China has embarked on a new journey after marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of Central Military Commission, set out many requirements for Party members to meet in his speech at the centenary gathering on July 1 in Beijing. Bettering people's livelihood is one of them – an important criterion as the country advances along the path to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and common prosperity.

Believing that the improvement of people's livelihood is a gateway to achieving common prosperity, Xi called in his speech on Party members to "ensure and enhance public well-being in the course of development."

The well-being of the people has always been front and center in China's policymaking. The issue has become more prominent after China declared in late 2020 the eradication of absolute poverty, which lays a solid foundation for achieving common prosperity.

Specific requirements on achieving common prosperity

To promote common prosperity, specific requirements have been put forward in a series of official documents.

"People will lead a better life, and more notable and substantial progress will be achieved in promoting well-rounded human development and achieving common prosperity for everyone" by 2035, according to the document on the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.

The document said the proportion of middle-income group should be raised substantially and the gap between urban and rural areas, including living standards, must be narrowed down significantly. It also called for equal access to public services.

Amid unbalanced and inadequate regional development, realizing common prosperity for everyone is bound to be a long-term task that has to be done step by step with a clear strategy.

China's central authorities have chosen Zhejiang Province as an example and issued a guideline to help build the eastern province into a demonstration zone for achieving common prosperity.

Based on the local conditions, the guideline includes multiple measures that aim to solve inequitable development issues in the region with the hope of sharing the lessons learned and promoting the model nationwide in the future.

Ensuring public well-being in the course of development

The guideline raised a two-stage goal for Zhejiang to achieve substantial progress in building the demonstration zone. The per capita GDP should reach the level of moderately developed economies and a social structure with a middle-income population as the majority should be generally developed by 2025 with the aim of basically achieving common prosperity by 2035.

To meet the goals, Zhejiang will take action in six major areas ranging from developing digital economy to advancing cultural and green development. 

Technological innovation will guide provincial authorities' quest for new economic growth engines, with more focus placed on harnessing the power of digital economy.

To increase the income of urban and rural residents while narrowing down the gap between the two groups, Zhejiang is to reform its income distribution and redistribution system by raising the minimum wage standard and regulating excessively high incomes.

Authorities have also promised to take an integrated development strategy to ensure equal access to public services by both urban and rural residents, improve their living condition and strengthen the building of social safety nets.

Meanwhile, Zhejiang also plans on strengthening the cultural industry, carrying forward the excellent traditional culture and promoting socialist culture through films and TV series.

Ecological environment protection will be another focus. Guided by the conviction that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, the province will strengthen mechanisms on ecological protection and implement a green transformation in the modes of life and production.

Finally, to create a safe and comfort social environment, Zhejiang has called on officials at all levels to enhance their governance and streamline the administrative procedures. It has also stressed the importance of bettering the public legal services system and the public security system.

These ambitious plans reflect the CPC's unchangeable aspiration to seek happiness for the people. Under the Party's leadership, the country has created numerous miracles and is now inching closer to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.