This article will look at the development of the concept of common prosperity from the perspective of the reform and opening up process. To understand common prosperity, we should correctly interpret two key words: one is prosperity, the other is common prosperity. Affluence means that people's lives are rich and prosperous: people’s material lives, spiritual culture and social development have reached a satisfactory level. The standard of prosperity is constantly adjusted and has changed with economic development and social progress. At present, we should refer to the level of moderately developed countries and create conditions to meet the growing material and cultural needs of the people.
In the early stage of reform and opening up, the slogan "let some people get rich first" had obvious characteristics of the times and a special orientation. This has a strong pertinence to emancipating our minds and abandoning rigid and far left ideas. The guiding ideology and relevant policies of "some people get rich first" have played an inestimable role in emancipating the collective mind and liberating productive forces, which should be fully affirmed. Reform and opening up have brought great changes to China. At the same time, the problems of unbalanced development and an excessive income gap have become increasingly prominent. The party and the state have put forward the vision of common prosperity and responded to the people's pursuit of a better life, which has distinctive characteristics of the times as well.
Emphasizing common prosperity is also realistic. Whatever method of measurement is used, China's overall income distribution contains a relatively large gap, which should be paid attention to and solved. We should not only keep in mind the original intention of "some people get rich first" to drive the common prosperity of all people, but also clarify the internal logic and operation mechanism from the notion of allowing some people to get rich first, to ensuring common prosperity, by finding the methods to actualize this transformation, and finding the best path to achieve common prosperity.
Zhejiang enjoys many advantages as the first demonstration zone for common prosperity. Before the reform and opening up process began, Zhejiang's economy was lagging behind and the foundation was weak. Little investment was made here, and there were no preferential policies or special care. It was repeatedly discussed and asked what Zhejiang's rapid development should depend on. The answer is people, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial talent. In the long and difficult environment, Zhejiang people have developed a unique survival ability, especially the entrepreneurial talent to find business opportunities. In the era of a planned economy, people in Zhejiang took risks to do business on the streets. At the beginning of reform and opening up, Zhejiang people took the lead and vigorously developed the Zhejiang commodity economy. The original accumulated experience and wealth enabled Zhejiang to take the lead in understanding every step of reform and opening-up measures, seize opportunities, and lead the country in the tide of commodity-based economic development. This internal force is extremely important. The reason for selecting Zhejiang to build a demonstration zone for common prosperity is that it has significance in being an example and demonstration area. People are the main body of economic activity, and entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial talent are the base of innovation.
The development of common prosperity in Zhejiang is also facing new challenges. First, will the entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurial impulse of Zhejiang people decline after they become rich? Can the curse of "Wealth does not pass three generations " be broken? Second, the technical level and scientific and technological content of Zhejiang products are generally low. In the past, it mainly relied on low-cost and low price competition. In recent years, scientific and technological innovation have been given great emphasis, but how to change the long-term industrial pattern? How to form new core competitiveness? Third, the phenomenon of fewer children and aging in Zhejiang is becoming more and more serious, and the rigid demand for social security and social welfare is increasing day by day. The sustainability of common prosperity also needs to be studied.
Published on October 14, 2021