Moderately prosperous society

Moderately prosperous society or Xiaokang society (Chinese: 小康社会; pinyin: Xiǎokāng Shèhuì), is a Chinese term, originally of Confucianism, used to describe a society composed of a functional middle-class. In December 1979, Deng Xiaoping, then paramount leader of China, first proposed the idea of "Xiaokang" based on the "Four Modernizations".[1][2][3]

The term is best known in recent years through its use by Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party between 2002 and 2012, when referring to economic policies intended to realize a more equal distribution of wealth. In the usages (Tifa) of current General Secretary Xi Jinping, the term Chinese Dream has gained somewhat greater prominence. In 2015, Xi unveiled a set of political slogans called the Four Comprehensives, which include "Comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society."[4]

History

Now that the Great Way has fallen into obscurity, the world is held as private possession. Each cherishes only his own kin, each nurtures only his own children. Wealth and strength are pursued for oneself; high offices are transmitted hereditarily and taken as propriety. Cities and moats are built for defense; ritual and righteousness are employed as norms. Thus ruler and minister are made correct, father and son are bound with devotion, brothers are harmonized, husband and wife are brought into accord. Institutions are established, fields and boundaries are fixed, worth is assigned to the able and the courageous, and merit is claimed for oneself. Hence stratagems arise, and from these the use of arms is born.

Yu, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, King Cheng, and the Duke of Zhou were chosen according to this order. Of these six exemplary men, none failed to be reverent in ritual. Through ritual they made righteousness manifest and tested trustworthiness; faults were recorded, punishments and benevolence applied, deference and yielding taught, so that the people were shown what was constant. Those who did not follow this way were recalled from office, and the multitude regarded them as calamities. This is what is called the “moderately prosperous society”. — Confucius, Book of Rites (Liji), “Liyun”[5]

It has been loosely translated as a "basically well-off" society in which the people are able to live relatively comfortably, albeit ordinarily. The term was first used in Classic of Poetry written as early as 3,000 years ago. Xiaokang also appears in the Book of Rites.[6]: 63 

Deng Xiaoping described a xiaokang society as a goal of the Four Modernizations.[6]: 65  In a 1979 discussion with Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira, Deng used the concept to distinguish China's path of development from other approaches, stating, "The Four Modernizations we hope to realize are a Chinese Four Modernizations. Our conceptualization of the Four Modernizations is not like your conception of modernization, but it is a xiaokang family."[6]: 65 

The revival of the concept of a Xiaokang Society was in part a criticism of social trends in mainland China in the 1990s under Jiang Zemin, in which many in China felt was focusing too much on the newly rich and not enough on mainland China's rural poor. At the 16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 2002, Jiang, set a goal of achieving comprehensive xiaokang by 2020.[6]: 66  Hu Jintao reiterated this goal at the 17th Party Congress and the 18th Party Congress.[6]: 66  He also set a goal of doubling China's GDP and GDP per capita by 2020. In 2015, Xi announced the Four Comprehensives, which included comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society.[7]: 23  That year, Xi further introduced three new requirements for building a moderately prosperous society, namely:[7]: 94 

  1. no rural resident to live below the rural poverty line of ¥4,000;
  2. the growth rate of the per capita disposable income of residents of poor rural areas to exceed that of the national average; and
  3. the main basic public services in poor rural areas come close to the national average.

Accordingly, Xi launched the battle against poverty campaign in October 2015.[7]: 116  At the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party on 1 July 2021, Xi Jinping declared that China achieved its goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.[8][9]

Modern political discourse

The vision of a xiaokang society is one in which most people are moderately well off and middle class, and in which economic prosperity is sufficient to move most of the population in mainland China into comfortable means, but in which economic advancement is not the sole focus of society. Explicitly incorporated into the concept of a Xiaokang society is the idea that economic growth needs to be balanced with sometimes conflicting goals of social equality and environmental protection.

Xiaokang is also a name for a semi-monthly magazine that is affiliated to the Qiushi Magazine, the party-run magazine in Beijing. Started in 2004, it mainly focuses on the political and economic development in China. Chinese state media has used the term "Xiaokang villages" to describe structures built by the People's Liberation Army near the Line of Actual Control in its ongoing border dispute with India.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "从"小康"到"全面小康"——邓小平小康社会理论形成和发展述论--邓小平纪念网--人民网". cpc.people.com.cn. Archived from the original on 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  2. ^ "Meet "moderately prosperous" China". worldin.economist.com. November 21, 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  3. ^ "从"四个现代化"到"小康"构想与邓小平苏杭之行_中国网". China News Service. Archived from the original on 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  4. ^ "China's Xi Jinping unveils new 'four comprehensives' slogans". BBC News. 2015-02-25. Archived from the original on 2021-03-07. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  5. ^ 孔子. "禮運". 禮記 (in Chinese).
  6. ^ a b c d e Smith, Craig A. (2019). "Datong and Xiaokang". In Sorace, Christian; Franceschini, Ivan; Loubere, Nicholas (eds.). Afterlives of Chinese Communism: Political Concepts from Mao to Xi. Acton, Australia: Australian National University Press. doi:10.22459/ACC.2019. hdl:loc.gdc/gdcebookspublic.2020718247. ISBN 9781760462499. JSTOR j.ctvk3gng9. LCCN 2020718247.
  7. ^ a b c Tsang, Steve; Cheung, Olivia (2024). The Political Thought of Xi Jinping. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780197689363.
  8. ^ "Look to the future and stay focused, Xi tells China in New Year's address". Reuters. 31 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  9. ^ "Xi declares China a moderately prosperous society in all respects". State Council of China. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  10. ^ Brar, Aadil (2023-12-29). "China strengthens territorial claim with villages seen from space". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
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