learn from China's experience. ■