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Two Centenaries is one of the most ambitious political campaigns launched by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to bring China back to the position of great superpower and civilization since it once occupied and achieve the goal of the “Chinese Dream”. It was introduced by President Xi Jinping and later revised to the country’s constitution at the CPC’s 18th National Congress held in November 2012.

The “two centenaries” refers to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the former one aims to bring all Chinese people to live in a “moderately prosperous society”, while the latter one aims to “fully build a modern socialist country” , eventually achieving the “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” through the continuation of “struggle”.

History and development
CPC’s commitment to build China into a prosperous nation was took shape earlier in 1992, when the then incumbent leader Deng Xiaoping travelled south and inspected in Guangdong province, southern part of China. Throughout the trip, he urged officials to “give a push to economic reforms” and reiterated the importance of “Three-step development strategy”, which gradually evolved to be the prototype of the “two centenaries’.

Although the “two centenaries” was suggested and added to the country’s constitution by Xi Jinping in 2012, it was first declared by Jiang Zemin, the former CPC top leader in 1997, and officially inscribed into the Party’s Constitution in 2002. When goals of two centenaries are achieved, a Xiaokang society in “all-round way” is likely to be achieved. The term “Xiaokang” is a Confucian term which means ‘moderately prosperous society’. It was first used by Hu Jintao when he was formulating economic policies designed to create a more equal distribution of wealth within China. Jiang interpreted ‘all-round way’ to mean “socialist democracy, the legal system, ideological and ethical standards, and sustainable development”. While Xi made a more detailed description in what achieving “Xiaokang” will look like: the country is expected to witness a more “advanced science and education, thriving culture, greater social harmony, a better quality of life, poverty alleviation, medical cover for all, improved education, and environmental health”.

Description of the two centenaries
The two centenaries refer to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2021 and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2049. For the centenary of the CPC, it is aimed to “finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021”. For the centenary of the PRC, it is aimed to “turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious”

The goal of “the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation” is expected to be achieved after the CPC celebrates its centenary in 2021 and when the PRC celebrates its centenary in 2049.

100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (2021)
"The Great Journey," a grand artistic performance, was held in prior in the Beijing National Stadium to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC on 28 June. Chinese President Xi Jinping and members of the Politburo Standing Committee watched the performances along with 20,000 spectators. Throughout the performances, major moments in the history of the CPC are put on stage, with an emphasis on military achievements and the strong central leadership of the party. . It was later broadcasted by China Media Group on the evening of 1 July 2021.

A grand ceremony was held at the Tiananmen Square on 1st July 2021. On the ceremony, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, declaring that the country has "realized the first centenary goal of ‘building a moderately prosperous society in all respects’” and announced that “the Chinese nation is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation” . Furthermore, he also expressed the importance of “bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” as this prospect "has become a historical inevitability".

100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China (2049)
The 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, or the Centennial of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国成立一百周年) is expected to fall on 1 October 2049, the National Day of the People's Republic of China.

Four Modernizations (1979)
China’s goal of achieving modernization and improving national power was set earlier by Zhou Enlai in 1954. In order to overcome backwardness and poverty, Zhou suggested to “modernize agriculture, industry, national defense, science and technology”. It was later formally proposed to “build China into a socialist country with modern industry, modern agriculture, modern national defense and modern science and culture” by the CPC Central Committee.

After Deng Xiaoping took power, he reiterated the importance to achieve the “four modernizations” goals and aimed to “build a Xiaokang society by the end of the 20th century”. The concept of “Xiaokang society” then became pivotal for the actualization of “Two Centenaries” goals, after the CPC revised the goal of “completing building a Xiaokang society in an all-round way” in 2012.

“Three-step Development strategy” (1987)
In 1987, Deng Xiaoping proposed a three-step strategy to achieve modernization. The three-step development strategy was bisected into three parts, the first stage aimed to “double the size of the Chinese economy between 1981 and 1990”,second aimed to “make China a ‘Xiaokang’(moderately prosperous) society” and the third aimed to uplift “China to the level of moderately developed countries by the mid-21st century”, which is by the time the PRC celebrates it centenary.

