People's Life and National Strength since Reform and Opening-up
BasicLaunched in late 1978, reform and opening-up transformed people's lives and greatly strengthened the country's comprehensive national power in the economy, technology, education, defence and more.
- Reform and opening-up launched in December 1978; the four SEZs were set up in 1980
- 'Three-Step' strategy (1987): subsistence, moderate prosperity, moderate development (affluence)
- Strategy points: seek truth from facts, prioritise the economy, first-rich drives common prosperity, socialist market economy
文體小知識：國情知識說明文——梳理改革開放的關鍵階段、發展策略，以及人民生活與綜合國力的變化。
§Text Passage
1In December 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made the historic decision to implement reform and opening-up, shifting the focus of work to economic development. In 1980, four Special Economic Zones — Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen — were set up as pilot areas of opening-up, and Shenzhen grew from a small border town into an international city.
2The development strategy stresses seeking truth from facts and prioritising the economy: the 'Three-Step' strategy proposed in 1987 moved from solving the problem of food and clothing, to moderate prosperity, towards being a moderately developed country; 'letting some people get rich first' aimed to drive common prosperity for all; and the socialist market economy system was later established, powering decades of rapid growth.
3People's living standards rose visibly: incomes grew and consumption diversified; education expanded sharply, with far more places in higher education; healthcare improved and life expectancy lengthened; poverty alleviation lifted a great number of rural people out of poverty and gave their lives more security.
4Alongside better livelihoods, the country's comprehensive national power rose across the economy, culture, natural resources, education, science and technology, and national defence. National development is also closely linked to Hong Kong: Hong Kong took part in the mainland's reform and opening-up and benefits from the opportunities of its vast market.
1Summary 重點摘要
Launched in late 1978, reform and opening-up transformed people's lives and greatly strengthened the country's comprehensive national power in the economy, technology, education, defence and more.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The national development course launched at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in December 1978 — reform at home, opening to the world.
The December 1978 meeting that made the historic decision to launch reform and opening-up.
Pilot areas of opening-up set up in 1980: Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen.
Proposed in 1987: solving food and clothing needs, achieving moderate prosperity, then moving towards moderate development.
Making policies according to actual conditions — the thinking basis of reform.
The goal that some get rich first to drive the rest, so that all share the fruits of development.
The economic system in which the market plays its role in allocating resources under the state's macro regulation.
The second step of the strategy: a comfortable life above basic subsistence.
The sum of a country's strengths across the economy, culture, natural resources, education, science and technology, defence and more.
The average years a newborn is expected to live — a measure of healthcare and living standards.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: The launch of reform and opening-upIn December 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee made the historic decision to shift the focus of work to economic development and implement reform and opening-up. Before then, the economy faced many difficulties and living standards needed improving. The session is seen as the turning point of national development, and for over four decades the country has advanced along this course. Understanding this starting point is the foundation of the whole topic — and the first sentence of any background answer.
- Step 2: Setting up the Special Economic ZonesIn 1980, four Special Economic Zones — Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen — were established as pilot areas of opening-up. The zones pioneered the introduction of foreign capital, advanced technology and management experience, and Shenzhen grew from a fishing town into a metropolis, the symbol of reform. Advancing reform through pilots reflects seeking truth from facts: test in a small area first, then spread the experience nationwide. Remember the four zones and the year 1980 — a common exam point.
- Step 3: The 'Three-Step' development strategyIn 1987, the state proposed the 'Three-Step' strategy: step one, solve the people's problem of food and clothing; step two, lift living standards to moderate prosperity; step three, by the middle of the twenty-first century basically realise modernisation, with people living in relative affluence at a moderately developed level. The strategy broke a long-term goal into stages and has been adjusted as development progressed. Memorise the order and content of the three steps — from subsistence to moderate prosperity to affluence — as getting the order wrong costs marks.
- Step 4: The logic of the strategyThe reform strategy contains several principles: seek truth from facts, making policies by actual conditions; prioritise economic development to enlarge the economy first; 'let some people get rich first', driving the rest so that common prosperity is the final goal; and later establish the socialist market economy, letting the market allocate resources under the state's macro regulation. The principles fit together and explain why growth could be sustained — quote them as a set and explain their relationships in answers.
- Step 5: Changes in people's livesLiving standards have risen across the board: incomes grew and consumption shifted from basic needs to variety, with cars, travel and online shopping becoming everyday; education expanded, with far more access to higher education; healthcare improved and life expectancy lengthened markedly; large-scale poverty alleviation greatly reduced the rural poor. These concrete changes are the best evidence of reform's effects — present them by field (income, education, healthcare, poverty) for a clearer answer.
- Step 6: Rising comprehensive national powerComprehensive national power is the sum of a country's strengths across the economy, culture, natural resources, education, science and technology, and national defence. Reform lifted the economy dramatically, strengthened innovation, developed education and culture, and steadily modernised defence. When evaluating national development, avoid a single indicator; analyse the whole picture through the many aspects of comprehensive national power — a common framework in data-response questions, where one example per field makes the answer fuller.
- Step 7: The connection with Hong KongNational development is closely tied to Hong Kong: in the early reform years, Hong Kong's capital, management know-how and international networks joined the mainland's development; as the nation grew, it brought huge opportunities for Hong Kong's finance, trade and professional services. Better livelihoods and stronger national power are the backdrop of Hong Kong's continued strengths. Learning this lesson together with the next one — Hong Kong's integration into national development — completes the chain from 'national development' to 'Hong Kong's opportunities'.
5Worked example Example
Data-response practice: the data describes a mainland village that once lived on farming and now has factories and a modern community, with rising incomes and more young people entering university. Based on the data and what you have learned, identify the changes in people's lives and analyse their relationship with the national development strategy.
- Read the question: two parts — first summarise the 'changes' from the data, then analyse the links with the 'development strategy'
- Summarise the changes: higher incomes, diversified consumption, better education, improved healthcare, longer life expectancy, large-scale poverty alleviation
- Link 1: reform and opening-up plus the Special Economic Zones brought foreign capital and technology, creating jobs and income growth
- Link 2: the 'Three-Step' strategy aimed at subsistence and moderate prosperity, lifting living standards overall
- Conclude: the changes are the fruit of the strategy and reflect rising comprehensive national power
- Answer: The changes in people's lives include: steadily rising incomes and consumption shifting from basic needs to variety; better education, with far more chances of higher education — the rising number of university students in the data is an example; improved healthcare and longer life expectancy; and large reductions in rural poverty. These changes are closely tied to the development strategy: reform and opening-up from late 1978 shifted the focus to economic development; the Special Economic Zones set up in 1980 introduced capital, technology and management experience, creating jobs and income; the 'Three-Step' strategy guided development in stages from subsistence to moderate prosperity and affluence; and the socialist market economy released lasting economic vitality. Better lives are both the fruit of the strategy and the concrete sign of rising comprehensive national power.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1When did reform and opening-up start?
Q2What are the three steps of the 'Three-Step' strategy?
Q3When were the four SEZs including Shenzhen set up?
Q4What is comprehensive national power?
Q5How have people's lives changed since reform and opening-up?
8Recap Recap
- Reform and opening-up launched in December 1978; the four SEZs were set up in 1980
- 'Three-Step' strategy (1987): subsistence, moderate prosperity, moderate development (affluence)
- Strategy points: seek truth from facts, prioritise the economy, first-rich drives common prosperity, socialist market economy
- Life changes: income, consumption, education, healthcare, life expectancy, poverty
- Comprehensive national power covers the economy, culture, resources, education, science and defence