China’s New Education Blueprint Aims To Expand Global Influence

China on Sunday revealed a national action plan to strengthen its education system by 2035 and bolster the country’s “international influence.”

The plan, issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, is aimed at building an education system to “support its modernization drive and national rejuvenation,” according to Xinhua, China’s official state news agency. The announcement comes days after data released Friday revealed that China’s population declined for the third straight year in 2024.

“The strong education system of socialism with Chinese characteristics will feature powerful ideological and political leadership, talent competitiveness, scientific and technological underpinning, livelihood security, social synergy, and international influence,” according to the state news agency. The report also states that “building a leading country in education” has been one of China’s aspirations “since the advent of modern times.”

The educational blueprint will also require China’s primary and secondary school students to have a minimum of two hours of physical activity daily in an attempt to control rising myopia and obesity rates, Reuters reported. Notably, in the U.S., one in five children and adolescents are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Several American lawmakers have raised concerns over China’s attempts to influence education in the U.S. in recent years. A U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission report published in July 2024 suggested that U.S. policymakers should include amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase scrutiny of funding flowing to American universities from China or Chinese influence entities or operatives.

Beijing has faced a slew of economic woes in recent years, including an unstable housing market, rising national debt and weakening consumer demand. High education costs in China also contribute to some of its citizens’ financial struggles, with one study published in April by the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions finding that Chinese households spend an average of 17.1% of their annual income and 7.9% of their total annual expenditures on education, exceeding the U.S., Japan and Mexico.

The education system in the U.S. is also likely to see broad reform under President-elect Donald Trump, who returns to office Monday, as he has vowed to “save American education” from “the radical left maniacs.”

The president-elect recently announced that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday about various topics, including TikTok and trade.