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The fifth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee is held from Monday to Thursday. The proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year (2021-25) Plan for Economic and Social Development and future targets for 2035 will be assessed during the session.

This is a major plan that involves China's future development, and will affect China's destiny. The reason is self-evident. This is a mid- to long-term goal setting and work arrangement amid profound changes in the world. Whether China can perform well in the next five and 15 years will determine whether China can smoothly move toward the goal for the next century, after realizing the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The fifth plenary session this year, held before winter, is both usual and extremely unusual. For the moment, the world's top priority is fighting the novel coronavirus. The US marked back-to-back highest single-day counts of nearly 84,000 new infections on Friday and Saturday, France registered over 52,000 on Sunday, and Italy saw over 21,000 the same day. These figures are record-breaking. A new wave also emerged in Kashi city of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, but the Chinese are confident that Xinjiang will rein in the situation. 

The country's five-year plans have been discussed on several fifth plenary sessions of CPC central committee. The agenda and tempo being maintained against the backdrop of the epidemic mirrors China's ability to take things under control in turbulent times. The more complicated the situation is, the more can we demonstrate our ability not to be weighed down by difficulties. China's battle against the epidemic has greatly boosted the confidence of Chinese people toward their country's future. 

The biggest uncertainty facing China's future development is US suppression in technology and the market. But most US punches have already been thrown. China's immediate response measures and long-term response have been formed and implemented. There is no sign that China could be knocked down by the US. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, US moves and tricks toward China have been dizzying. But its offensive capabilities are greatly weakened due to the pandemic, which China has withstood. 

China's development planning is not one aimed at competing with other countries, but one that focuses on fulfilling domestic demands and people's wishes for a better life. China's first "centennial goal" of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects is part of Chinese culture. The succeeding goal of modernization also carries the vast Chinese people's desire for a wealthier life with more dignity. As a big country, China cannot rely on labor-intensive industry and tourism to realize modernization; technological advancement and industrial upgrade are indispensable. 

China also raised the vision of military modernization. But it has no intention for global hegemony. History tells the Chinese people that those falling behind would be beaten. As the US becomes more and more hostile toward China, China has no other option but to build up a first-class military to defend national security.

China has development potential, and is in real need of development. The Chinese people are smart and diligent. The country has strong control. All these determine China's unstoppable development. Some US elites cast their hope on containing China's development, and believe it is in the interest of the US.

If preventing a developing country from becoming rich and powerful fits US national interests, this is the darkest side of US interests. The repeated attacks on the CPC from US elites are the hypocritical cover-up of the dark side of the US strategy.

The CPC has been remarkably leading China. It made the country get rid of the high disturbance of the epidemic on economic and social life, and displays the promising development plan to its 1.4 billion people. The fifth plenary session is not only China's big event, but a highlight in the world. It is telling the world that the novel coronavirus did not bring destruction, and China's development trajectory is always vigorous.