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| Groups discuss ways to build "well－off" society |
| CCTV.COM 2002-11-10 09:11:41 |
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The term "xiaokang" means a fairly well－off society. It's become a buzzword in the ongoing National Party Congress. Jiang Zemin's report unleashed the party's ambition to build a comprehensive well－off society by the middle of this century － something that's key to China's modernization. During their discussions, delegates from developed and underdeveloped provinces are talking about ways to reach the goal.
Delegates from East China's Jiangsu Province are holding an enthusiastic discussion on Jiang zemin's report. Affluent since ancient times, the province still takes the lead in the country's economic progress. Its GDP ranks No. 2 in China, after Guangdong Province. It's also one of the first provinces considered to have achieved the goal of fairly comfortable living standard. Average annual incomes here in 2001 were roughly 1,500 US dollars.
Ji Yunshi, governor of Jiangsu Province, said, "By 1997, the province's GDP grew four times over 1980's, and in 1998 the per capita gross national product increased four fold. This is two years ahead of the government's agenda. We are taking the lead in this regard. And we plan to achieve comprehensive modernization by 2010, thirty years' ahead of the country's average pace."
The ancient Chinese ideal of a well－off society was revitalized by the country's architect of reform, late leader Deng Xiaoping, in 1979. He said China should double the 1980 per capita GNP average to US$500 by 1990 to solve food and clothing shortages and SECOND, quadruple the 1980 figure by the end of the 20th century to attain an average per capita GNP of US$1,000. The THIRD step is to completely modernize the nation and raise the per capita GNP to that of intermediate－level developed countries. By 2000, Deng's vision had on average been realized. But this comfortable life is still at a low level and isn't a standard in China. In southwestern Yunnan province, despite progress, it's still lagging behind.
Niu Shaorao, vice governor of Yunnan Province, said, "Some of Yunnan's residents are leading comfortable lives, but in some areas, especially in the countryside, development is backward. Generally speaking, the development of Yunnan is still behind the country's average." The average per capita income here was only 200 US dollars a year in 2001, one of the lowest in China.
Decades of efforts to improve the living standards of the Chinese have paid off. The country has crossed the threshold to become a preliminary well－off society. But the unbalanced development of different regions is what the government has to stress to achieve common prosperity. And farmer's incomes will determine the overall modernization drive.
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Editor: Wang Yin CCTV.com
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