China’s Twelfth Five Year Plan (FYP), which spans 2011–2015, offers insights into the government’s thinking about imperatives that cover policies, regulatory mechanisms, market practices, and desired corporate behaviors. Multinational corporations that operate in China should carefully study the FYP and its related guidelines, plans, and policies because alignment with China’s explicit or implicit national objectives and priorities can improve government relations and enhance corporate and employer brands. Reading the Tea Leaves highlights the major human capital aspects of the Twelfth FYP that are expected to have the greatest impact on business. The report also benchmarks 2011 data, the first year of this five-year cycle, with the targets and projections outlined in the plan.