The Two Sessions have concluded, and the State Council immediately takes action.

The National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference just concluded. On March 13, the State Council Executive Meeting made specific arrangements to thoroughly implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, carry out the government work report, and solidly accomplish various tasks around the year’s goals.

The meeting discussed and approved the “2026 Key Work Division Plan of the State Council.”

The rhythm of “immediate deployment right after the two sessions” sends a very clear signal: we need to act sooner and get things done earlier.

On March 12, the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress held its closing meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Sense of Urgency.

This meeting particularly emphasized a time concept: ensuring a good start for the “14th Five-Year Plan.”

This is a very important perspective. 2026 marks the beginning of the “14th Five-Year Plan,” which means that the key tasks outlined in this year’s government work report are not just for the current year but also lay a crucial foundation for the development of the next five years.

Therefore, the meeting used several weighty words to describe the requirements for various departments: “Proactive responsibility,” “Enhance urgency and execution,” “Take the lead in efforts.”

What does taking the lead in efforts mean? Simply put, policies should be issued today rather than tomorrow, and projects that can be completed in one quarter should not wait until mid-year. The warm policy signals should be sent to the market as early as possible, transforming into orders for enterprises and benefits for the people.

For example, by the end of December 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission organized the issuance of a list of “dual” construction projects for early approval in 2026 and the central budget investment plan, totaling about 295 billion yuan, accelerating the pace of fund disbursement and utilization.

Penetration.

Besides speed, this meeting also emphasized coordination and penetration.

The meeting mentioned, “Enhance work coordination and penetration, strengthen overall awareness and systematic thinking, and carry out efficient joint efforts.”

This actually addresses two pain points in policy implementation.

First is breaking down “departmental walls.” Many policies are well-designed at the top level, but at the implementation level, departments manage their own areas, leading to diminishing policy effects and even mutual hindrance. The emphasis on efficient coordination requires departments to break down barriers, shifting from acting separately to working in harmony.

Second is breaking through the “last mile.” Policies should not stay only in central government documents but must penetrate to local levels, grassroots, and more specifically, to concrete projects.

It is also noteworthy that the meeting proposed “strengthening classified guidance for localities.”

China is vast, with diverse regional conditions. A one-size-fits-all approach is not feasible. Central departments should help localities solve new problems, summarize good experiences, and guide them to leverage their comparative advantages to ensure policies are effectively implemented.

Closed Loop.

The meeting also proposed “strengthening follow-up supervision and coordinated promotion, conducting timely evaluations of key policies and major issues, and forming a full-process closed-loop management.”

From grassroots practice, some policies in the past were implemented for a period and then forgotten, with no follow-up on their effectiveness or issues. The clear requirement to “conduct timely evaluations” means every key task must have clear results and feedback.

This will create a push mechanism, reminding localities and departments: issuing documents is not the end goal; the ultimate goal is to solve problems. The quality of policies is judged by their results and must pass practical tests.

At this critical time just after the conclusion of the two sessions, this State Council Executive Meeting is like firing the starting gun. Achieving a good start for the “14th Five-Year Plan” is crucial, and every step this year is vital. As the meeting stated, we must “grasp firmly and implement thoroughly,” turning the blueprint drawn by the two sessions into a detailed construction plan.

“Sanlihe” Studio