I read on the news that you are collecting suggestions from expats for the 13th Five-Year Plan. I am a Colombian citizen living in Beijing for the last five years ...

The suggestions presented below are personal opinions ...

Deepening integration with the developing world

In this regard, there is still a lot of room for growth. Given the Chinese intention to reinforce other sources of growth besides exports, such as investment, and taking into consideration the negative impact of the slump in commodity prices for developing countries, it is time to redirect the integration process between China and other emerging markets, based on a win-win cooperation, in which both sides can benefit and grow. That will ultimately differentiate the traditional relationship between Western countries and developing countries.

Infrastructure

Certainly China has already made big progress on its strategy of exporting its expertise to other countries. In this regard, there are plenty of investment opportunities in developing countries, lacking infrastructure and stuck in projects that struggle to finish or even to get started. That certainly will improve developing countries’ productivity and will benefit China’s construction sector, too. The 13th Five-Year Plan must be more ambitious in achieving a higher participation of China in the infrastructure sector of these countries. It is a matter of exporting the model as a whole.

Apart from the infrastructure itself, China can build a brand of effectiveness. In countries where projects might take decades to start up, having subway systems, railways and highways built at a Chinese pace will certainly make it gain good-will and ultimately more and more awarded projects.

Concession models could be an alternative to finance projects in countries and cities where there is not capacity to take on more debt. For instance, China can offer to cover the upfront costs in exchange for being granted the proceeds from the project for a certain number of years and enjoy tax breaks, so that it is profitable for China and beneficial for citizens of those countries.

Food Security

Since China’s arable land is relatively small to supply its population’s needs, it is clear that food imports are relevant and there could be efficient alternatives to expand supplies in a way that China and its partners mutually benefit.

It is proved that one of the benefits of international trade is specialization. If China specializes in infrastructure and developing countries specialize in the supply of value-added food customized for Chinese consumers, both sides can benefit. Labor in rural areas have inherited the traditions of their predecessors and know the land, and that knowledge and expertise is not easy to replace by new labor, not to mention that it is even counterproductive for bilateral relations. Instead, supporting indigenous workers overseas and lifting them from poverty create demand for Chinese products. At the same time, Chinese consumers will benefit from more diverse, nutritious, healthier, and cheaper foods.

In this line, cooperation between China and its current and potential food suppliers must be reinforced. If China asks these countries to associate and work together as blocks it will be easier to coordinate which country specializes in what, and that way it will be easier for China to get big-scale amounts and make it easier, simpler and more effective for phytosanitary controls.

Tourism and Exchange

China and developing countries are seeing a rising middle class that can serve as a source of growth for both sides if it were stimulated. Professional and education exchange must be reinforced, and so must language exchange, and tourism.

There are highly qualified professionals in developing countries that find great welcome in China such as doctors, surgeons, dentists, pilots, architects, interior designers, IT developers, sport coaches, and so on that could come temporarily and supply the Chinese market. At the same time, there is an increasing interest for Chinese traditional medicine, Chinese language, Chinese art, in developing countries.

The exchange for professionals and a better platform for temporary exchanges and mutual training not only expands cultural integration, but also could contribute to increasing the inflows of travelers between China and developing countries, that so far have to rely on connections in the main hubs in the US and Europe.

Tourisms in both sides will also contribute substantially to economic growth, given the increasing middle class in both China and developing countries. Both have countless places where tourism can be fostered. But there is a need for an integral policy that engages both sides as well as interconnectivity.

Ultimately, that will increase economies of scale and benefit commerce between the two parts.

Environment

It is also important that the 13th Five-Year Plan prioritizes the protection of ecosystems in projects within China and its investments in other countries, as indirectly it contributes to absorbing carbon emissions domestically.

It is also imperative to incentivize the use of public transport and bicycles to improve traffic and curb carbon emissions. There should be a more punitive burden on drivers, heavier fines on violation of traffic rules, stricter control of drivers who park in public areas blocking the bicycle lane, and so on. That not only would improve traffic, air quality and respect for pedestrians, but also could be a great source of local government revenue.