Countdown to Moderate Prosperity

The building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects is now in the fi nal stage despite the impacts of the novel coronavirus epidemic. Across the country， most areas have already attained moderate prosperity and the few remaining impoverished areas have stepped up efforts to meet the target of poverty alleviation.

Shibadong， a village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture， Hunan Province in south China， and Minning in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the northwest， inspire the efforts with their own stories of transformation. The examples of ordinary people bringing about extraordinary changes demonstrate that dreams can come true through endeavors.

Building a moderately prosperous society in all respects is a systematic and comprehensive goal.

In 2012， the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC） put forward the goal of completing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020.

In 2017， the 19th CPC National Congress detailed the changes that would be in place in 2021， when the Party celebrates its centenary. The economy would be stronger， and China would be more advanced in science and education， with a thriving culture， greater social harmony and higher quality of life.

Winning the battle against poverty is a key task in achieving all this. After the onset of the novel coronavirus epidemic， President Xi Jinping gave instructions to ensure that not a single person is left behind in the transition to a moderately prosperous society.

In an article in Qiushi Journal， a publication of the CPC Central Committee， in June， President Xi said there are still some areas of weakness that need to be strengthened with prompt efforts.

He spelled out the main tasks to fi x the weaknesses， including eradicating poverty， solving prominent pollution problems， advancing the work to enhance peoples wellbeing and improving social security mechanisms.

The closer we are to success， the greater resolve is needed to overcome the remaining diffi culties that are also the most persistent. The epidemic made it harder for farmers and migrant workers in povertystricken areas to improve their income， fi nd jobs and even sell their farm products. However， governments at all levels have issued new policies and provided more support to overcome the diffi culties. People too need to add their own initiatives and efforts.

Building a moderately prosperous society in all respects will not only improve peoples life but also serve as a milestone in the ultimate goal： to build a great modern socialist country and realize national rejuvenation. Its a long road but the destination can be reached， as the people of Shibadong and Minning and thousands of other villages have shown.