Prosperity tangible along Chang'an Ave

• Source: The Global Times
• [04:58 June 04 2009]
• Comments

Prosperity is tangible along Chang’an Avenue, the capital’s east-west axis, which stretches in front of Tiananmen Square. China’s economic development has gained speed after Deng Xiaoping made his famous tour of Guangdong Province in 1992, in reality using the travels as a method of reasserting his economic policy after his retirement from office.

One year after his tour, the first club exclusive to the nouveau rich, Chang’an Club, opened along the avenue, adjacent to the square. Tycoons including Li Ka-shing and late Henry Fok Ying-tung all became members. It is not the big names, however, that grabbed the attention of outsiders, but the respect and tolerance for private assets the club stands for in the once egalitarian society.

Now, chic department stores along the avenue are also packed with common urban citizens, who also have a share in the economic boom. The famous Silk Market has become a must-see place for tourists from all over the world.

The Chinese people, especially the young, have become much more apathetic about politics than they were decades ago. Education, medical insurance and employment are among their top priorities today.

“Since the reform and opening-up, the living standards of the Chinese people have greatly improved, which easily explains their support of the government. But at the same time, we should also notice that the government has become more open and responsive,” University of Utah Associate Professor Tong Yanqi recently wrote for “Observation and Communication,” an academic journal at Peking University.

Recognizing the need to get in touch with the grass roots, Tong explained, the government began publicizing policies and legislation online in 2006 to solicit comments from the people. The response to a labor law before it was passed in June 2007, for example, totaled 170 million posts and required almost 30 people to categorize.

Twenty years later, “The government is responsive to requests of the people,” Tong said.