What do the five stars on the Chinese flag represent?

The larger star symbolizes the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the four smaller stars that surround the big star symbolize the four classes of Chinese that were considered unitable by Mao at that historical time (from one of Mao's work: On The People's Democratic Dictatorship); these are the Workers, Peasants, Petty Bourgeoisie (i.e. Small Business Class), and National Bourgeoisie (i.e. Chinese non-governmental businessmen). The most popular modern interpretation is the four stars represent the four occupations most esteemed by the Communist Party of China, which are farmers, workers, teachers, and soldiers. An interpretation under a more historical context is the four stars represent the traditional four categories of the people in the state, which are Workers, Farmers, Intellectual, and Businessmen (see also Four occupations).

It is sometimes stated that the five stars of the flag represent the five largest ethnic groups.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China