As 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, China Daily Opinion Channel has launched the special program Dialogues with Thinkers during the two sessions, inviting five NPC deputies from diverse fields to share insights on key national development issues.

The panel includes Cai Jiming, professor at the School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University; Yang Chaoming, distinguished professor at the Advanced Institute for Confucian Studies, Shandong University; Li Chengwei, secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhengzhou University Committee; Hang Kan, director of the Yungang Research Institute; and Xing Guangcheng, Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, all deputies to the 14th National People's Congress.

In the program, Hang Kan stresses that cultural heritage should not be overly "touristified" and calls for technology-enabled protection of cultural treasures, envisioning dynamic development of heritage conservation in the new five-year period.

Yang Chaoming outlines a roadmap to revitalize traditional culture in the digital age, advocating innovation, technology and youth engagement to take cultural heritage beyond mere display into real-life application and global dialogue.

Cai Jiming analyzes how coordinated progress in rural vitalization and new-type urbanization can foster balanced urban-rural integration, boost agriculture and raise rural incomes.

Xing Guangcheng proposes leveraging the Belt and Road Initiative to unlock geographic advantages of frontier areas, enhancing connectivity and institutional integration with neighboring countries to promote prosperity in border regions.

Li Chengwei highlights AI-driven biomanufacturing as a key engine for high-quality agricultural development and modern seed breeding. He also discusses how to translate technological breakthroughs from the lab into real-world applications.

Combining expert interviews and forward-looking perspectives, the Dialogues with Thinkers series delivers in-depth thinking on cultural inheritance, economic growth, rural development and frontier opening-up, mapping out practical pathways for high-quality development in the 15th Five-Year Plan era.