Abstract: On March 6, 2026, the Nanjing University Yangtze Industrial Development Institute held a seminar on the spirit of the Two Sessions, during which researchers from across the institute shared their insights based on their research. Jiang Jing noted that the Government Work Report calls for expanding capacity and improving quality in the service sector, with an emphasis on enhancing the sector's own capabilities and empowering the manufacturing sector; fundamentally, the economic growth model still hinges on manufacturing. Chen Liu proposed that the 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial foundational phase for advancing toward dual self-reliance. The core lies in strengthening the domestic economic cycle, which requires a dual-engine drive of robust domestic demand and technological self-reliance to build market autonomy and industrial-technological self-reliance. Xu Ning pointed out that this year's Government Work Report incorporated AI+ into the section on high-quality and full employment for the first time. Addressing existing challenges, he suggested refining relevant measures across the dimensions of curriculum, computing power, order-based training, and community engagement. Zong Jiafeng believes that rural revitalization must prioritize urban-rural integration and county-level coordination, focusing on the precise allocation of human, financial, and material resources, and investing in the elderly, small businesses, new ventures, and towns. Zhang Yueyou noted that the report replaces previous scale-oriented language with expanding capacity and improving quality, clearly identifying key industries and policy measures for enhancing the service sector. Lu Jian proposed that China could advance its independent opening-up efforts in three areas: exploring more sectors for opening-up, aligning with international rules, and enhancing government service capabilities. Chen Dong argued that developing future industries requires leveraging the leading role of enterprises, noting that specialized and sophisticated enterprises possess the foundational capabilities to undertake this task. Xu Zhenyu pointed out that as the key drivers of endogenous momentum in household consumption, the incomes of urban and rural residents and the social security system have been placed in a prominent position. Ye Ming believes that structural contradictions will be the primary obstacle to stable employment growth during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and the Government Work Report explicitly calls for promoting high-quality and full employment. Kong Lingchi proposed that enhancing the endogenous momentum and reliability of the domestic economic cycle requires properly balancing four key relationships: improving people's livelihoods versus stimulating consumption; durable goods consumption versus service consumption; the wealth effect of real estate versus the household consumption rate; and investment versus consumption. Ling Yonghui pointed out that the 2026 Government Work Report places optimizing and upgrading traditional industries before cultivating and strengthening emerging and future industries, reflecting the central government's repositioning and strong emphasis on consolidating fundamentals and upgrading in China's industrial development. Wang Bing addressed the necessity and proposed recommendations for thoroughly addressing involution-style competition. Sun Ruidong proposed that efforts should be made to expedite the establishment of mechanisms for investment growth and risk-sharing in future industries. Zhang Yu suggested that building a regional economic layout and territorial spatial system characterized by complementary advantages and high-quality development could be achieved through coordinated efforts in four key areas. Bai Kairui believes that the downward adjustment of the 2026 economic growth target reflects an appropriate adjustment to the economic structure in the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and that long-term economic growth momentum remains promising.
