The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and National Development and Reform Commission jointly released a "Double Top" plan, with the aim of developing a batch of world-class higher education universities and disciplines.
The new plan replaces the "211" and "985" projects launched in the 1990s. The 211 project aimed to raise education standards in about 100 colleges and universities during the 21st century, hence its name, and the 985 project, named after its launch date in May 1998, endeavored to select the cream of the crop from those universities.
Peking University, Renmin University of China and Tsinghua University are among the 147 universities listed (up to February 2022).