In the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), China is prioritizing tech self-reliance, the digital economy and carbon cuts. With Q3 growth at 4.5% (4.6% for Jan-Sep) and weak investment, it has rolled out AI-driven consumption measures, service-sector opening and population policies.
What a Korean company can do now
Government · leader
President Xi Jinping (CPC General Secretary); Premier Li Qiang
Key national agenda
- Tech self-reliance and 'new quality productive forces' (chips, biotech, quantum)
- AI+ upgrades for commerce, consumption and care services
- Removing service-sector entry barriers and expanding private investment
- Demographic response: birth-friendly society, more vocational training
- Binding green targets: 17% lower carbon intensity, 25% non-fossil energy by 2030
Government programmes
15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030)
Approved by the NPC in March 2026; R&D spending to grow 7%+ a year, digital-economy core industries at 12.5% of GDP by 2030
18 measures to boost consumption through AI and tech
Smart logistics and unmanned delivery, commercial AI agents, smart elderly care and health, retail digitalization
Service-sector and population package
State Council meeting of 2026-10-23: finance, land, talent and data support, removal of hidden barriers, more vocational training
Binding green-transition targets
17% cut in CO2 per unit of GDP and 25% non-fossil energy by 2030
Business opportunities
Buyer matching and platform-listing consulting for Korean consumer-goods firms entering China
🔒 Why-now and buyers — analysis member ₩19,800/mo
AI store-operations automation (inventory, orders, marketing) via local partners
🔒 Why-now and buyers — analysis member ₩19,800/mo
Open this week
Care-record and monitoring automation for smart elderly-care facilities
Aging and smart elderly care are now policy priorities.
Local civil-affairs bureaus, private care operators
Licensing brokerage and contract support for Korean content IP in China
🔒 Why-now and buyers — analysis member ₩19,800/mo
Free members get a human-reviewed summary by email for up to 3 countries a month (sent within 24h). BUILD members get them all.
Korean support schemes
- 2026 Korea-China Content Industry Business Meeting · KOTRA — Nov 25-27 in Beijing, about 20 Korean content firms meet about 50 local buyers one-on-one.
- 2026 First Step to Exports Week (China among four focus markets) · KOTRA — Video meetings with Chinese buyers and logistics support for first-time consumer-goods exporters.
- KOTRA Academy China (consumer goods) market-entry course · KOTRA — Practical training on entering China's consumer market.
Official notices
The State Council of the PRC (English portal)
- 2026-10-23 State Council executive meeting chaired by Li Qiang on population-economy linkage and service-sector investment
- 2026-10-19 NBS: Q3 GDP up 4.5%, Jan-Sep up 4.6%
- 2026-10-19 Nine ministries announce 18 measures to boost consumption via AI and tech innovation
- 2026-03 NPC approves the 15th Five-Year Plan outline
Disaster · conflict · epidemic
Watch 2026-11-07
M7.0 earthquake in Xizang (Tibet): 16 dead, 339 houses collapsed (10/22) · M5.9 earthquake (10/25); wildfire of about 21,000 ha (GDACS, 10/26) · Wildfire of about 13,000 ha (GDACS, 3 Nov)
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