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The Fifth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s parliament, and that of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, took place in early March as planned. For over a decade, the two annual sessions have been important platforms for Chinese people to voice their opinions and discuss public affairs. Proposals presented by deputies to the NPC and members of the CPPCC will be considered by the government as potential policies. The sessions have immense political significance and are drawing more and more attention from all over the world.
An online survey ahead of this year’s sessions indicated that netizens are most concerned about social security, income distribution and social management. For most of the last decade, such issues have topped the conferences’ agendas, and much has been done to improve their situations.
In the last year a great deal has been achieved and put into motion in terms of improving citizen’s lives. The minimum wages in 21 provinces and municipalities and the national threshold for individual income tax were raised. This has contributed to narrowing the income gap between urban and rural areas and expanding the middle classes. At the same time, the government has begun to reduce taxation and fees for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ensure their healthy development and the steady growth of employees’ salaries. The government also contributed to the construction of 10 million units of low-income housing.
Furthermore, comprehensive social security is gradually spreading to cover Chinese people in all quarters. This issue’s special report looks at social security and people in local communities. The improvement in people’s quality of life reflects China’s achievements in social management. But work is far from finished. The increase of governmental revenue is still far higher than that of the country’s GDP and SME profits. Further increases in governmental revenue, however, show great potential for improving standards of living.
There is nonetheless no doubt that improved quality of life should come from economic growth. China is experiencing the fastest development in the world today. While most European countries took around three centuries to industrialize, China completed the process in about 40 years. The most pressing task the government now faces is solving major issues concerning people’s livelihood, against an international backdrop of sluggish U.S. and European economies and shrinking overseas demand for Chinese products. How to achieve rapid transformation of the mode of economic development, get rid of dependence on overseas markets and domestic investment, stimulate domestic consumption and attain more even growth have been main topics. Issues directly affecting daily life, however, remained the central concern of the conferences, and this closely relates to China’s democracy.
The development of people’s living standards and democracy are closely interlinked, and the former determines the latter. In the early years of China’s reform and opening-up, the top priority was to provide basic necessities, giving people more
freedom to develop the economy. At the present stage of development, building up the economy and coordinating economic and social development have been key activities, and the government has been concerned with people’s wellbeing in terms of access to employment, housing, education and healthcare.
Today, China’s democracy at the grassroots level is characterized mainly by autonomy within communities. The neighborhood committee, elected by local residents, is responsible for the management of community affairs. China also encourages residents to establish other autonomous organizations and participate in the management of public affairs within communities in order to create a better living environment. Through this medium, China’s democracy will bring about constant improvement to people’s wellbeing and pave the way for future changes. When a social structure with little income disparity comes into being, Chinese democracy will be ready to develop to the next stage.
An online survey ahead of this year’s sessions indicated that netizens are most concerned about social security, income distribution and social management. For most of the last decade, such issues have topped the conferences’ agendas, and much has been done to improve their situations.
In the last year a great deal has been achieved and put into motion in terms of improving citizen’s lives. The minimum wages in 21 provinces and municipalities and the national threshold for individual income tax were raised. This has contributed to narrowing the income gap between urban and rural areas and expanding the middle classes. At the same time, the government has begun to reduce taxation and fees for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ensure their healthy development and the steady growth of employees’ salaries. The government also contributed to the construction of 10 million units of low-income housing.
Furthermore, comprehensive social security is gradually spreading to cover Chinese people in all quarters. This issue’s special report looks at social security and people in local communities. The improvement in people’s quality of life reflects China’s achievements in social management. But work is far from finished. The increase of governmental revenue is still far higher than that of the country’s GDP and SME profits. Further increases in governmental revenue, however, show great potential for improving standards of living.
There is nonetheless no doubt that improved quality of life should come from economic growth. China is experiencing the fastest development in the world today. While most European countries took around three centuries to industrialize, China completed the process in about 40 years. The most pressing task the government now faces is solving major issues concerning people’s livelihood, against an international backdrop of sluggish U.S. and European economies and shrinking overseas demand for Chinese products. How to achieve rapid transformation of the mode of economic development, get rid of dependence on overseas markets and domestic investment, stimulate domestic consumption and attain more even growth have been main topics. Issues directly affecting daily life, however, remained the central concern of the conferences, and this closely relates to China’s democracy.
The development of people’s living standards and democracy are closely interlinked, and the former determines the latter. In the early years of China’s reform and opening-up, the top priority was to provide basic necessities, giving people more
freedom to develop the economy. At the present stage of development, building up the economy and coordinating economic and social development have been key activities, and the government has been concerned with people’s wellbeing in terms of access to employment, housing, education and healthcare.
Today, China’s democracy at the grassroots level is characterized mainly by autonomy within communities. The neighborhood committee, elected by local residents, is responsible for the management of community affairs. China also encourages residents to establish other autonomous organizations and participate in the management of public affairs within communities in order to create a better living environment. Through this medium, China’s democracy will bring about constant improvement to people’s wellbeing and pave the way for future changes. When a social structure with little income disparity comes into being, Chinese democracy will be ready to develop to the next stage.