Prosperous lives
The Party's people-centered approach is also reflected in its
commitment to improving living standards and promoting equality. Last
year, China accomplished its goal of eliminating extreme poverty and
entered a new development stage.
The Harvard survey said Chinese citizens reported that the
government's provision of healthcare, welfare and other essential public
services was by 2016 far better and more equitable than when the survey
began in 2003. People in poorer and inland regions were more likely to
report increases in satisfaction, resulting from the provision of basic
services.
The life of Peng Xiaying, 53, a resident of Shenshan, a village
located in the mountains of Jinggangshan, Jiangxi province, has improved
dramatically in the past few years under poverty relief policies.
The village had poor infrastructure, and the villagers walked on dirt
roads and lived in adobe houses. Women from outside the village were
discouraged from marrying Shenshan men to avoid a life of poverty.
Peng's household used to be one of the poorest in the village, and
the family mainly relied on her to earn a meager income from farming due
to her husband's disability.
In 2015, the local government arranged targeted poverty relief
projects in Shenshan and helped villagers develop tea and yellow peach
industries. They also built a parking lot, installed streetlights and
helped the villagers renovate their houses.
With the help of the government, development of the tourism industry
and more visitors, Peng opened the first homestay in the village with
her husband in 2016.The guests eat at the homestay and often buy
handmade bamboo baskets and chopsticks, which help the family earn about
110,000 yuan ($17,200) a year.
"Now every household has its own business. Some make snacks, some
sell handicrafts and local products. With the government's support and
our own hard work, I believe the future will be more beautiful," she
said.
Related News
