Published by ChinaMNC · Chongzhou
Sichuan's Planning Document Library: What Foreign Founders Should Know
A guide for foreign founders on how to use Sichuan Province's public planning and regulatory document library, what categories of documents it contains, and how to read the planning cycles before setting up or operating a company in China.
Why Sichuan's Planning Library Matters to Foreign Founders
The Sichuan Provincial People's Government publishes an official archive of policy documents, administrative normative documents, government normative documents, and departmental normative documents. For a foreign founder registering a company in China, this archive is not light reading — it is the paper trail behind land use, infrastructure, public services, and regional development decisions that can shape where and how a business operates in Sichuan.
The page is organized as a disclosure index rather than a narrative. It lists documents by title, issuing authority, and publication date. Understanding the structure helps you find the right document quickly instead of guessing which plan governs your site, sector, or city.
What the Archive Contains
Provincial five-year plans
The library includes the provincial economic and social development five-year plans. The most recent listed is the 15th Five-Year Plan outline, dated 2026-04-13. Earlier outlines are also archived: the 14th Five-Year Plan and the 2035 long-range objectives (2021-03-17), the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-02-15), and the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-01-28). The 2035 horizon is a recurring feature of Sichuan's planning documents, so foreign founders should expect plans to be framed over a decade or more, not just five years.
Spatial and land-use planning
A substantial section covers territorial spatial planning. Documents include the Sichuan Tianfu New Area territorial spatial plan (2021–2035), published 2025-12-31; a notice from the provincial Department of Natural Resources on five specialized plans including the Chengdu Plain Economic Zone territorial spatial plan (2021–2035), published 2024-11-04; the provincial territorial spatial plan (2021–2035), published 2024-04-11; the Anning River Basin territorial spatial plan (2022–2035), published 2022-11-22; and the provincial territorial spatial ecological restoration plan (2021–2035), published 2022-07-08. Older land-use master plans for 2006–2020 and 1997–2010 are also listed, along with a 2013 notice on the provincial main functional zone plan.
For a founder evaluating a factory site, warehouse, or office expansion, these are the documents that indicate how land is zoned and how regions are positioned in provincial spatial strategy.
Regional and metropolitan integration plans
The archive lists the Chengdu metropolitan area integration development 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-09-09) and the Chengdu metropolitan area development plan (2021-11-29). It also includes the Central Committee and State Council-issued Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle construction plan outline (2021-10-21). Earlier 14th Five-Year Plan documents cover integrated development of the Chengdu Plain Economic Zone, the Northwest Sichuan ecological demonstration zone, the Panxi economic zone transformation and upgrading plan, the South Sichuan economic zone integration plan, and the Northeast Sichuan economic zone revitalization plan, all dated 2021-06-09. A 2019 notice covers five regional development plans under the 13th Five-Year Plan, and a 2016 document covers the Northwest Sichuan ecological economic zone.
These plans matter for founders because regional positioning affects logistics corridors, industrial clustering, and where provincial support is directed.
Sector and public-service plans
The library lists numerous 15th Five-Year Plan approvals and plans dated 2026, including water security, public services, Beautiful Sichuan construction, traditional Chinese medicine development, disability protection and development, sports development, natural resource protection and utilization, health development, geological disaster prevention, and market regulation modernization. A 2026-08-31 document covers high-quality development of housing and urban-rural construction.
For founders in health, sports, consumer goods, or regulated services, these sector plans are the practical context for licensing and compliance expectations.
Heritage and scenic-area protection plans
A series of provincial government approvals covers protection plans for historic and cultural cities, towns, and villages, and for scenic areas. Examples include approvals for Luzhou (2025–2035), Mianzhu (2023–2035), Enyang District in Bazhong and five other historic towns and villages, Mengding Mountain scenic area (2025–2035), the Banyueshan cliff carvings, Laojun Mountain scenic area (2025–2035), five historic towns in Zigong including Aiye (2025–2035), Jiange (2025–2035), and Tongjiang (2024–2035). These are relevant if your project touches heritage zones, tourism, or hospitality in protected areas.
How to Use the Library in Practice
- Start with the provincial outline. Read the current five-year plan outline for the province's stated direction, then narrow to the regional plan covering your intended city.
- Check the spatial plan before committing to a site. Territorial spatial plans indicate land-use positioning; confirm details with local authorities.
- Match your sector to a specialized plan. Sector plans and their approval dates show which areas the province is actively planning for.
- Note the dates. Many documents are approvals or outlines with multi-year horizons; the publication date tells you which version is current.
- Use city links for local detail. The page also links to 21 city and prefecture portals, from Chengdu and Zigong to the Aba, Garze, and Liangshan prefectures, where local registration and permitting information sits.
What the Page Does Not Tell You
This is a disclosure index, not a set of operating rules. It lists titles, issuers, and dates; it does not summarize requirements for foreign-invested enterprises, capital contribution, tax registration, or visas. Founders should treat it as a map to primary documents and confirm obligations with the relevant authorities and professional advisers.
This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.