by Ndumiso Mlilio
JOHANNESBURG, March 8 (Xinhua) -- As China kicks off the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan, the focus is shifting from rapid growth to building industrial depth and institutional strength, a move that is set to consolidate global supply chains and create new opportunities for Africa and the wider Global South, said Tebogo Lefifi, a scholar at University of Cape Town.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Lefifi, who has been researching on China's investments in Africa for years, shared her insights on how China's high-quality development and commitment to multilateralism will reshape the global economic landscape.
Five-year plans have long been central to how China steers its development as they provide a common roadmap for policy, investment and planning decisions across sectors and regions in the country.
The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) marks a strategic pivot toward consolidation and the reduction of vulnerabilities in strategic sectors, she said.
"This cycle is about resilience, industrial depth and institutional reinforcement," Lefifi said. She expressed particular interest in the "legal architecture," including competition law and data governance, that will support priority sectors such as semiconductors, AI-driven industrial systems and energy storage.
Commenting on the rise of "new quality productive forces," Lefifi said that China is signaling a move from scale to sophistication.
"There is an industrial saying in China that third-tier companies make products, second-tier companies make technology, and first-tier companies make standards," she said. "What we are seeing now is a deliberate effort to move into that first tier."
This creates immense opportunities for global enterprises to integrate into China's upgrading ecosystems, she said.
Highlighting China's focus on the stability and security of global critical mineral supply chains, she said "China's demand for lithium, copper and cobalt will continue to shape global markets. For African producers, the key question is how partnerships are structured."
African countries need to pursue value addition and technological participation to fully benefit from China's development, she noted.
As African countries pursue modernization in an era of rising protectionism, Lefifi sees China's commitment to "high-standard opening up" as a vital stabilizer.
"China positions itself as supporting continued integration," she said, noting that it remains essential for global supply chains. Opening measures in finance, services and green sectors help maintain global stability during periods of uncertainty.
Lefifi praised China's contributions to global economic governance, particularly through its emphasis on multilateralism and infrastructure partnerships.
"One of China's most tangible contributions has been expanding development finance," she said. "In Africa, this has meant faster access to power generation, transport corridors and digital infrastructure."
China's developmental model, prioritizing infrastructure and industrial capacity, has offered the Global South a new set of practical tools for modernization, she said. "China has expanded the practical tools available for development and contributed to a more diversified global economic landscape." ■