Among the three steps, the most important is the last stage, which the CPC aimed to “quadruple the 2000 per capita income, approximately reaching USD 4000 per capita” within 30-50 years of time. After achieving this, China will reach a moderately developed level and achieve “Xiaokang”. In short, the three step development strategy is pivotal to China’s development in this 40 years, as it has “improved China’s comprehensive national strength, raised people’s living standards, and guided and united the people”, it has also enabled China to rise to become the second largest economy in the world.



Two Centenaries is one of the most ambitious political campaigns launched by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to bring China back to the position of great superpower and civilization since it once occupied and achieve the goal of the “Chinese Dream”. It was introduced by President Xi Jinping and later revised to the country’s constitution at the CPC’s 18th National Congress held in November 2012.

The “two centenaries” refers to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the former one aims to bring all Chinese people to live in a “moderately prosperous society”, while the latter one aims to “fully build a modern socialist country” , eventually achieving the “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” through the continuation of “struggle”.

History and development
CPC’s commitment to build China into a prosperous nation was took shape earlier in 1992, when the then incumbent leader Deng Xiaoping travelled south and inspected in Guangdong province, southern part of China. Throughout the trip, he urged officials to “give a push to economic reforms” and reiterated the importance of “Three-step development strategy”, which gradually evolved to be the prototype of the “two centenaries’.

Although the “two centenaries” was suggested and added to the country’s constitution by Xi Jinping in 2012, it was first declared by Jiang Zemin, the former CPC top leader in 1997, and officially inscribed into the Party’s Constitution in 2002. When goals of two centenaries are achieved, a Xiaokang society in “all-round way” is likely to be achieved. The term “Xiaokang” is a Confucian term which means ‘moderately prosperous society’. It was first used by Hu Jintao when he was formulating economic policies designed to create a more equal distribution of wealth within China. Jiang interpreted ‘all-round way’ to mean an advancement in “socialist democracy, the legal system, ideological and ethical standards, and sustainable development”. While Xi made a more detailed description in what achieving “Xiaokang” will look like: the country is expected to witness a more “advanced science and education, thriving culture, greater social harmony, a better quality of life, poverty alleviation, medical cover for all, improved education, and environmental health”.

Description of the two centenaries
The two centenaries refer to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2021 and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2049. For the centenary of the CPC, it is aimed to “finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021”. For the centenary of the PRC, it is aimed to “turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious”

The goal of “the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation” is expected to be achieved after the CPC celebrates its centenary in 2021 and when the PRC celebrates its centenary in 2049.

100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (2021)
"The Great Journey," a grand artistic performance, was held in prior in the Beijing National Stadium to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC on 28 June. Chinese President Xi Jinping and members of the Politburo Standing Committee watched the performances along with 20,000 spectators. Throughout the performances, major moments in the history of the CPC are put on stage, with an emphasis on military achievements and the strong central leadership of the party. . It was later broadcasted by China Media Group on the evening of 1 July 2021.

A grand ceremony was held at the Tiananmen Square on 1st July 2021. On the ceremony, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, declaring that the country has "realized the first centenary goal of ‘building a moderately prosperous society in all respects’” and announced that “the Chinese nation is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation” . Furthermore, he also expressed the importance of “bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” as this prospect "has become a historical inevitability".

100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China (2049)
The 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, or the Centennial of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国成立一百周年) is expected to fall on 1 October 2049, the National Day of the People's Republic of China.

Four Modernizations (1979)
China’s goal of achieving modernization and improving national power was set earlier by Zhou Enlai in 1954. In order to overcome backwardness and poverty, Zhou suggested to “modernize agriculture, industry, national defense, science and technology”. It was later formally proposed to “build China into a socialist country with modern industry, modern agriculture, modern national defense and modern science and culture” by the CPC Central Committee.

After Deng Xiaoping took power, he reiterated the importance to achieve the “four modernizations” goals and aimed to “build a Xiaokang society by the end of the 20th century”. The concept of “Xiaokang society” then became pivotal for the actualization of “Two Centenaries” goals, after the CPC revised the goal of “completing building a Xiaokang society in an all-round way” in 2012.

“Three-step Development strategy” (1987)
In 1987, Deng Xiaoping proposed a three-step strategy to achieve modernization. The three-step development strategy was bisected into three parts, the first stage aimed to “double the size of the Chinese economy between 1981 and 1990”,second aimed to “make China a ‘Xiaokang’(moderately prosperous) society” and the third aimed to uplift “China to the level of moderately developed countries by the mid-21st century”, which is by the time the PRC celebrates it centenary.

