Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, February 12 (Xinhua) — As the world's largest developing country, China consistently views its people's aspirations for a better life as the guiding principle of its efforts. Concern for the well-being of its citizens is the foundation of long-term social stability and sustainable development. This is what Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui wrote in an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Russian newspaper Trud.
"The modern world is undergoing profound transformations, and global challenges are intertwined. In this context, ensuring the well-being of the population is not only an important criterion for assessing the level of public administration modernization but also a fundamental basis for long-term social stability and sustainable development. As the world's largest developing country, China consistently views the people's aspirations for a better life as the guiding principle of its efforts," the publication states.
As the Chinese diplomat noted, through a series of institutional innovations and the implementation of various programs, the country has built a multi-level, differentiated, and sustainable social security system, providing reliable support for more than 1.4 billion Chinese citizens and making a useful contribution to global development.
The article emphasizes that the unique advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics—the ability to concentrate efforts on solving major, complex, and urgent problems—is clearly and fully manifested in the area of ensuring public welfare. "During the 14th Five-Year Plan, the multi-layered social security system was further strengthened, covering the entire population, integrating cities and villages, and based on the principles of fairness and unity, security and normativity, and sustainable development," Zhang Hanhui noted, adding that the social support system built supports individuals throughout their lives.
The article cites data showing that the coverage of the basic health insurance system nationwide has consistently exceeded 1.3 billion people. By the end of 2025, the number of people insured in the basic pension system reached 1.076 billion, and the investment management volume of pension funds amounted to 2.98 trillion yuan. Furthermore, the long-term care insurance system is gradually expanding, covering approximately 190 million people. The unemployment and work-related injury insurance systems have also improved, with the number of insured people reaching 249 million and 305 million, respectively. "This steadily strengthening and reliable social safety net has truly become a 'stabilizer' for ensuring the people's basic living conditions, having successfully established, precisely defined, and effectively implemented minimum social guarantees," the Chinese diplomat stated.
Zhang Hanhui emphasized that shared prosperity is the fundamental requirement and distinctive feature of Chinese-style modernization, as well as the inevitable path the Chinese people take to an even better life through the comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society. The ambassador recalled that by the end of 2020, China had historically resolved the problem of absolute poverty, which had plagued the Chinese nation for millennia. "The fight against poverty has been completely won, and the key goals of the formula 'no two problems and no three guarantees' (no food and clothing problems, no guarantees of compulsory education, no basic healthcare, and no housing security) have been fully realized," he stated, noting that as a result, a comprehensive and effective poverty alleviation system has been established, helping more than 7 million people avoid the risk of falling back into poverty. "At the same time, China is consistently advancing the course toward shared prosperity, emphasizing the promotion of social justice within the framework of high-quality development," the article states.
The Chinese diplomat emphasized that social protection practices in China are always grounded in national realities and the principle of people-centeredness. "The country, on the one hand, actively adopts useful international experience, while on the other, firmly pursuing its own development path," he added, noting the state's leading role in strategic planning, policymaking, and resource allocation. According to him, this constantly strengthening and expanding social protection network supports the "sustainable happiness" of the Chinese people while simultaneously offering the world solutions to social problems that embody Eastern wisdom. The ambassador believes that the well-being of the people is directly linked to their sentiments, and that unity in public sentiment consolidates the nation's strength.
Zhang Hanhui noted that under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, Russia has implemented a number of effective measures in social development and ensuring the well-being of the population. "In the common pursuit of people's happiness and improving their well-being, China stands ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia and other countries, work for the benefit of the people, promote global stability, and make tireless efforts to build a more just and rational international order and establish a community with a shared future for mankind," Zhang Hanhui concluded.
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