The conclusion of the four-day plenary session of the Communist
Party of China indicates that the talking about social harmony is
over.
Now it is time for action.
The decisions on some major issues concerning social harmony
will certainly help us better appreciate the current CPC
leadership's approach to practical concerns.
Reading between the lines of the just-released communique, we
can glimpse the subtle changes in the Party's thinking.
The mid-term targets and tasks (from now to 2020) that the CPC
has identified for improving social harmony are undoubtedly the
highlights of the document.
The all-inclusive picture portrays a very near future in which
every citizen enjoys his or her fair share of the benefits of
progress.
It envisages genuine respect for and guarantees of civil rights
under a framework of rule of law. It envisages universal increase
in family assets under reasonable and orderly income distribution
systems. It envisages decent job supply and a social security
network that covers rural and urban residents, It envisages a
knowledgeable and more civilized populace, more sophisticated
public administration and services, and improved ecological
conditions.
The formula distinguishes itself from previous rhetoric about
harmony with a focus on systematic designs, the most imperative
task facing our national leadership.
As the communique reiterates, development is a precondition to
better lives. Our ability to develop is beyond doubt.
After almost three decades of continuous high growth, there is
no sign our economic locomotive will slow down.
In spite of the government's expressed preference for slower
growth, a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences report predicted that
the country's GDP growth may reach 10.5 percent in 2006. And, if no
major disruption occurs, it will hover around 10 percent next
year.
High growth has effectively eradicated hunger as a major concern
in China. But the subsequent improvement in living standards has
been uneven between regions, industries, and social groups.
And discontent about inadequate social security guarantees,
expensive medical services, housing and education, as well as tight
job supply, is undeniable.
The new leadership has presented some heart-warming proposals
such as "people first," "scientific perspectives on development,"
and, of course, "harmonious society."
To substantiate their emphasis on the human dimensions of
development, they have cancelled the agricultural tax, raised
minimum wage levels and poverty relief subsidies, enlarged social
security coverage, and lifted the personal income tax
threshold.
The communique is a step forward because it places problems in a
larger context. This is no longer a case-by-case approach that
treats the symptoms but not the cause.
Do not miss the communique's mention of the consensus that
social harmony is an "essential quality" of socialism with Chinese
characteristics. Such wording is unprecedented and may likely be
followed by modifications in the Party's way of thinking and code
of conduct.
The CPC's promises to squarely face up to contradictions,
resolve them, and reduce factors of disharmony, as well as to focus
on problems that most directly affect public interests, give us
confidence in real improvements.
That is why we see the communique as a formula of hope.
(China Daily October 12, 2006)