By Ronnie Lins

The teachings of Confucius illuminate the path for achieving our dreams in life， and one key teaching in particular has been illuminating Chinas path toward becoming a moderately prosperous—or xiaokang—society. It is that taking a moderate approach to building well-consolidated social and economic foundations is essential for achieving prosperity. The concept is far from new， but it is standing the test of time as China enters a new era of development.

The Communist Party of China （CPC） has a strong understanding of this notion， and all Party leaders have been demonstrating it in their work. The main result has been the eradication of absolute poverty last year， which completed Chinas process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

This idea also has its roots in Confucianism， and the term describes a society with a large middle-income group， where everyone is modestly well-off and everyones basic needs are met. Although a few adaptations are needed in order to face new global challenges， its efficiency as a guiding principle has continued to this day.

China began to implement its 14th FiveYear Plan （2021-25） in 2021， and the new plan reflects Chinas changing goals as it transitions from working toward becoming a xiaokang society to developing as one.

Confucius once said that by carrying earth basket by basket， one could make a mountain. Since the founding of the CPC a century ago， the Party leadership has been carrying these baskets of earth. The baskets have contained social， educational and economic reforms， and cultural， technological and environmental advancements， which have added up year by year. Todays “Chinese mountain” is already a source of great satisfaction and pride for all Chinese， and it will only become more prosperous in the future. To ensure this is the case， these kinds of developments should continue with moderate intensity in a manner that is in harmony with the current global context.

Furthering reform

Instituting reform is one of the greatest challenges faced by developing countries， but reform is vital for creating the necessary foundations for development.

The main goals developing countries must achieve are： the creation of better living conditions for the population； reducing social inequalities by facilitating equal access to retirement and pension systems； facilitating equal access to a solid， comprehensive and hi-tech public health system； the comprehensive development of the real estate market， prioritizing the provision of decent housing for all； the improvement of national security mechanisms， concerning both the protection of national sovereignty and the response to natural disasters； the implementation of business reforms that allow companies to reduce costs and increase their productivity； creating conditions to improve the business environment through incentives and supply a more secure environment to protect intellectual property rights.