In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Deng Xiaoping put forward the strategic concept of “a moderately prosperous society” when drawing the blueprint for China’s economic and social development. With the deepening of the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the connotations and implications of “a moderately prosperous society” has been continuously enriched and developed. With the goal of building a moderately prosperous society basically realized at the end of the 20th century, the report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC clearly put forward the goal of “building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way”. In the report of the 19th CPC National Congress, it is proposed on the one hand that we must ensure that by the year 2020, all rural residents living below the current poverty line have been lifted out of poverty, and poverty has been eliminated in all poor counties and regions. Poverty alleviation should benefit those who truly need it and deliver real results. Besides, we should ensure that the poor and backward areas will enter the moderately prosperous society together with the rest of the country. On the other hand, it is also proposed that we must realize that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, implement the strictest possible systems for environmental protection, develop eco-friendly growth models and lifestyle, and ensure harmony between humanity and nature. As environmental protection has gradually become a hard constraint, how to build a moderately prosperous society in backward areas has become a focus of public concern as well as a difficult issue. Building a moderately prosperous society in backward areas is not only the priority of regional economic development, but also has an essential impact on the overall situation of realizing a moderately prosperous society in all respects in China. China’s backward areas usually have abundant ecological resources. Now we are in a dilemma: on the one hand, we must develop industries in order to get rid of poverty and realize a moderately prosperous society in all respects, which, however, might damage ecological environment; on the other hand, if we develop industries under environmental protection constraints, it is very difficult to realize a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This week, Professor Liu Zhibiao, Dean of Yangtze IDEI, invited Zhang Lidong, researcher of Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, and Wang Xiandong, Commissioner of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, to host discussions with relevant experts and scholars on the topic “How to Build a Moderately Prosperous Society in Backward Areas Under Environmental Protection Constraints”.
