Zhejiang authorities hosted on Feb 7 a high-profile conference to push forward the construction of a demonstration zone for common prosperity in the province.

It was the provincial government's first conference in the Chinese Lunar New Year, reflecting the high priority the government has given to achieving common prosperity among its various socioeconomic development goals.

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, jointly published a guideline in June 2021 encouraging Zhejiang to take the lead in building a demonstration zone to help promote common prosperity nationwide.

Five attendees of the conference gave presentations on how common prosperity was promoted in their respective areas over the past year.

Wang Tonglin, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, drew three comparisons in his speech: the province's rural residents saw a higher income growth rate than urbanites in 2021; the income growth rates for low-income rural residents throughout the province and the rural residents in the 26 less-developed mountainous counties were both higher than rural residents in Zhejiang overall last year.

Pingtian village, located in mountainous Songyang county, Zhejiang province, has over 300 residents. The village's rural heritage and cultural attractions helped it become a major scenic spot in 2018, with tourism offerings now including at least five farmstay facilities and 145 beds. [Photo/China Daily]

Zhong Guanhua, deputy Party chief of Ningbo, pointed out that 23 percent of the city's employed population has taken up flexible jobs offered by internet-empowered sectors such as e-commerce, express delivery, and telecommunications.

Xu Yongan, chairman of Hengdian Group, spoke about how the large company, which runs Hengdian World Studios - the world's largest film and TV drama shooting base -  has helped realized common prosperity in Hengdian town, Dongyang city, Zhejiang province, where the studios are based.

Xu said that the company currently employs 58,000 people and offers an average annual pay of 90,000 yuan ($14,148). He added that many of the employees used to be rural residents with meager incomes. Moreover, Hengdian World Studios provides a source of income for more than 1,000 small and micro-sized businesses in the service sector. The company has even invested heavily in local infrastructure and public services that benefit the general public.

Visitors interact with actors in Hengdian. CHINA DAILY