Global Times: 'Delivering a better life for people' : Deputies recall Xi's commitment to the people's wellbeing

BEIJING, March 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global attention will turn to Beijing as the "two sessions," the annual meetings of China's top legislature and the top political advisory body, commence. This gathering serves as a critical platform where the people's voices will be heard by policymakers, while the country's development priorities will be discussed.

With the people's well-being in mind, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, participated in 59 deliberations and discussions with deputies and advisors from across China during the two sessions from 2013 to 2024, according to Xinhua.

Xi has always highlighted the need to make every effort to enable China's 1.4 billion people to lead a better life on the path to Chinese modernization. He treats the "little things," such as warm accommodation, hot meals, fresh air, and even rural toilet facilities, not as trivialities but significant aspects of his state governance, Xinhua reported.

When visiting the delegation of Sichuan deputies during the two sessions in 2017, Xi said he felt "pretty worried" when reading reports that the cliff villagers were coming and going via a rattan ladder, according to People's Daily.

When Xi took part in a deliberation with deputies from Northwest China's Qinghai Province in 2021, he asked about whether local people use latrines or flush toilets, what their electrically-heated brick beds look like, and the population, origins and customs of the Tu ethnic people.

When he took part in deliberations with NPC deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province last year, Xi pointed out that the people-centered development philosophy should be upheld.

"The people's well-being should be steadily improved in the course of pursuing development, so as to guide and encourage the broad masses to create a happy life with their own hands," Xi said.

Vivid reflection

People in remote Atule'er of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, used to climb 17 rattan ladders if they wanted to leave or come home to their village, which is perched on an 800-meter-high cliff, CGTN reported.

When visiting the delegation of Sichuan lawmakers during the two sessions in 2017, Xi said he felt "pretty worried" when reading reports about the cliff villagers.

In February, 2018, Xi himself visited the homes of impoverished villagers of the Yi ethnic group who live deep in the Daliang Mountains of Zhaojue County, Sichuan Province. Xi asked the villagers about their lives and discussed poverty alleviation with local officials and villagers, Xinhua reported.

He stressed that not a single ethnic group, family or individual should be left behind in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in China.

During two sessions in 2022, Xi asked again about the life of villagers in Atule'er when he visited national agriculture, welfare and social security advisors at the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). CPPCC member Yeshe Dawa of the Sichuan Province Department of Civil Affairs presented two photos of the village - one showed the rattan ladders that once hung precariously from steep cliffs; the other was a steel ladder replacement.

In 2017, a handrail-equipped steel ladder was built with government funding, making the trek easier and safer. In a resettlement program funded by the government in 2020, all 84 households in poverty from the village in Zhaojue county, Sichuan's Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, moved to new houses in the county town. But the village was not abandoned. Instead, it has become a tourism spot and income source for the villagers as its agriculture and tourism have been developed with government support.

The changes in Daliang Mountain are a vivid reflection of China's efforts in the new era to enhance the wellbeing of its people and move toward common prosperity.

Every small matter counts

When Xi took part in a deliberation with NPC deputies from Qinghai Province in 2021, six deputies gave speeches at the deliberation. A Shengqing was one of them.

The deputy recalled that during the deliberation Xi asked her questions about whether local people use latrines or flush toilets, what their electrically-heated brick beds look like, and the population, origins and customs of the Tu ethnic people. President Xi also learned about embroidery's contribution to poverty alleviation, the development of the local liquor industry, and the planting of Chinese medicinal herbs, among other issues concerning people's wellbeing. "I deeply felt General Secretary Xi Jinping's care for the people," she said.

"Every 'small matter' in the village is something General Secretary Xi holds dear in his heart," A Shengqing told the Global Times.

"I shared the achievements of poverty alleviation in Qinghai Province through the changes in Banyan Village in my speech," A Shengqing said.

Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, where Banyan Village is located, is the only autonomous county for the Tu ethnic people, one of the 56 ethnic groups in China.

Xi visited Banyan Village, Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Qinghai Province during an inspection visit, in August 2016. Xi checked the floor plan of a local villager's new home and asked about the construction progress and the hot bed stove, a heated sleeping platform common to north China, according to Xinhua.

"Over the years, Banyan Village underwent a dramatic transformation where residents now have electric heated beds, access to tap water, new relocated houses, hygienic toilets, rooftop solar panels," A Shengqing said, noting that villagers have also developed various industries such as embroidery, liquor distilling, and potato farming.

These industries have lifted local residents' income, with per capita income increasing to 23,813 yuan ($ 3,269) by 2023. 

Behind these transformations are the government's continuous efforts to improve people's wellbeing in ethnic minority regions, A Shengqing said.

People at center 

Dong Caiyun is a member of the Bao'an ethnic group, which has a population of only about 20,000, according to Xinhua.

At the two sessions in 2019, Dong proposed a new expressway that would boost the development of her county in Northwest China's Gansu. Other deputies lauded her proposal, and Xi, who was present at the meeting, responded by asking the relevant departments to study the proposal, Xinhua reported.

After rounds of research and feasibility studies, construction began. By November 2023, the highway was completed, linking Linxia County, Linxia City, and Jishishan County together.

After a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Jishishan, Gansu Province in December, 2023, the highway played a critical role in the rescue efforts.

"This highway embodies the wishes of the people from my hometown for a better life, and I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of my fellow villagers," Dong told the Global Times.

Xi has consistently emphasized the significance of the people, unwaveringly adhering to the principle of "putting people at the center" in his governance approach, according to Xinhua.

China's "journey of modernization is not just about material wealth; it is deeply rooted in a people-centered philosophy. The fruits of Chinese modernization have been transformed into tangible improvements in the quality of life for ordinary citizens," People's Daily reported, quoting Bangladesh's Weekly Blitz.

Under Xi's leadership, China has successfully helped around 100 million people leave absolute poverty behind in less than a decade, winning the battle against absolute poverty in the country with 1.4 billion people. In doing so, the country has achieved the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xinhua reported.

In China, the average life expectancy of its people has reached 78.2 years, and over 1 billion people are connected to the internet. Furthermore, the country has established the world's largest education system, social security system, and healthcare system.

"Our goal is both inspiring and simple. Ultimately, it is about delivering a better life for the people," Xi said.

SOURCE Global Times