BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party said Thursday it would focus on speeding up self-reliance in science and technology in the face of “profound and complex” changes and rising “uncertainty.”

The announcement came in a communique at the end of a four-day meeting on the party’s next five-year economic plan for the country.

China also announced a replacement for the position of its second-highest-ranking general Thursday, as the Communist Party concluded the fourth plenum.

The Communist Party’s Central Committee elevated Zhang Shengmin to vice chair of the Central Military Commission after his predecessor was expelled earlier from the Communist Party. Zhang is already a member of the commission and holds the rank of general in the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force.