Among the three steps, the most important is the last stage, which the CPC aimed to “quadruple the 2000 per capita income, approximately reaching USD 4000 per capita” within 30-50 years of time. After achieving this goal, China will reach a moderately developed level, achieve “Xiaokang” and realize the Chinese dream of “building a great modern country”. In short, the three step development strategy is pivotal to China’s development in this 40 years, and has “improved China’s comprehensive national strength, raised people’s living standards, and guided and united the people”, it has also enabled China to rise to become the second largest economy in the world.

Poverty alleviation
So as to realize the first centenary goal, which is to achieve a moderately well-off society, the Chinese government published and implemented various policies in order to bring all people to Xiaokang society. One of them is the progressive poverty alleviation campaign which lifted about 100 million people out of poverty between 2012 to 2020. Since Xi Jinping took office in 2012, the targeted poverty alleviation strategy was introduced and implemented .Local governments will first identify impoverished areas, establish the accurate identification mechanism for poverty and build an electronic archive for each poor household to ensure an effective support to the poor. Through the poverty alleviation program, poor households which have the ability to work are supported financially, i.e., loans and subsidiaries, to develop their industries; tens of millions of poor people are also relocated from remote villages with treacherous terrains to better hospitable villages or towns. In the relocation program, further assistance like education, employment, medical care and social securities are also provided for locals in order to prevent them from falling into intergenerational poverty. Furthermore, selected cadres are stationed in villages to help locals in person, while poor young laborers could receive professional training to become self-sufficient in the future.

Significance and expectations
The first centenary goal was successfully accomplished, as on the grand ceremony on July 1, Xi Jinping announced that China has succeeded in "building a moderately prosperous society in all respects”, and the country is “marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects” . Having the first centenary goal achieved is significant as China had successfully lifted 100 million people out of poverty, introduced new models of “innovative economy”, improved the environment through reaching “carbon free” goals and brought all Chinese people into moderately prosperous stage.

It is expected that China would achieve the next centenary goal by the year 2049, finish building a modern socialist nation which is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious. Various social issues like the “Three big mountains”, “Sannong issues” and disparity between the rich and the poor will be solved. While the main economic and social development indexes of China will be close to or at the level of advanced countries and Chinese people will enjoy “a higher standard of public services and social security”, meaning that China will join the list of developed nations and take a more responsible role in the global eyesight. Eventually, China will achieve the goal of national rejuvenation and become the strongest economy in the world with a huge center of civilization.

Challenges and solutions
Although the first centenary goal is successfully achieved, the CPC may face huge challenges in realizing the second centenary goal, the reasons are listed as follows: Firstly, positive sources of per capita GDP growth presented earlier are disappearing or even reversed. After the introduction of the one child policy in the late 1970s, less children were given birth, so the working-age population have started to shrink since 2013, which means that China might face labor shortage problems in the upcoming years. This is unfavorable with the employment market, especially for industries which rely on a huge working force.

Secondly, the country’s desire to achieve the second centenary goal is also affected by tensions of social inequality and the widespread degradation of ecological quality. If these problems remained unsolved, it will be challenging for the CPC to accomplish the second centenary goal. As people started to realize that living standards are important as well, and it’s their rights to demand for better provision of the related public services.

Thirdly, the ageing population and the decrease of young residents in rural China will lead to insufficient internal impetus driving economic growth, bringing new challenges to the country’s poverty reduction. As a result, even though the CPC has brought all people into Xiaokang and achieved the first centenary goal in 2021, many will return to poverty, and it will still be a problem.

Amid facing huge obstacles, the CPC is still determined to cope with such problems and had found several solutions. In response to the labor shortage problem, the Chinese government has loosened birth control regulations in 2021 to motivate couples to give birth to three children. As incentives are provided, it is common to see young couples having three or more children, which later contributes to the labour market. While to address pollution-related problems, the government has implemented the National Primary Function Area Zoning Plan and established “a national Green Development Foundation” to scale down urban land and increase forest areas, which improves the environment and lead to a rise of quality of life. While for the re-poverty-stricken problem, as the government has bounded local officials with the “poverty alleviation responsibility”, local government officials will try their best in helping poor people and lowering poverty rate so as to perform well and achieve good results during evaluation period. As a result, it is unlikely that extreme poverty will return.