At the China Development Forum in Beijing, global leaders grappled with three critical questions about America's Iran conflict, China's strategic response, and the implications of the 15th five-year plan. The juxtaposition of these questions reveals the current state of global uncertainty in spring 2026. While America's war rationale remains unclear, China's technocratic approach continues to attract corporate interest.

European and American executives at the forum enthusiastically endorsed China's latest five-year plan, praising its focus on sci-tech innovation, sustainability, and resilience. Under Communist Party leadership, China remains the world's last bastion of growth-focused economic planning. Corporate leaders, despite facing intense competition from Chinese firms, appreciate the predictability and ambition of Beijing's economic roadmap. The plan represents a sensible evolution of previous strategies.

However, the strategic question of how China should exercise potential global leadership remains unanswered. The author outlines a five-point blueprint for Chinese hegemony, including backing multilateral financial support, sharing Strait of Hormuz privileges, contributing to global oil stability, launching green investment initiatives, and mediating conflicts in Ukraine and the Gulf. Such moves would define a new era of global politics, though Beijing has so far chosen a defensive stance, waiting out current crises while the US undermines its own credibility.