Vice President Li Peilin Delivers a Report at the Academy of Marxism
On the morning of July 23, the Faculty of Marxist Studies and the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held the 73rd "Sino-Foreign Marxist Academic Lecture Series." Li Peilin, Vice President of CASS and Director of the Institute of Sociology, delivered an academic report titled "Livelihood Construction Goals for Completing the Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects." The lecture was presided over by Cheng Enfu, Director of the Faculty of Marxist Studies and President of the Institute of Marxism Studies.
The report provided an in-depth analysis of several aspects regarding the economic, employment, and income distribution goals for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects [1]. Li Peilin pointed out that there is a distinction between a "broad society" and a "narrow society." A "broad society" encompasses various aspects including economy, politics, and culture—examples include New Democratic Society [2], a moderately prosperous society (Xiaokang society), a harmonious society, and a society of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Currently, the "social construction" we speak of is relatively a "narrow society" concept; it is a social sphere distinct from politics, economy, and culture. The Report to the 18th National Congress [3] proposed social construction with a focus on improving people's livelihoods, including six major tasks: education, employment, income distribution, social security, medical care, and social management. This defines the direction and goals for social construction.
Regarding the economic goals for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Li Peilin noted that China's economic growth currently shows a clear trend of slowing down. Ultimately, economic development is the foundation of livelihood construction, and ensuring the sustainability of economic growth is key to improving people's lives. However, the present is also an opportune time for structural adjustment. The patterns of regional growth and urban-rural resident income growth are undergoing transformative changes. For seven consecutive years, growth in the central and western regions has outpaced that of the east, and for three consecutive years, the growth of per capita net income for farmers has been faster than that of urban residents. We must seize this favorable opportunity to transform the mode of development and carry out structural adjustment.
Regarding the employment goals for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Li Peilin stated that the Report to the 18th National Congress placed the employment of young people, with a focus on college graduates, at the forefront of China's employment issues. This indicates that university students are indeed facing certain difficulties in finding employment, and the problem has become more prominent. Li Peilin pointed out that the current characteristics of China's labor market are defined by the coexistence of: difficulties in university student employment (stemming from industrial structural adjustment and educational structure issues); structural labor shortages (manifested as recruitment difficulties and issues with integrating migrant workers into cities); and a large surplus of rural labor (involving labor transfer and farmers' income issues).
Regarding the income distribution goals for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Li Peilin discussed the relationship between income distribution and social identity. He pointed out that according to surveys, the proportion of Chinese urban and rural residents who identify as "middle class" in terms of socioeconomic status is not only lower than in developed countries like the United States, France, and Japan, but also lower than in developing countries like Brazil and India. There is a general downward bias in the socioeconomic status identification of Chinese urban and rural residents, a situation that warrants vigilance. In the reform of the income distribution system, we must not only focus on regulating distribution outcomes but also pay close attention to rationalizing the order of income distribution and establishing mechanisms for equal opportunity.