First Five-Year Plan

China’s 1953–1957 economic plan, which prioritized state-led industrialization and received substantial Soviet assistance.

State-owned enterprise: An enterprise owned or controlled by the state. State ownership let the government direct investment and production toward planned industrial priorities.
Chinese Civil War: The armed conflict between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang that ended with Communist victory in 1949. The new government inherited an economy damaged by decades of conflict.
Mao Zedong: A Chinese Communist revolutionary who led the People’s Republic of China from its founding until 1976. Mao endorsed rapid industrialization and centralized planning during the plan’s launch.
Anshan Iron and Steel Works: A major steel complex in Liaoning that became a centerpiece of China’s post-1949 industrial development. Its expansion exemplified the plan’s emphasis on steel and heavy industry.
Collectivization in China: The transfer of Chinese agriculture toward collective forms of production under Communist rule. Agricultural collectivization advanced alongside the plan and helped the state mobilize rural resources.
Central planning: An economic system in which a central authority sets production and allocation targets. The plan applied central planning to investment, output, and resource allocation.
Chinese Communist Revolution: The political and military process that established the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The revolution brought the party to power and enabled state-directed economic transformation.
Zhou Enlai: A Chinese Communist leader who served as premier of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1976. As premier, Zhou led government work on economic planning and Soviet cooperation.
Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge: A railway and road bridge across the Yangtze River in Wuhan, opened in 1957. Completed near the plan’s end, it linked rail networks and demonstrated state-led infrastructure building.
Great Leap Forward: A 1958–1962 campaign to accelerate China’s industrial and agricultural production through mass mobilization. It followed the plan with more radical targets and methods of mobilization.

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