China to enter into a moderately developed society in 2050

China will enter into a moderately developed society with an life expectancy averaged over 80 years and social services available to all in 2050, according to a report released on Feb. 7 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The report says that to attain this goal, China should follow two stages of social transformation. It should first turn into a city-based industrialized society from the present agricultural one, and then step into a knowledge-oriented society with rural and urban areas development at the same rate in the coming 50 years.

Published by the research team with China Center for Modernization Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the "2006 report on China's modernization", focused on social modernization researches, notes that the two-stage transformation will fundamentally change the traditional custom and lifestyle formed by Chinese people in the past 5,000 years, which will lead to the reshuffle of social benefits and roles.

In the area of pushing on urbanization, the space structure of China's population will first turn into a rural society from an urban one, and then enter into an information- and knowledge-oriented society with rural and urban areas developing at the same rate. And about 80 per cent of the urbanization work in China will have been completed while about 50 per cent of the suburbanization work will be achieved.

In the area of social information, there will be also two stages of transformation for the living conditions and way of life of the Chinese people. First changing from a rural lifestyle to a modern urban one, and then from an urban way of life to information, knowledge and internationalization-oriented one. The basic tasks include that about 80 per cent of the population would have access to information industry services, about 50 per cent could afford overseas travel and about 50 per cent would own private cars. The education¨Creceiving expectancy of more than 17 years will be available to all.

The report describes the prospect like this: In 2050, Chinese will live in a moderately developed society, with an average life-expectancy of more than 80 years and social services of the ageing, medical treatment and unemployment available to all. The rational flow of trained personnel is allowed. A minimum monthly income of 1,300 US dollars will be exceeded in line with the 2002 price calculated. By then, no one in China will live under absolute poverty and there will be no child laborers.

By People's Daily Online