Official on Connotation of a Complete Well-Off Society

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 11, 2002

Official on Connotation of a Complete Well-Off Society

Then how do government officials and ordinary people understand this strategic goal of a well-off society? How do they think about the prospects in achieving it?

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Then how do government officials and ordinary people understand this strategic goal of a well-off society? How do they think about the prospects in achieving it?

First what does it mean? After hearing Jiang Zemin's report on building a well-off society in an all-round way, a taxi driver in Beijing, Huang Ping, has this to say.

"I think it means a well-off life at a higher level. But to realize such a goal, I think we should first let all laid-off workers live a better life."

To government officials, such an expectation is no surprise- but not that simple.

Director of the State Development Planning Commission, Zeng Peiyan says twenty years' reform and opening up has basically ensured a well-off life for 1.2 billion people, which is quite an accomplishment. But this well-off life is still at a low level.

"In the year 2000, the GDP per person in China was 800 US dollars. But the figure was above 2000 US dollars in the moderately developed countries at that time. So the well-off life WE achieved only has met the needs of subsistence of people. And there's a nearly two-fold domestic gap in terms of GDP per person between the eastern and western regions of the country. So development is also uneven."

Against this backdrop, Zeng Peiyan told a press conference his idea of what makes an all-round, well-off society.

"This means a well-off life that has higher quality. By the year 2020, we shall quadrupled the GDP of the figure in the year 2000 and achieve a GDP per person of 3000 US dollars, which is the then projected average income in moderately developed countries. Far from merely satisfying people's need for food and clothing, we shall also satisfy their need for social democracy and legal system. By then, we shall embark on the road of the development featured by affluent life and sound environment."

And there's more. The minister says a more complete well-off life also means a more balanced picture of development.

"We shall reverse the trend of widening gap and reduce the discrepancy between the rural areas and urban areas and among different regions. By 2020, the city dwellers shall exceed half of the population in China."

Zeng Peiyan says efforts shall also be made to ensure a more adequate social security system for both urban and rural people.

But all these goals have to be realized through hard efforts. Delegate Wang Weicheng from East China's Jiangyin County explains what they would do to achieve the goal of a complete well-off society.

"We shall strive to develop economy and increase employment. Jiangyin has achieved a GDP per person of 4,300 US dollars. We are one of the top five of China's most prosperous counties. But after all, bosses only account for a small number of the people. The large majority have to increase income through employment. So we have to increase employment first."

Wang Weicheng says Jiangyin's objective for a more complete well-off society is not only enrich the people materially, but also enrich their culture life, and make them enjoy social stability. (CRI News)

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