China's Epic Journey from Poverty to Prosperity

I. A Critical Step Towards National Rejuvenation

Xiaokang, meaning moderate prosperity, has been a consistent aspiration of the Chinese nation since ancient times. More than 2,000 years ago the term appeared in the Book of Songs to mean modest comfort:

The people are hard-pressed, they need some modest comfort.

Do well by the Central Plains, and your rule will spread beyond.

Centuries later the Book of Rites described the ideal state of society that xiaokang would bring about. Both gave expression to the ancient Chinese people's desire for a better life. But for millennia moderate prosperity remained a dream. After the Opium War (1840-1842), China was gradually reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society and was subjected to terrible oppression. It went through immense humiliation, its people endured untold suffering, and the ancient Chinese civilization lost its way. However, the indomitable Chinese people never lost heart－they continued to fight tenaciously for their dream of a happy life.

The founding of the CPC a hundred years ago was a pivotal event in Chinese history. From the outset, the CPC has made the wellbeing of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation its abiding goals. Committed to meeting the people's expectation for a better life, China's communist movement, with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping as its leading representatives, has united the Chinese people in a tireless struggle over generations, pressing ahead towards the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Led by the CPC, the Chinese people have achieved one success after another. They won victory in the New Democratic Revolution, and founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The socialist revolution, the establishment of socialism as China's basic system, and the ensuing socialist construction brought about the most extensive and profound social changes in the history of the nation.

The transformation from a huge, poor and backward country in the East into a thriving socialist China created the fundamental political conditions and the institutional and material foundations for building a moderately prosperous society. It also provided an unfailing source of inspiration and secured the means required to complete this mission.

After the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, the CPC made continuous efforts to build a better-off society, raising the living standards in China from bare subsistence to a basic level of moderate prosperity, and then ultimately to moderate prosperity in all respects.

In the early years of reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping for the first time used the term xiaokang to present his vision of China's modernization. He set the goal of delivering a xiaokang life for the Chinese people and building a xiaokang society by the end of the 20th century. "By xiaokang, we mean a per capita GNP of US$800," he specified.

This long-cherished dream, grounded in traditional Chinese culture and bearing the distinctive hallmarks of the nation, has since become a significant milestone on China's journey towards modernization.

At its 12th National Congress in 1982, the CPC for the first time made achieving xiaokang the overall objective of China's economic development, and set the goal of delivering a life of moderate cultural and material prosperity for the people by the end of the 20th century.

At its 13th National Congress in 1987, the CPC formulated a three-step strategic plan for China's modernization [The first step involved doubling the 1980 GNP by the end of the 1980s and ensuring that the people would have adequate food and clothing. The second step involved doubling the 1990 GNP by the end of the 20th century and ensuring the people a moderately prosperous life. The third step involved increasing the per capita GNP level to that of moderately developed countries, ensuring the people a relatively affluent life, and realizing basic modernization by the middle of the 21st century.], and set the goal for the second step as elevating the people's living standards to the level of moderate prosperity by the end of the 20th century.

At its 14th National Congress in 1992, when the basic needs of the Chinese people had largely been met, the CPC envisioned that their living standards would further rise, from simply having the basic necessities to enjoying moderate prosperity by the end of the 20th century.

At its 15th National Congress in 1997, the CPC put forward a new three-step strategic plan for economic development [The first step involved doubling the 2000 GNP, giving the people greater prosperity, and putting in place a relatively complete socialist market economic system, all by the end of 2010. The second step involved working hard for another decade to further develop the economy by the centenary of the CPC, and to improve all relevant systems. The third step involved realizing basic modernization and developing China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, and culturally advanced by the time China celebrates the centenary of the PRC in the middle of the 21st century.], setting the goal of creating a better-off life for the people by 2010.

Through perseverance and effort over these years, China achieved basic moderate prosperity at the end of the 20th century as scheduled.

At its 16th National Congress in 2002, the CPC pointed out that moderate prosperity remained at a relatively low level－it was not all-inclusive and was very unbalanced. Thus the Party set the objective of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. For this purpose, in the first two decades of the 21st century China would further develop the economy, improve democracy, advance science and education, enrich culture, foster social harmony, and upgrade the quality of life.

At its 17th National Congress in 2007, the CPC drew up a comprehensive plan for complete success in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and fleshed out the details, setting new requirements for economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental progress.

After China entered the new era, the drive to achieve moderate prosperity in all respects reached a critical point. Firmly focusing on the goal, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core defined the Five-sphere Integrated Plan[This is China's overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics, that is, to promote coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields.] and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy[This is China's strategic plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics, that is, to make comprehensive moves to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, to further reform, to advance the rule of law, and to strengthen Party self-governance.], designed to overcome all remaining obstacles.

At its 18th National Congress in 2012, the CPC announced that China would realize the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 when the Party would celebrate its centenary. It defined the metrics for such a society－sustained and sound economic development, greater people's democracy, a significant improvement in cultural soft power, higher living standards, and major progress in building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society.

At its 19th National Congress in 2017, the CPC demonstrated its understanding that China had reached a historic juncture and development stage. It conducted a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental conditions required to achieve all-round moderate prosperity, and the internal and external factors impacting the process. On this basis it defined a strategy for securing success in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China.

President Xi gave high priority to this endeavor in governance, presenting a series of important ideas and concepts and making a number of major decisions and arrangements. He emphasized the following issues:

・To achieve moderate prosperity in all respects is a solemn promise made by the CPC. It is also a critical step towards realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

・In the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy, achieving the First Centenary Goal is the overarching and strategic objective, while deeper reform, advancing the rule of law, and strengthening Party self-governance are strategic measures.

・Moderate prosperity in all respects means coordinated economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental progress, to the benefit of the entire population and covering both urban and rural areas.

・Raising the standard of living of rural residents is critical to China's success in realizing moderate prosperity, as the most challenging and onerous tasks lie in rural areas, especially the impoverished areas.

・China must repair without delay the weak links that impede its endeavors to complete the First Centenary Goal.

・Only through good solid work can China accomplish moderate prosperity in all respects, achieve basic modernization, and realize national rejuvenation.

President Xi has assumed leadership, made plans, and put his weight behind the endeavor to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects. He has rallied around him Party members and the Chinese people, and led them in eliminating absolute poverty, advancing reform, combating Covid-19, controlling pollution, and defusing risks. Under his leadership, the Chinese people have gained a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security. China has addressed many long-standing and complex problems, and achieved many objectives where progress had been slow. The Party and the country have achieved historic successes and transformations in the pursuit of their cause.

After unremitting hard work by the entire Party and all the people, the moderately prosperous society in all respects has come to fruition as scheduled. This marks a critical step towards national rejuvenation.

At the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC on July 1, 2021, General Secretary Xi declared that China had succeeded in the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects through the continued efforts of the whole Party and the entire nation.